The Best Movies To Feast On This Thanksgiving Weekend

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Looking for a Thanksgiving-inspired movie that will make your family get-together memorable, fun and adventurous this Thanksgiving weekend? Look no further. Check out our list of films below. And start planning your movie marathon for the entire family to enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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“A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” (1973)

Todd Barbee, Robin Kohn, Stephen Shea; directed by Bill Melendez and Phil Roman

Yes! We get it. “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” might not be as iconic as “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” but this Charlie Brown television special has been a perennial favorite, nevertheless, since its premiere in 1973. Besides, it evokes the very essence of Thanksgiving, reminding us all that gratitude goes a long way in all walks of life.

“Tower Heist” (2011)

Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Matthew Broderick; directed by Brett Ratner

Brett Ratner’s comedy follows a group of employees (Ben Stiller, Casey Affleck, Michael Peña, Eddie Murphy, Gabourey Sidibe, and Matthew Broderick) who have become victims of their employer’s ponzi scheme. Feeling vengeful and angry, they conspire to rob their employer’s high-rise luxury apartment during Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

“The Turkey Bowl” (2019)

Ryan Hansen, Matt Jones, Alan Ritchson; directed by Greg Coolidge

What if suddenly you were lured back to your hometown over Thanksgiving weekend to settle a football score between your old high school and its crosstown rival? This is the premise of the sports comedy “The Turkey Bowl,” a movie about the eponymous football game that was suspended in the second half during an unforgiving blizzard 15 years prior. For sure, hilarity ensues as ex-Putnam Badgers quarterback Patrick Hodges (Ryan Hansen) and ex-Knights quarterback Ronnie Best (Alan Ritchson) go back to their hometown and battle it out to win the legendary bowl. Oh, did we tell you that the two 30-something men are still pining over the same high school crush that got away? Apparently, she’s also back in town for the game.

“You’ve Got Mail” (1998)

Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan; directed by Nora Ephrom

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan star as a couple of strangers who meet and fall in love in a cyber-romantic way, thanks to the anonymity of the Internet. But there’s one big problem: Both are blissfully oblivious of each other’s true identity as business rivals.

“Instant Family” (2018)

Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne; directed by Sean Anders

Although it is not a Thanksgiving movie per se, it is a rousing and heartwarming film for the entire family to enjoy over the holidays. Based on Sean Anders’ experiences fostering and subsequently adopting three siblings, “Instant Family” follows the story of Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie Wagner (Rose Byrne), a married couple who have decided to get into foster care after their long struggles with infertility. But little did they know that they would end up fostering three siblings at the same time, so that the children would not get separated. And so, begin their trials and tribulations as an “instant family.” It won’t be easy, but it would be rewarding for the whole family by the end.

“Home for the Holidays” (1995)

Holly Hunter, Anne Bancroft, Robert Downey Jr.; directed by Jodie Foster

Jodie Foster’s comedy stars Holly Hunter as Claudia Larson, a single mom who unexpectedly travels back to her hometown to spend Thanksgiving with her dysfunctional family. What happens next? An explosive and riotous holiday dinner erupts. But suddenly, romance is in the air when Claudia meets her brother’s (Robert Downey Jr.) dashing friend (Dylan McDermott).

“Planes, Trains & Automobiles” (1987)

Steve Martin, John Candy; directed by John Hughes

What if your flight was suddenly diverted to another place due to an unforgiving snowstorm? Well, this is exactly the premise of John Hughes’ hilarious comedy. Steve Martin and John Candy star as an unlikely pair of traveling partners who must bunk up together as they try to get home just in time for Thanksgiving.

“Holidate” (2020)

Emma Roberts, Luke Bracey; directed by John Whitesell

Meet Sloane (Emma Roberts) and Jackson (Luke Bracey), two twenty-something singles who have decided to be each other’s dates over the holidays to avoid any unwarranted derision, annoyance, and intrusion into their single lives by friends and families. However, complications arise as they slowly-but-surely start developing intimate feelings for each other. Romantic clichés pervade the film, rendering it too cheesy for the most part. But rest assured — the leads’ chemistry makes up for the movie’s shortcomings, ultimately delivering a good dose of comedy for everyone over the holidays.

“The House of Yes” (1997)

Parker Posey, Josh Hamilton, Tori Spelling; directed by Mark Waters

In this film, Parker Posey shines in her role as a mentally unhinged young woman who suddenly goes into a fit of rage when her brother (Josh Hamilton) makes a big reveal during their family’s Thanksgiving get-together. Oh — and did we tell you that she thinks she is the real Jackie Kennedy?

“Free Birds” (2013)

Woody Harrelson, Owen Wilson, Amy Poehler; directed by Jimmy Hayward

In this animated film, Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson lend their voices as turkeys Jake and Reggie, a pair of polar opposites who must set aside their differences for a history-altering mission: to end Thanksgiving for good. How exactly? They must travel back in time to 1621, the year when the first Thanksgiving took place.

“Scent of a Woman” (1992)

Al Pacino, Chris O'Donnell; directed by Martin Brest

One of Al Pacino’s career-defining films, Martin Brest’s searing drama finally earned the iconic actor his first, long-overdue Oscar for his role as a blind U.S. Army vet who meets prep school student Charlie Simms (Chris O’Donnell) over a Thanksgiving weekend. What ensues is an unlikely friendship between the two men that is bound to last for a lifetime.

“Addams Family Values” (1993)

Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd; directed by Barry Sonnenfeld

In this sequel to 1991’s “The Addams Family,” classic TV’s favorite gothic family is on a rescue mission to save Uncle Fester from his new lady love. Why? Because she is a black widow. Meanwhile, siblings Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and Pugsley (Jimmy Workman) are about to participate in a musical rendition of the first Thanksgiving.

“Nobody’s Fool” (1994)

Paul Newman, Bruce Willis, Melanie Griffith; directed by Robert Benton

A story about self-reflection and introspection, Robert Benton’s comedy drama stars Paul Newman as Donald Sullivan, a 60-year-old man who’d rather spend his life adrift in emptiness — that is, until one Thanksgiving day, when his estranged son comes home with a son of his own. Suddenly, he must face the music head-on and stop avoiding adult responsibilities. Can he really do the seemingly insurmountable task?