Movie fans can easily find their favorite Christmas movies, rom-coms, sports movies… but Thanksgiving movies? It’s not exactly a huge genre. But maybe it should be. People celebrating the holidays with a big dinner are perfectly set to plop down on the couch and watch something. Here’s a rundown of 10 of the best Thanksgiving-related movies, plus information on where to watch them. (Unfortunately, Arlo Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant isn’t streaming or it would be included here.)
Warning: spoilers for some of the upcoming movies.
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Planes, Trains and Automobiles is perhaps the most famous Thanksgiving movie of all Thanksgiving movies. The 1987 comedy was directed by John Hughes, who directed practically everything in the 1980s, and Steve Martin and John Candy play two travelers who strike up an unlikely friendship as Martin tries unhappily to get home for Thanksgiving. Martin and the late Candy have the perfect personalities to play this odd couple, making the movie a chaming and hilarious Thanksgiving treat.
Where to watch: It’s free if you have Paramount Plus, or you can rent it on numerous streaming sites, including Prime Video, YouTube, and AppleTV.
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Spike Lee’s first full-length feature film is 1986’s She’s Gotta Have It. (It’s in black and white, but apparently a fan colored in the scene below.) Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns) is a Brooklyn graphic artist who juggles three men all of whom join her for an awkward Thanksgiving dinner. Lee adapted the film into a Netflix series that ran for two seasons, from 2017-2019. Note that Lee himself later regretted a rape scene from the film and it was not used in the series.
Where to watch: The movie and series are both on Netflix.
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Forget turkey and stuffing. Anyone who’s seen the 1973 Emmy Award-winning movie A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving knows it’s not a real Thanksgiving without popcorn, jelly beans, pretzels, and toast.
Where to watch: Apple TV Plus.
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There’s a Thanksgiving scene in the original Rocky, and while it’s not exactly full of family warm fuzzies, you can use any excuse to watch (or rewatch) 1976’s Best Picture winner about a struggling Philly boxer who overcome all odds. Star Sylvester Stallone reportedly wrote the screenplay in just three days, but it’s been an American legend for over 45 years.
Where to watch: You can rent it on Apple TV, Prime Video, YouTube and other streaming sites.
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Sure, Miracle on 34th Street is a famous Christmas movie. But it kicks off on Thanksgiving, and since you’re probably looking at it after the turkey is sliced and the pies are back in the fridge, it’s time to get the holiday season started after all.
Where to watch: Free on Disney Plus or Prime Video for subscribers, or rent from numerous streaming services.
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Muppet creator Jim Henson passed away in 1990, but his eponymous company, run by his children, is still making movies and shows. Rapper Ludacris tells the story of Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow, a family-friendly Thanksgiving movie featuring wacky monsters that will be familiar to any Muppet fan.
Where to watch: Buy it on Prime Video for a whopping 49 cents (for standard definition).
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Not many Grumpy Old Men centers around Thanksgiving, but the 1993 comedy still belongs on this list. You may be gathering with older generations for Thanksgiving, and this comedy set in Minnesota is one of the few that acknowledges the friendships, romances, and feuds of more seasoned people. Star Ann-Margret is still with us at age 81, but Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, of course, have passed away.
Where to watch: Watch it with a Paramount Plus subscription or rent it on YouTube or Apple TV.
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There’s a Thanksgiving scene in Barry Levinson’s 1990 coming-to-America saga, Avalon, that many people quote when someone is late for their own family gatherings. (“You carved the turkey without me?”) Aside from that scene, this wonderful family drama is the kind of period piece they just don’t make anymore, and the youngsters on Thanksgiving can learn a lot about their ancestors by watching it.
Where to watch: Rent it on Prime Video, Apple TV or YouTube.
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Al Pacino won an Oscar for Scent of a Woman, a 1992 drama in which Chris O’Donnell plays a prep student hired to watch over Pacino’s character, the blind and cantankerous Vietnam War veteran, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade. It is during a Thanksgiving dinner where viewers discover the cause of Slade’s blindness.
Where to watch: Rent on Prime Video, Apple TV or YouTube.
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Addams Family Values is the 1993 sequel to 1991’s The Addams Family, which brought the monstrously funny TV characters of the 1960s to the big screen. It may look more like a Halloween movie, but there’s a great Thanksgiving scene with everyone’s favorite Addams, Wednesday (Christina Ricci).
Where to watch: Stream it for free if you subscribe to Netflix or Paramount Plus, or rent it on Prime Video, YouTube or AppleTV.
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