The Top 10 Best Thanksgiving Movies

5. The Ice Storm

While things might have been awkward for the family in Home for the Holidays, they’ve got nothing on the unfortunate families that get tangled together in The Ice Storm. Set over a Thanksgiving weekend in 1973, it’s a film that takes a close look at the sexual awakenings occurring in two families. The two families just happen to be next door neighbors, which leads to a whole mess of trouble (especially considering the whole sexual awakening aspect). Most of the film takes place during an ice storm in which members from both families end up involved in parallel stories, some of which end in tragedy. It’s from director Ang Lee and features an incredible cast including Kevin Kline, Tobey Maguire, Elijah Wood, and Christina Ricci, which probably explains why it’s such a damn good movie.

4. Scent of a Woman

There’s a reason why Al Pacino won an Academy Award for his performance as a cankerous, blind retired Army Lt. Colonel Frank Slade. The film follows a young preschool boy (Chris O’Donnell) who takes on a side job rather than go home for the Thanksgiving Holiday. The job turns out to be babysitting the Colonel as he heads out for a weekend in New York City. You see, the Colonel is off for one last hurrah before he plans to commit suicide. The two get up to plenty of misadventures along the way, including a pretty memorable Thanksgiving dinner sequence. While the film might get a little long in the tooth, it features one of the most memorable characters in movie history. Definitely a movie for those who might not be going home for the holiday.

3. Pieces of April

Thanksgiving can be a time for mending fences and that’s exactly what Piece of April is about. The film revolves around April who invites her estranged family to a holiday dinner. The film follows the family as they make the trek from the suburbs into New York City, as well as April who struggles to get a dinner put together in time, as well as her boyfriend who is desperate to find a suit in order to make a good impression. All three journeys revolve around what it is to be family and it’s actually a pretty feel-good movie. If you haven’t had a chance to see it, there’s no better time of year to sit down with the ones you love (and those vaguely racist relatives that refuse to leave). Besides, it features a pretty talented cast, including a young Katie Holmes before Tom Cruise snatched her up.

2. Hannah and Her Sisters

Whether you like him as a person or not, you have to admit that Woody Allen has made some pretty damn good movies over the years. Luckily for us, he made a Thanksgiving masterpiece back in the 80’s called Hannah and her Sisters, which is about, well, Hannah and her sisters. The film actually takes place over the course of three years, beginning and ending on Thanksgiving. Over the course of the film, we get to know Hannah and her two sisters and see how their lives unfold. Despite the highs and lows over the years, one thing remains constant and that’s the bond that this family has (despite some of them royally screwing a few of the others over). It’s the kind of Thanksgiving movie that only Woody Allen can make, so take that as you will.

1. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Steve Martin stars with the late John Candy in what is easily one of the absolute best Thanksgiving movies of all time. The film revolves around two men trying to make it home for the holidays despite everything going wrong. Despite the fact that they can’t stand each other life keeps on throwing them back together in the most disastrous situations you can imagine. It’s Martin and Candy at their absolute best as they lie, cheat, and steal in order to make it home in time for a happy Thanksgiving. In fact, if you’re going to watch just one movie on this list over your holiday weekend, I say this has got to be the one. It’s an all-time classic comedy and one the whole family can enjoy together. It’s got a heartwarming ending that really embarrasses the meaning of the season.

Honorable Mention: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Usually, I try to stick to movies that received theatrical releases when I put together these Top 10 lists. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give an honorable mention to A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. It’s short, it’s sweet, it’s to the point, and it really embarrassed the meaning of the season. While politics and world events might divide families this time of year, at least there’s one thing that we can all agree on and that’s A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. So, if the stress of the holiday is getting to you just check your local networks because I’ll bet dollars to donuts that this movie is going to be playing. It’s a wholesome, family-friendly movie that will help us all remember why we come together in order to celebrate the things we’re thankful for.

Shout-Out: Spider-Man

I’m sure all you geeks out there probably remember that Sam Rami’s Spider-Man actually took place around Thanksgiving. Remember when he squared off against the Green Goblin at the Macy’s Day parade in New York? In fact, Peter even carved the turkey with his arch-nemesis (in that film, at least) at dinner. In fact, there was even a bit of family drama just to really drive home the fact that it was Thanksgiving. It might not have centered around the holiday itself, but Spider-Man definitely made an effort to let audiences know that it was set in November. Because of that, I figured the web-slinger deserved a shout-out on this list of Thanksgiving movies.

Hopefully, those movies will help you get through Thanksgiving in one piece. However, there are a ton of other great holiday movies out there. If you have a favorite Thanksgiving movie that’s not on this list, be sure to leave a comment below with your suggestion. As more Thanksgiving movies hit theaters I’ll be sure to update this list. So, check back from time to time to see what new movies are worth watching. In the meantime, have a happy Turkey Day everyone!