These Thanksgiving Movies Will Give You Even More to Be Thankful For
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The feast is finished, the leftovers have been packed away, and while some may be looking to turn on a football game, if a good movie is more your post-Thanksgiving style, look no further. Whether you're craving a dose of someone else's family drama, the sweet taste of a feel-good romance, or an excuse to pop some popcorn with a laugh-fest, there's something for everyone in these Thanksgiving movies.
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: Travel stress is nobody's favorite part of Thanksgiving, but watching Steve Martin and John Candy as an odd-couple duo of hapless travelers trying desperately to get home for Turkey Day will help you laugh off your own struggles.
Best quote: Susan Page: You shared a motel room with a complete stranger? Are you crazy? Neal: Not yet. But I'm getting there.
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The Big Chill (1983)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: Though the film doesn't take place over the holiday (it centers around 8 friends who come together for the funeral of a college friend), it does take place in the fall and has plenty of ensemble-cast drama and long talks around kitchen tables.
Best quote: Sam: "So how's your life?" Karen: "Oh, great. How's yours?" Sam: "Not so great." Karen: "Oh, we're telling the truth.”
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You've Got Mail (1998)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: While the whole movie has great foliage scenes and a crisp, autumnal vibe, the scene where Joe rushes to the front of Zabar's cash-only line to vainly save a work enemy (or so he thinks...) actually happens on Thanksgiving Day.
Best Quote: "Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address." — Joe Fox
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A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: Watching Woodstock and Snoopy pull apart a wishbone and eat a piece of pumpkin pie together.
Best Quote: "I haven't even finished eating all of my Halloween candy!" — Sally Brown
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One True Thing (1998)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: A more emotional holiday film, this movie follows a (Renée Zellweger) as she travels back home to spend time with her parents. While there, she finds out that her mother (Meryl Streep) is very sick and the family faces spending their last autumn and holiday season together.
Best Quote: "It's so much easier to be happy, my love. It's so much easier to choose to love the things that you have, and you have so much, instead of always yearning for what you're missing, or what it is you're imagining you're missing. It's so much more peaceful." — Kate
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Scent of a Woman (1992)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: A prep school teen's Thanksgiving weeks goes way off the rails when his job looking after a blind former army officer turns into a wild adventure in NYC.
Best Quote: "Hoo-ah"
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Pieces of April (2003)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: The awkwardness that ensues when April (played by a young Katie Holmes) invites her mother and estranged family to her tiny NYC apartment for Thanksgiving dinner.
Best Quote: "Once, there was this day... this one day when... everyone realized they needed each other." — April Burns
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Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: The family, friends, and feasts in this star-studded animated adaptation of the Roald Dahl children's classic.
Best Quote: "I guess my point is, we'll eat tonight, and we'll eat together. And even in this not particularly flattering light, you are without a doubt the five and a half most wonderful wild animals I've ever met in my life. So let's raise our boxes - to our survival" - Mr. Fox
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Home for the Holidays (1995)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: Chaos ensues when family gets together, and secrets come out.
Best Quote: "Nobody means what they say on Thanksgiving, Mom. You know that. That's what the day's supposed to be all about, right? Torture." — Claudia
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Addams Family Values (1993)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: Everyone needs to brush up on their Thanksgiving facts—the hilarious Thanksgiving play in this movie proved as much.
Best Quote: "I hope that someday you'll know the indescribable joy of having children, and of paying someone else to raise them." — Gomez Addams
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Garfield's Thanksgiving (1989)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: It's hard to decide who's more relatable—Garfield, miserable at being put on a diet the day before Thanksgiving; or John, clueless as to how to actually prepare a Thanksgiving dinner, but desperate to impress his guest of honor.
Best Quote: "Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, that's the day where people celebrate food by eating as much of it as possible!... It's a tradition, and you know how I love tradition!" — Garfield
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What's Cooking? (2000)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: Get a taste of four vastly different Thanksgivings from this quintessential 2000s flick, which showcases what the holiday can mean from family to family.
Best Quote: "My favorite part about Thanksgiving is knowing I can eat this tomorrow." — Carla
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Autumn in New York (2000)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: The entire "fall in Manhattan" atmosphere will give you all of the Thanksgiving feels.
Best Quote: "I can smell the rain.When did I learn how to do that?What should we do, Will, with this moment that we're in?" — Charlotte Fielding
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The Ice Storm (1997)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: An early winter storm, a wealthy suburb, bored teenagers sneaking booze and hooking up, and troubled adults realizing their lives are nothing like they thought: a recipe for a Thanksgiving classic.
Best quote: Wendy Hood: "Dear Lord, thank you for this Thanksgiving holiday. And for all the material possessions we have and enjoy. And for letting us white people kill all the Indians and steal their tribal lands. And stuff ourselves like pigs, even though children in Asia are being napalmed."
Ben Hood: "Jesus! Enough, alright? Paul... roll?"
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Friendsgiving (2020)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: The trend of hosting a Friendsgiving seems to become more popular every year. This comedy starring Malin Åkerman and Kat Dennings is a little too relatable in its portrayal of how these gatherings are never as quaint as our Pinterest boards imagine them to be.
Best Quote: "That's the whole point of Thanksgiving, Molly! Sugar and regret!" — Abby
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Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: You'll probably feel pretty good about your decision to forgo staying up late for Black Friday deals after watching Kevin James play an overzealous New Jersey mall cop facing a Black Friday heist.
Best Quote: Paul Blart: "This lemonade is insane!" Vijay: "That's because it's a margarita, Paul."
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Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: The story of this classic kicks off at the iconic Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and carries on into Christmas making it a perfect Thanksgiving night watch.
Best Quote: "Faith is believing things when common sense tells you not to."—Fred Gailey
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Tower Heist (2011)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: Another reason not to attend the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Best Quote: "You know, not many of you kill your own Thanksgiving turkey, but you might want to consider it..." — Radio Host
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Grumpy Old Men (1993)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: Not everyone grows up, and that becomes increasingly apparent the more friends and family are around the dinner table.
Best Quote: "Kids; Can't live with them, can't shoot them." - Grandpa Gustafson
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The Blind Side (2009)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: Sharing the Thanksgiving table and football—what could be more quintessentially American?
Best Quote: Michael Oher: It's nice, I never had one before. Leigh Anne Touhy: What, a room to yourself? Michael Oher: A bed.
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Sweet November (2001)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: The essential autumn vibes in this bittersweet romance about a mismatched couple (Charlize Theron and Keanu Reeves) who agree to live together for the month of November.
Best Quote: Sara: You know, he asked me to marry him. Chaz: He's not the first... Sara: No, but it was the first time I wanted to say "Yes".
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Holiday Inn (1942)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: Songs to get you in a holiday (any holiday) mood. This musical classic spans a full year's worth of holiday, including a slightly glum Thanksgiving and the birth of the song "White Christmas" that makes it a perfect family watch for the end of the day.
Best Quote: Linda Mason: My father was a lot like you, just a man with a family. Never amounted to much, didn't care. But as long as he was alive, we always had plenty to eat and clothes to keep us warm. Jim Hardy: Were you happy? Linda Mason: Yes. Jim Hardy: Then your father was a very successful man.
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Krisha (2015)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: Things aren't always easy with family. This festival darling centers on the titular Krisha who returns to the family she abandoned years before on Thanksgiving.
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Little Women (2019)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: The sisterly love between the Marches. Gather the girls and snuggle in for this feel-good adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott classic.
Best Quote: "I may not always be right, but I am never wrong."—Aunt March
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Ratatouille (2007)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: The timely reminder that cooking is all about love (even if your chefy pedigree is no better than Remy the rat's.)
Best Quote: "In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto, "Anyone can cook." But I realize, only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist; but a great artist *can* come from anywhere."—Anton Ego
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When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: The "New York in the fall" vibe of this Nora Ephron classic rom-com will have you reaching for a hot cider before you know it.
Best Quote: "I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."—Harry Burns
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Julie & Julia (2009)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: The twinned tales of cooking icon Julia Child and Julie, the blogger who cooked her way through Child's famous recipe tome, are an excellent reminder how how much we all love food—and that even the greats have a disaster or two.
Best Quote:
Paul Child: "What is it that you really like to do?"
Julia Child: "Eat!"
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Big Night (1996)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: The combination of delectable feasts and family drama is sure to make you feel the love for your own brood, and maybe want to start a new food tradition too.
Best Quote: "To eat good food is to be close to God."—Primo
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Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: Bookended by Thanksgivings, these intertwined tales will make you appreciate your own crazy family.
Best Quote: "Maybe the poets are right. Maybe love is the only answer."—Mickey
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The Humans (2021)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: The film version of Stephen Karam's Tony-winning play, the movie reveals the metaphorical ghosts that can haunt a family as they gather for Thanksgiving.
Best Quote: "Don't you think it should cost less to be alive?"—Erik
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Spider-Man
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: Nothing good happens that the Thanksgiving parade—at least not in the Marvel universe.
Best Quote: "With great power, comes great responsibility"—Uncle Ben
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Soul Food (1997)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: Family coming together—for all of the drama, and all the hilarity—around the table.
Best Quote:
Bird: "I just wanted to say thank you for always being there and supporting me."
Maxine: "You're my sister, girl."
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Black Friday (2021)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: Transition between Halloween and Thanksgiving with this funny frightener that follows a group of retail workers who fight to survive as their store is mobbed by parasite-infected Black Friday shoppers.
Best Quote: "You know the worst thing about holiday shoppers? They can never accept the fact that the night is over."—Jonathan
https://www.netflix.com/watch/...
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Hoildate (2020)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: The stress of being "the single one" at the family Thanksgiving would be enough to make anyone consider a fake relationship.
Best Quote: "I want you to find someone who has real potential, not this holidate crap like your aunt."—Elaine
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Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: Family may be messy and complicated, but everything still comes together when you gather around the table.
Best Quote: "Raising daughters is like cooking a meal. You lose your appetite by the time you're finished."—Chu
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Knives Out (2019)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: No matter how tense things get with your family on Thanksgiving, just remember—it could be worse.
Best Quote: "I suspect foul play. I have eliminated no suspects."—Benoit Blanc
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Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: For anyone who's introducing your family to your significant other for the holiday, this classic goes out to you.
Best Quote: "Dad, you're my father. I'm your son. I love you. I always have, and I always will. But you think of yourself as a colored man. I think of myself as a man."—John
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My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: While it may not feature Thanksgiving, the ample family celebrations, and the raw hilarity of the joys and tribulations of loving your weird family, make this rom-com a perfect film to get the family together for.
Best Quote: "There are two kinds of people: Greeks, and everyone else who wish they was Greek."—Gus
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For Your Consideration (2006)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: Get the group together for some laughs with this off-beat comedy about the production of Home for Purim an Oscar-buzzy film that gets its title changed to Home for Thanksgiving.
Best Quote: "In every actor there lives a tiger, a pig, an ass, and a nightingale."—Corey
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Funny People (2009)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: When you're looking for Thanksgiving toast inspiration, look no further than this melancholy dramedy about a comedian with leukemia and the found family that forms around him.
Best Quote: "You're my best friend, and I don't even like you."—George
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The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: Food, family, and the complicated way that growing as a person can bring us right back to where we started.
Best Quote:
Madame Mallory: "But why change a recipe that is 200 years old?"
Hassan: "Because, madam, maybe 200 years is long enough."
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Free Birds (2013)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: It's all about the gobblers.
Best Quote: "Good-byes are just hellos, carried across the wind until our paths intersect once again."—Jake
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Nobody's Fool (1994)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: A family, of a less conventional sort—because sometimes things are just complicated.
Best Quote:
Sully: "Hang in there."
Toby: "'Hang in there'? Is that the sum of your wisdom on the subject?"
Sully: "That's the sum of my wisdom on most subjects."
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Waitress (2007)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: If your favorite part of Thanksgiving is the pie, this one's for you.
Best Quote: "I don't need no baby. I don't want no trouble. I just want to make pies. That's all I wanna do, make pies."—Jenna
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Tortilla Soup (2001)
Quintessential Thanksgiving Factor: The love between father and daughters, sisters, and the passion for food.
Best Quote: "Do you know why we clink glasses before drinking? It's so that all the five senses are involved. We touch the glass. We smell the drink. We see its color. We taste it. Hearing is the only sense that doesn't participate unless we create it."—Carmen
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