Best Of, Thanksgiving Movies.
by Eric-Scissorhands | created - 07 Jul 2011 | updated - 26 Nov 2021 | PublicWhen it comes to movies and TV specials, Thanksgiving is like Cinderella. Neglected by her stepsisters Halloween and Christmas, both of which get uglier and uglier each year with commercialization. Every horror movie ever made is perfect for watching on Halloween and god knows there seems to be no end to production of Christmas-related movies and TV shows.
This is my attempt at listing some of the Thanksgiving films and Tv specials that i could think of.
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1. The New World (2005)
PG-13 | 135 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of the English exploration of Virginia, and of the changing world and loves of Pocahontas.
Director: Terrence Malick | Stars: Colin Farrell, Q'orianka Kilcher, Christopher Plummer, Christian Bale
Votes: 89,824 | Gross: $12.71M
2. Home for the Holidays (1995)
PG-13 | 103 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
After losing her job, making out with her soon-to-be former boss, and finding out that her daughter plans to spend Thanksgiving with her boyfriend, Claudia Larson faces spending the holiday with her family.
Director: Jodie Foster | Stars: Holly Hunter, Anne Bancroft, Robert Downey Jr., Charles Durning
Votes: 14,557 | Gross: $17.52M
3. Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
R | 93 min | Comedy, Drama
A Chicago advertising man must struggle to travel home from New York for Thanksgiving, with a lovable oaf of a shower-curtain-ring salesman as his only companion.
Director: John Hughes | Stars: Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins, Michael McKean
Votes: 160,161 | Gross: $49.53M
4. Scent of a Woman (1992)
R | 156 min | Drama
A prep school student needing money agrees to "babysit" a blind man, but the job is not at all what he anticipated.
Director: Martin Brest | Stars: Al Pacino, Chris O'Donnell, James Rebhorn, Gabrielle Anwar
Votes: 328,567 | Gross: $63.90M
5. Black Friday (III) (2021)
84 min | Comedy, Horror
A group of toy store employees must protect each other from a horde of parasite infected shoppers.
Director: Casey Tebo | Stars: Devon Sawa, Ivana Baquero, Ryan Lee, Stephen Peck
Votes: 8,050
6. Avalon (1990)
PG | 128 min | Drama
A Polish-Jewish family comes to the U.S. at the beginning of the twentieth century. There, the family and their children try to make themselves a better future in the so-called promised land.
Director: Barry Levinson | Stars: Aidan Quinn, Elizabeth Perkins, Leo Fuchs, Eve Gordon
Votes: 6,778 | Gross: $15.74M
7. Four Brothers (2005)
R | 109 min | Action, Crime, Drama
When their adoptive mother is gunned down in a store robbery, four brothers decide to investigate the murder and find the killers themselves, but not all is what it seems.
Director: John Singleton | Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, André 3000, Garrett Hedlund
Votes: 156,491 | Gross: $74.49M
8.
Friends (1994–2004)
Episode:
The One with the Rumor
(2001)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Romance
Monica invites Will, an old school friend of her and Ross over for Thanksgiving dinner, unaware he isn't too fond of Rachel.
Director: Gary Halvorson | Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc
Votes: 8,033
9. Addams Family Values (1993)
PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy, Fantasy
The Addams Family try to rescue their beloved Uncle Fester from his gold-digging new love, a black widow named Debbie.
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld | Stars: Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Joan Cusack
Votes: 109,526 | Gross: $48.92M
10. Pieces of April (2003)
PG-13 | 80 min | Comedy, Drama
A wayward daughter invites her dying mother and the rest of her estranged family to her apartment for Thanksgiving dinner.
Director: Peter Hedges | Stars: Katie Holmes, Oliver Platt, Patricia Clarkson, Derek Luke
Votes: 22,117 | Gross: $2.53M
11. Rescue Dawn (2006)
PG-13 | 125 min | Adventure, Biography, War
A U.S. fighter pilot's epic struggle of survival after being shot down on a mission over Laos during the Vietnam War.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Christian Bale, Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies, Zach Grenier
Votes: 110,784 | Gross: $5.49M
12. Funny People (2009)
R | 146 min | Comedy, Drama
When seasoned comedian George Simmons learns of his terminal, inoperable health condition, his desire to form a genuine friendship causes him to take a relatively green performer under his wing as his opening act.
Director: Judd Apatow | Stars: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana
Votes: 123,606 | Gross: $51.86M
13. The Ice Storm (1997)
R | 112 min | Drama
In suburban New Canaan, Connecticut, 1973, middle-class families experimenting with casual sex and substance abuse find their lives beyond their control.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Henry Czerny
Votes: 59,949 | Gross: $7.84M
14. Nobody's Fool (1994)
R | 110 min | Comedy, Drama
A stubborn man past his prime reflects on his life of strict independence and seeks more from himself.
Director: Robert Benton | Stars: Paul Newman, Bruce Willis, Jessica Tandy, Melanie Griffith
Votes: 22,518 | Gross: $39.49M
15. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
PG-13 | 107 min | Comedy, Drama
Between two Thanksgivings two years apart, Hannah's husband falls in love with her sister Lee, while her hypochondriac ex-husband rekindles his relationship with her sister Holly.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Michael Caine, Barbara Hershey
Votes: 76,756 | Gross: $40.08M
16. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973 TV Short)
TV-G | 25 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
Peppermint Patty invites herself and her friends over to Charlie Brown's for Thanksgiving, and with Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock, he attempts to throw together a Thanksgiving dinner.
Directors: Bill Melendez, Phil Roman | Stars: Todd Barbee, Robin Kohn, Stephen Shea, Hilary Momberger-Powers
Votes: 12,347
17. The Last Waltz (1978)
PG | 117 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A film account and presentation of the final concert of The Band.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robbie Robertson, Muddy Waters, Neil Young, Van Morrison
Votes: 20,133 | Gross: $0.32M
18. Spider-Man (2002)
PG-13 | 121 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
After being bitten by a genetically-modified spider, a shy teenager gains spider-like abilities that he uses to fight injustice as a masked superhero and face a vengeful enemy.
Director: Sam Raimi | Stars: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, James Franco
Votes: 879,228 | Gross: $403.71M
19. The House of Yes (1997)
R | 85 min | Comedy, Drama
A mentally unbalanced young woman - who is convinced she is Jackie Kennedy - flies into a murderous rage when her brother returns home to reveal he is engaged.
Director: Mark Waters | Stars: Parker Posey, Josh Hamilton, Tori Spelling, Freddie Prinze Jr.
Votes: 8,828 | Gross: $0.62M
20.
Friends (1994–2004)
Episode:
The One with All the Thanksgivings
(1998)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Romance
The gang remember and share with each other their worst Thanksgivings.
Director: Kevin Bright | Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc
Votes: 6,610
21. Holiday Engagement (2011 TV Movie)
TV-G | 97 min | Comedy, Romance
Afraid to tell her family she's been dumped, Hillary hires an actor to play her fiancé during a four-day Thanksgiving weekend at her parents' house.
Director: Jim Fall | Stars: Bonnie Somerville, Shelley Long, Jordan Bridges, Sam McMurray
Votes: 4,204
22. Squanto: A Warrior's Tale (1994)
PG | 102 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
Fictional chronicle of Squanto's life prior to and including the arrival of the "Mayflower" in 1620.
Director: Xavier Koller | Stars: Adam Beach, Mandy Patinkin, Sheldon Peters Wolfchild, Irene Bedard
Votes: 1,432 | Gross: $3.34M
23. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973 TV Short)
TV-G | 25 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
Peppermint Patty invites herself and her friends over to Charlie Brown's for Thanksgiving, and with Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock, he attempts to throw together a Thanksgiving dinner.
Directors: Bill Melendez, Phil Roman | Stars: Todd Barbee, Robin Kohn, Stephen Shea, Hilary Momberger-Powers
Votes: 12,347
24.
The Sopranos (1999–2007)
Episode:
He Is Risen
(2001)
TV-MA | 54 min | Crime, Drama
Tensions rise between Tony and Ralphie until circumstances demand that they resolve their differences. Meadow gets involved with Jackie's son, and ends up in trouble.
Director: Allen Coulter | Stars: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli
Votes: 6,682
25. Holiday Inn (1942)
Passed | 100 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
At an inn which is open only on holidays, a crooner and a hoofer vie for the affections of a beautiful up-and-coming performer.
Directors: Mark Sandrich, Robert Allen | Stars: Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds, Virginia Dale
Votes: 17,623 | Gross: $8.18M
26. Grumpy Old Men (1993)
PG-13 | 103 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A lifelong feud between two neighbors since childhood only gets worse when a new female neighbor moves across the street.
Director: Donald Petrie | Stars: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret, Burgess Meredith
Votes: 53,814 | Gross: $70.17M
Another flick that takes place more during X-Mas than thanksgiving, however since we have more than enough Christmas flicks, i associate this one to Thanksgiving to even things out even a bit. (Even though thats an impossibility.)
27. A Time to Remember (2003 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 88 min | Drama, Family
An artist and single mother returns to her childhood home to patch things up with her mother who has Alzheimers disease.
Director: John Putch | Stars: Dana Delany, Doris Roberts, Megan Gallagher, Louise Fletcher
Votes: 280
28. Alice's Restaurant (1969)
GP | 111 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A cinematic adaption of Arlo Guthrie's classic story-song.
Director: Arthur Penn | Stars: Arlo Guthrie, Patricia Quinn, James Broderick, Pete Seeger
Votes: 4,644 | Gross: $13.99M
29. Pocahontas (I) (1995)
G | 81 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
An English soldier and the daughter of an Algonquin chief share a romance when English colonists invade seventeenth century Virginia.
Directors: Mike Gabriel, Eric Goldberg | Stars: Mel Gibson, Linda Hunt, Christian Bale, Joe Baker
Votes: 202,913 | Gross: $141.60M
For the Kids...
30. What's Cooking? (2000)
PG-13 | 109 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Four families in LA of different ethnicity (Latino, Asian/Vietnamese, African and Jewish) gather together for Thanksgiving dinner.
Director: Gurinder Chadha | Stars: Joan Chen, Julianna Margulies, Mercedes Ruehl, Victor Rivers
Votes: 2,914 | Gross: $1.04M
31. Broadway Danny Rose (1984)
PG | 84 min | Comedy
In his attempts to reconcile a lounge singer with his mistress, a hapless talent agent is mistaken as her lover by a jealous gangster.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Nick Apollo Forte, Sandy Baron
Votes: 26,933 | Gross: $10.60M
32. The War at Home (1996)
R | 123 min | Drama
Haunted by his experiences in the Vietnam War, a young man returns home and has trouble adjusting back to civilian life, his family and his stern father.
Director: Emilio Estevez | Stars: Emilio Estevez, Kathy Bates, Martin Sheen, Kimberly Williams-Paisley
Votes: 2,599 | Gross: $0.04M
33. One Special Night (1999 TV Movie)
PG | 92 min | Drama, Romance
Two strangers take refuge in a small cabin during a stormy winter night and, despite their differences, or perhaps because of them, they are undeniably drawn to one another in this holiday classic.
Director: Roger Young | Stars: James Garner, Julie Andrews, Patricia Charbonneau, Stacy Grant
Votes: 1,637
34. The Daytrippers (1996)
R | 87 min | Comedy, Drama
When she discovers a love letter written to her husband by an unknown paramour, the distraught Eliza turns to her tight-knit Long Island family for advice.
Director: Greg Mottola | Stars: Hope Davis, Stanley Tucci, Parker Posey, Liev Schreiber
Votes: 7,139 | Gross: $2.08M
35. Dutch (1991)
PG-13 | 107 min | Comedy, Drama
To get to know his girlfriend's son, a working-class good guy volunteers to pick him up from his prep school, only to learn that he isn't the nicest young man.
Director: Peter Faiman | Stars: Ed O'Neill, Ethan Embry, JoBeth Williams, Christopher McDonald
Votes: 14,362 | Gross: $4.60M
36. Smart People (2008)
R | 95 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Into the life of a widowed professor comes a new love and an unexpected visit from his adopted brother.
Director: Noam Murro | Stars: Dennis Quaid, Thomas Haden Church, Sarah Jessica Parker, Elliot Page
Votes: 23,482 | Gross: $9.50M
37. Tadpole (2002)
PG-13 | 78 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Coming-of-age story about a suave 15-year-old prep school student who falls in love with his stepmother. When her best friend responds to his advances, he suddenly finds himself in way over his head.
Director: Gary Winick | Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Aaron Stanford, Kate Mara, Robert Iler
Votes: 6,262 | Gross: $2.88M
38. An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving (2008 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 88 min | Drama
In the late 1880's, a widowed mother of three struggles to keep her family intact and to put food on the table. The oldest daughter sends a letter to her estranged, very wealthy grandmother... See full summary »
Director: Graeme Campbell | Stars: Jacqueline Bisset, Helene Joy, Tatiana Maslany, Kristopher Turner
Votes: 779
39. The Myth of Fingerprints (1997)
R | 93 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A few days spent in close proximity to each other soon leads to family secrets and old resentments being revealed, which threaten to splinter an already dysfunctional family.
Director: Bart Freundlich | Stars: Julianne Moore, Roy Scheider, Noah Wyle, Randee Allen
Votes: 2,693 | Gross: $0.46M
40. Blood Rage (1987)
R | 82 min | Horror
A boy kills a man and accuses his twin brother of the murder, and the innocent brother ends up institutionalized, while his psychotic twin goes free. 10 years later, the innocent twin escapes, which triggers his brother into killing again.
Director: John Grissmer | Stars: Louise Lasser, Mark Soper, Julie Gordon, Jayne Bentzen
Votes: 5,736
41. Son in Law (1993)
PG-13 | 95 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Having gotten a taste of college life, a drastically changed farm girl returns home for Thanksgiving break with her best friend, a flamboyant party animal who is clearly a fish out of water in a small farm town.
Director: Steve Rash | Stars: Pauly Shore, Carla Gugino, Lane Smith, Cindy Pickett
Votes: 22,425 | Gross: $36.45M
42. Boogeyman (2005)
PG-13 | 89 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A young man tries to deal with the childhood terror that has never stopped haunting him.
Director: Stephen Kay | Stars: Barry Watson, Emily Deschanel, Lucy Lawless, Skye McCole Bartusiak
Votes: 32,593 | Gross: $46.75M
43. Thanksgiving Family Reunion (2003 TV Movie)
PG-13 | 91 min | Comedy
All Mitch Snider wants for his family is a traditional holiday feast with the relatives. The problem is that he doesn't have any. That is until he gets an invitation in the mail from his ... See full summary »
Director: Neal Israel | Stars: Bryan Cranston, Judge Reinhold, Penelope Ann Miller, Hallie Todd
Votes: 1,008
44. ThanksKilling (2008)
Not Rated | 70 min | Comedy, Horror, Thriller
A homicidal turkey axes off college kids during Thanksgiving break.
Director: Jordan Downey | Stars: Wanda Lust, Natasha Cordova, Lindsey Anderson, Lance Predmore
Votes: 5,460
45. Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
PG | 114 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy
A lawyer and a little girl must prove that a man claiming to be Santa Claus is the real thing.
Director: Les Mayfield | Stars: Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott, J.T. Walsh
Votes: 43,867 | Gross: $17.19M
HONORABLE MENTION:
Technically its an X-Mas flick, however it begins during the Macys Thanksgiving Day parade.
46. Thanksgiving (I) (2023)
R | 106 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts - the birthplace of the infamous holiday.
Director: Eli Roth | Stars: Patrick Dempsey, Ty Olsson, Gina Gershon, Lynne Griffin
Votes: 48,365
Something to look forward too.
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