21 Thanksgiving Movies to Watch Over the Long Weekend

Many people love Thanksgiving for the turkey and sides, but it's not exactly known for movies. The holiday is nestled in between the horror flicks of Halloween and the warm and cozy films of Christmas, but if you think "Thanksgiving movie", you might not get much further than A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving—which is wonderful, but a 30-minute-long TV special, not a movie.So, if you're searching for a film about Thanksgiving to view while you wait for the turkey to come out of the oven—or alongside your Thanksgiving sandwich the following day—look no further. The following list is full of movies either set during the November holiday or that at least have an autumn-y vibe. From horror to rom-coms, you'll find the Turkey Day watch for you.Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)If we’re just going off of vibes, Fantastic Mr. Fox—about a fox (George Clooney) who is a career thief—is certainly a Thanksgiving movie. This is mostly based on the color scheme of warm oranges, browns, and yellows, but there’s also the fact that Mr. Fox does steal turkeys as part of his ruse.STREAM HERERocky (1976)Aside from just being the type of re-watchable movie you can tune in and out of between convos with family and trips to the kitchen, Rocky is also set, in part, during Thanksgiving. A character throws a turkey from an oven, out a backdoor, and into an alley, so there’s that.STREAM HERESpider-Man (2002)The 2002 Spider-Man includes a pivotal Thanksgiving scene in which Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) has a tense moment with the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe). They don’t even get to enjoy their meal!STREAM HEREPlanes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)John Candy and Steve Martin star in the '80s comedy classic Planes, Trains and Automobiles. It's about an unlikely pair, who end up on an adventure together—one involving, yes, planes, trains, and automobiles—in an attempt to get to their holiday destinations.STREAM HEREPieces of April (2003)The dramedy Pieces of April follows a young woman, April (Katie Holmes), who invites her estranged family over for Thanksgiving dinner, including her mother, Joy (Patricia Clarkson), who has terminal cancer. Various things go wrong as April attempts to host in her tiny apartment, but the focus is on family.STREAM HEREThe Ice Storm (1997)The Ice Storm is about two families, the Hoods and the Carvers, who are mixed up in all sorts of drama involving affairs, swinging, and substance abuse. And it takes place over Thanksgiving weekend. And there's an ice storm. Not exactly comfy holiday feelings, but, hey, it's relevant!RENT/BUY HEREFree Birds (2013)If you're looking for something that younger members of the family can enjoy—so, definitely not The Ice Storm—check out Free Birds, an animated film about time-traveling poultry. Two turkeys, Reggie (Owen Wilson) and Jake (Woody Harrelson), travel back to the first Thanksgiving in an attempt to save their kind from becoming the meal of the holiday.STREAM HEREThe Taste of Things (2023)This romance is set in 1880s France, so… yeah, it’s not about Thanksgiving. But, it is very much about food. Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel star as chefs who have combined their working relationship with a romantic one, but it’s sometimes unclear exactly where that balance lies. Most notable for our purposes, though, is that it features extended scenes showing the preparation of impressive feasts.STREAM HEREWhy not settle in with a movie called Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving? Well, because you're not a fan of horror movies? But if you do like slasher films, this one is about a town that is confronted by a killer wearing a mask of John Carver, a famous pilgrim who arrived on the Mayflower.STREAM HEREYou've Got Mail (1998)You know that picture of Meg Ryan holding a pumpkin that pops up on social media every autumn? It's from You've Got Mail. While not a Thanksgiving movie in content, the rom-com celebrates fall and thus, is a Thanksgiving movie.STREAM HEREHome for the Holidays (1995) Dramedy Home for the Holidays stars Holly Hunter as a single mom, who visits her chaotic family for Thanksgiving after her daughter (Claire Danes) ditches her for her boyfriend. Drama and hijinks ensue.STREAM HEREAddams Family Values (1993)Addams Family Values is about the creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky Addams Family—I mean, it's right there in the song!—and much of the plot is about Wednesday and Pugsley attending summer camp. But, at the camp, they participate in a play about Thanksgiving, and Wednesday shocks everyone with a speech about Native Americans. It counts!STREAM HEREStepmom (1998)Stepom is a drama centered around a divorced mother, Jackie (Susan Sarandon), who has terminal cancer, and her ex-husband Luke's (Ed Harris) new partner, Isabel (Julia Roberts), who is set to become Jackie's kids' stepmom. That might really sound like a downer, but there’s themes of acceptance and all that good stuff. Anyway, it’s very autumnal and there is scene that takes place at a school Thanksgiving play.RENT/BUY HEREWhat's Cooking? (2000)What's Cooking? follows four families and explores how each of their cultures—Vietnamese, African American, Latino, and Jewish—spend Thanksgiving. There's drama. There's comedy. There's romance. There's food.STREAM HEREJulie & Julia (2009)Speaking of food, while Julie & Julia is not about Thanksgiving, this is another movie all about cooking, making it perfect to play while you cook—or while someone else does and then it's like Smell-O-Vision! If you're unfamiliar with the plot, Amy Adams stars as Julie, a woman cooking her way through Julia Child's cookbook, while Meryl Streep plays Child in a flashback timeline.STREAM HERESoul Food (1997)While we're on food movies, Soul Food is a natural choice, too. But be ready for some heavy drama. The movie isn't just about a family meeting up for dinner every Sunday, it's also about their tumultuous lives.RENT/BUY HEREHolidate (2020)Holidate is about Thanksgiving... and a bunch of other major holidays. The rom-com stars Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey as a pair who agree to pretend to be a couple, so they don't have to attend family holiday events solo. You'll never guess what happens next.STREAM HEREWhen Harry Met Sally... (1989)Chunky sweaters. Fall foliage. A scene in which the stars repeatedly say "pecan pie." The classic romance is not a Thanksgiving movie, but it is a Thanksgiving movie, you know what I mean?STREAM HEREKnives Out (2019)Speaking of sweaters, we have the movie in which Chris Evans famously wore one. Really, though, there’s a lot of knitwear and outerwear overall in this autumnal mystery/comedy that involves solving a crime on a spooky estate covered in crunchy leaves.STREAM HEREMiracle on 34th Street (1947)This is the Thanksgiving movie pick for anyone who is really just looking forward to Christmas. The movie begins with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the story about a department store Santa who claims to be the real guy continues throughout the holiday season, ending with Christmas.STREAM HEREMiracle on 34th Street (1994)Yeah, same deal as the 1947 movie, but it's the made-up Cole's Thanksgiving Day Parade, because the powers that be at Macy's didn't allow the name to be used this time. Still just as heartwarming, though!STREAM HERE