Thanksgiving Movies: 20 Best Films to Watch with Family

Quick Answer: The Best Thanksgiving Movies

The best Thanksgiving movie for most families is Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) — a 92-minute comedy about two strangers trying to get home for the holiday. For a table with small kids, start with A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973), a gentle 25-minute special you can play while the turkey rests. This guide gives you 20 Thanksgiving movies — family favorites, comedies, classics, kids’ picks, and dramas — each with a short plot line, runtime, and who it suits, plus a movie-night plan.

Why Thanksgiving Movies Are Hard to Pick

Here is the honest problem with Thanksgiving movie lists: there are not many films actually set at Thanksgiving. Christmas has hundreds; Thanksgiving has maybe two dozen real ones. So most lists pad themselves out with anything from November, or any film with an autumn mood — Forrest Gump, Rocky, Home Alone. Good films, but not Thanksgiving movies.

Every film below is either set at Thanksgiving or built around a Thanksgiving gathering — the few feast-and-family exceptions are labeled. Each pick gives you the plot, the runtime, and who it suits, so you can choose in two minutes instead of arguing for twenty.

Family Favorites: Everyone on the Couch

1. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973) — 25 min, G

Peppermint Patty invites herself and two friends over, and Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock throw together a feast of toast, popcorn, pretzel sticks, jelly beans, and sundaes. Short, sweet, and gently funny about what the holiday is really for. Best for: young kids and anyone who wants a quick watch while the turkey rests — it ends before the gravy is done.

2. Free Birds (2013) — 91 min, PG

Two turkeys travel back to the first Thanksgiving to get turkey off the menu for good. Owen Wilson voices Reggie, a pardoned turkey who has tasted the good life; Woody Harrelson plays Jake, who thinks changing history is the only way to save his feathered friends. Best for: kids aged 5 and up, and adults who enjoy a silly animated adventure after dinner.

3. Miracle on 34th Street (1994) — 114 min, PG

It opens on the morning of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, when the hired Santa turns up drunk and an old man named Kris Kringle takes his place. Richard Attenborough plays Kris with quiet warmth. Best for: the whole family, especially if you want one classic that bridges Thanksgiving and the Christmas season.

4. The Blind Side (2009) — 129 min, PG-13

A wealthy Memphis family takes in a homeless teenager, Michael Oher, and helps him become a football star — starting with a Thanksgiving scene where he eats alone until the family invites him to the table. Warm and crowd-pleasing, built on gratitude and second chances. Best for: families with teens who want something heartfelt after the meal.

Comedies: When Everyone Needs a Laugh

5. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) — 92 min, R

Steve Martin plays an uptight ad executive who just wants to get home to Chicago for Thanksgiving. John Candy plays the shower-curtain-ring salesman who keeps ruining his plans. Every train, plane, and car fails them in turn. The funniest Thanksgiving film ever made, with a genuinely moving ending. Best for: adults and older teens, after the kids are in bed — it has strong language.

6. Addams Family Values (1993) — 94 min, PG-13

Wednesday Addams goes to summer camp, where she is cast in the camp’s Thanksgiving play — and turns it into the most memorable Thanksgiving scene in any movie. Dark, clever, and funnier than the first film. Best for: families with older kids and teens who like darker comedy.

7. Dutch (1991) — 107 min, PG-13

Ed O’Neill plays a working-class guy driving his girlfriend’s rich, spoiled son home for Thanksgiving, and the two have to figure each other out on the road. A lighter road-trip comedy in the spirit of Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Best for: a double feature with number 5, for a crowd that wants laughs without anything too heavy.

8. Tower Heist (2011) — 104 min, PG-13

A building manager and his staff plan a heist against the crooked billionaire who stole their pensions — timed to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, with the famous balloons as cover. Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy lead a big, noisy ensemble. Best for: a lively after-dinner crowd that wants action and jokes.

Classics: The Ones That Never Get Old

9. Miracle on 34th Street (1947) — 96 min, not rated

The original, in black and white: the Macy’s parade, a drunk Santa, and an old man named Kris Kringle who claims to be the real thing. It won three Academy Awards and still feels fresh. Best for: grandparents and anyone who wants to show the kids a real classic — it opens on Thanksgiving morning.

10. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) — 106 min, PG-13

Woody Allen’s story of three sisters, their husbands, and their tangled love lives, opening and closing on family Thanksgiving parties over two years. Warm, funny, and very human about how families actually work. Best for: grown-ups who want a smart, talky film once the kids are asleep.

11. Scent of a Woman (1992) — 156 min, R

Al Pacino plays a blind, retired colonel who hires a prep-school student to look after him for a Thanksgiving weekend in New York — and the weekend changes them both. Pacino won the Oscar for it. Best for: adults only, late evening; it is long, so start early.

12. When Harry Met Sally… (1989) — 96 min, R

Harry and Sally meet, argue, and keep meeting across twelve years of New York autumns — including a Thanksgiving scene behind one of the film’s best arguments. Sharp, romantic, and endlessly quotable. Best for: couples and grown-ups who want a cozy autumn romance after dinner.

Movies for Kids: The Little Ones on the Couch

13. Garfield’s Thanksgiving (1989) — 24 min, G

Garfield the cat tries to ruin Jon’s Thanksgiving dinner, then has to save it when Jon’s date and her grandmother are coming. Short, silly, and pure 1980s cartoon comfort. Best for: kids under 8, as a quick watch before the main film — pair it with number 1 for a half-hour of classics.

14. Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow (2015) — 83 min, TV-PG

A family visits their eccentric aunt in the small town of Turkey Hollow for Thanksgiving, and the kids hunt for a legendary monster in the woods. Whimsical, gentle, and made with real Henson creature work. Best for: kids aged 6 to 12 who like a little mystery with their holiday.

15. Ratatouille (2007) — 111 min, G

A rat who dreams of being a chef teams up with a clumsy kitchen worker in Paris, and together they cook a meal that melts a feared food critic. Not set at Thanksgiving, but the best food movie ever made — and on a day built around a feast, that counts. Best for: food-loving families with kids of any age.

16. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) — 87 min, PG

Wes Anderson’s stop-motion tale of a fox who cannot stop stealing chickens, and the farmers who try to stop him. Autumn in every frame — golden leaves, harvest, and a family dinner table. Best for: older kids and adults who like clever, stylish animation with a dry sense of humor.

Dramas: For When the Room Goes Quiet

17. Pieces of April (2003) — 80 min, PG-13

Katie Holmes plays April, a young woman cooking her first Thanksgiving turkey in a tiny New York apartment — with a broken oven — while her estranged family drives in. Funny, sad, and very real about what it costs to come home. Best for: adults and older teens who want something honest about family.

18. The Humans (2021) — 108 min, R

The Blake family gathers at their daughter’s new Manhattan home for one Thanksgiving dinner, and every worry they have been hiding comes out over the evening. Adapted from a Tony-winning play, it feels like eavesdropping on a real family. Best for: grown-ups who like quiet, serious films.

19. The Ice Storm (1997) — 113 min, R

Set over Thanksgiving weekend in 1973 Connecticut, two families drift through affairs and bad decisions while an ice storm closes in. Ang Lee directs with a cold, beautiful eye. Best for: adults only, and only if your crowd wants something serious — brilliant, but not cozy.

20. Krisha (2015) — 83 min, R

A woman returns to her family for Thanksgiving after years away, determined to prove she has changed — and one dinner is enough to test that. Shot in the director’s mother’s house, it feels painfully real. Best for: adults who want a short, powerful drama and are ready for something raw rather than warm.

How to Pick the Right Thanksgiving Movie

Choosing takes two minutes if you ask three questions first. Who is in the room? If kids under 10 are watching, stick to numbers 1, 2, 13, and 14. If it is adults only, the comedies and dramas open up. What is the mood? After a big meal, most people want laughs or something gentle, not a three-hour drama. How much time do you have? A 25-minute special fits between dinner and dessert; a two-and-a-half-hour film needs a real commitment — check the runtime before you press play, not after.

Agree on the film before dinner, not after it. Twenty minutes of scrolling while everyone is already sleepy kills a movie night. Pick one film from this list, put it on, and let the evening happen.

Your Thanksgiving Movie-Night Plan

Here is a simple schedule that works for most families — short films while people are still moving around, and the main event after the dishes.

If your family watches one film all day, make it Planes, Trains and Automobiles. With kids, add A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving before it.

Common Thanksgiving Movie Mistakes to Avoid

Picking something too long. After a huge meal, nobody wants a three-hour film. Check the runtime first — anything over two hours should start early or wait for another night.

Picking something too sad. A heavy drama can be wonderful, but right after dinner, when everyone is full and sleepy, it can feel like homework. Save the serious films for late night, when only the willing are left.

Forgetting the age range. An R-rated comedy with strong language is fine for adults and a disaster with a seven-year-old on the couch. Check the rating before you press play, not ten minutes in.

Choosing a film nobody has seen. A holiday is a bad night for an experiment. Pick something at least one person loves — a known favorite beats a risky new release when the whole family is watching.

Scrolling for twenty minutes. Decide before dinner. The film you pick in two minutes is better than the perfect film you never find.

Thanksgiving Movies by Situation

With small kids: Start with A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (25 min), then Free Birds if they want more. Short, bright, and funny.

With teenagers: Addams Family Values and Tower Heist hit the right mix of funny and cool. teens who roll their eyes at “family movies” will sit still for Wednesday Addams.

With grandparents: Miracle on 34th Street (1947) is the safe, beloved choice. It opens on the Thanksgiving parade, and three generations can enjoy it together.

Friendsgiving: Planes, Trains and Automobiles is the classic friends pick — travel chaos, big laughs, and a warm ending. Add When Harry Met Sally… if the night runs long.

After the kids are asleep: Hannah and Her Sisters, Pieces of April, or Scent of a Woman — grown-up films for a quiet house.

Frequently Asked Questions about Thanksgiving Movies

What is the best Thanksgiving movie?

For most people, it is Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) — funny, warm, and genuinely about getting home for the holiday. For families with small kids, the best pick is A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973). For a heartfelt family drama, try Pieces of April (2003).

What are the best Thanksgiving movies for kids?

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (25 min) is the classic for young kids. Free Birds (2013) works for ages 5 and up, Garfield’s Thanksgiving (1989) is a quick cartoon for under-8s, and Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow (2015) suits kids aged 6 to 12. Ratatouille is a great food-themed pick for any age.

What are the funniest Thanksgiving movies?

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) is the funniest by a wide margin. Addams Family Values (1993) is the best dark comedy, Dutch (1991) is a lighter road-trip comedy, and Tower Heist (2011) mixes heist action with big laughs. All four are set around the holiday.

What Thanksgiving movies are on Netflix?

Netflix’s Thanksgiving lineup changes every year, so check the app before the holiday. Past years have included Free Birds, Holidate, and Thanksgiving episodes of popular shows. Because rights change monthly, search “Thanksgiving” in the app the week of the holiday, or use a streaming search site to see where each film on this list is playing.

What are the classic Thanksgiving movies?

The true classics are Miracle on 34th Street (1947), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973). All four are set at Thanksgiving and still hold up — the 1947 Miracle is the only one that fits every age group.

What should we watch after Thanksgiving dinner?

After dinner, pick something light and funny — Planes, Trains and Automobiles is the crowd favorite, and Addams Family Values works if your family likes darker comedy. If the kids are still up, Free Birds or Miracle on 34th Street (1994) keeps everyone happy. Save longer dramas like Scent of a Woman for late night.