These are 25+ of the best Thanksgiving movies to watch this holiday season. This list includes family movies, romances, dramas, and more!
Many people’s favorite holiday pasttime is watching Christmas movies together. But if you’re not quite ready to jump into Christmas, here’s a list of the best Thanksgiving movies to enjoy in November.
These Thanksgiving movies include family-friendly films, romances, and more adult thrillers, action movies, and dramas. Some movies are all about Thanksgiving, and others just have a few famous Thanksgiving scenes. There’s also a list of the most iconic Thanksgiving episodes of your favorite TV shows. And some preschool-friendly specials about the holiday!
Best Thanksgiving Movies – Animated for the Whole Family
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
Peppermint Patty invites everyone to Charlie Brown’s house for Thanksgiving, but he’s going to his grandmother’s. And Snoopy prepares a feast with the help of his friends. (Watch on AppleTV Plus)
Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow
Tim and Annie visit their aunt in Turkey Hollow for Thanksgiving and try to catch an elusive monster. (Watch on Disney Plus)
The Thanksgiving Movie
Butterball the turkey and his friend Missy the dodo must save Thanksgiving. (Watch Free on Tubi)
Free Birds
Two turkeys travel back in time to save all turkeys from becoming Thanksgiving dinner. (Rent on Amazon Prime)
Best Thanksgiving Movies – Romances
The Holidate
Two strangers, tired of being pestered by their families, agree to be each other’s plus-ones for all of the holidays. But they start to catch feelings along the way. (Watch on Netflix)
The Prince & Me
An ambitious college student meets an undercover playboy prince. The two slowly form a friendship and she invites him home with her for Thanksgiving. (Watch on Max)
Turkey Drop
Lucy returns home for Thanksgiving break and suspects that her high school sweetheart is going to dump her, aka “turkey drop” her. (Watch on Netflix)
Home for the Holidays
After losing her job, single mother Claudia travels home to spend Thanksgiving with her dysfunctional family. This movie stars Holly Hunter, Dylan McDermott, and Robert Downey Jr. (Watch on Paramount Plus)
The Object of My Affection
Nina and her gay roommate George raise her baby together, but as time passes Nina starts to develop feelings for George. The two host an explosive Thanksgiving dinner at one point. (Rent with Amazon Prime)
Sweet November
A workaholic executive meets an unconventional woman at the DMV at the beginning of November. The two agree to a one month relationship with zero expectations and no strings attached. (Rent with Amazon Prime)
Stuck In Love
“An acclaimed writer, his ex-wife, and their teenaged children come to terms with the complexities of love in all its forms over the course of one tumultuous year.” (Watch on Peacock)
Holiday Engagement
Hilary’s fiance dumps her right before Thanksgiving. Rather than face her family’s disappointment, she hires an actor to pretend to be her fiance. (Watch on Amazon Prime)
Best Thanksgiving Movies for Adults
Fantastic Mr. Fox
When Mr. Fox breaks a promise to his wife and raids the nearby human farms he endangers the lives of his family and their animal friends. Now he has to find a way to free them from their underground tunnels and starvation. This dark comedy may not be appropriate for small children. (Watch on Max)
Rocky II
Rocky and Apollo Creed agree to a boxing rematch on Thanksgiving Day. (Rent with Amazon Prime)
Tower Heist
An apartment manager forms a team to steal back his retirement funds from one of the billionaire residents. (Watch on Hulu)
Addams Family Values
Wednesday and Pugsley are sent away to a camp where they perform in a Thanksgiving play. (Watch on Paramount Plus)
The Oath
The president issues an order that all citizens must sign an oath of allegiance before Thanksgiving. But a high-strung man refuses to sign. (Rent with Amazon Prime)
Friendsgiving
Two friends host a comically dysfunctional and chaotic Thanksgiving dinner for the close friend group. (Watch on Tubi)
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
A high strung man is trying to get home for Thanksgiving. But a winter storm reroutes his flight and he is forced to travel the long distance with an annoying traveling companion by any means necessary. (Watch on Paramount Plus)
Instant Family
Pete and Ellie decide to pursue foster care adoption. They gain three children overnight, including a rebellious teenager. There is an infamous Thanksgiving dinner scene. (Watch on Paramount Plus)
Dutch
Dutch offers to drive his girlfriend’s teenage son from Atlanta to Chicago for Thanksgiving dinner at his mother’s house. (Watch on Max)
Hanging Up
Three sisters bond over their ambivalence to their father dying. The story takes place over several holidays, including Thanksgiving. (Rent on Amazon Prime)
The Turkey Bowl
A man is pulled back to his rural hometown by his high school friends to compete in a Turkey Bowl football game against their old rivals. (Watch on Tubi)
Christmas with the Kranks
After their daughter leaves for a Peace Corps assignment a few days after Thanksgiving, Luther and Nora Krank decide to skip Christmas and take a cruise instead. Until their daughter announces she’s coming home at the last minute. (Rent with Amazon Prime)
Beethoven
A family tries to control the antics of their new St. Bernard puppy. This includes a famous Thanksgiving scene. (Watch on Amazon Prime)
The Humans
A psychological drama about three generations of a family gathering at an apartment in Manhattan for Thanksgiving. (Rent with Amazon Prime)
Not Cool
A group of teenagers spend their Thanksgiving break experimenting with partying, sex, friendship, and love. (Rent with Amazon Prime)
Spider-Man
Peter Parker learns to navigate his life after a bite from a radioactive spider gives him super powers. There is a famous Thanksgiving scene. (Watch on Disney Plus)
Iconic Television Thanksgiving Episodes
Grey’s Anatomy – Thanks for the Memories (Season 2, Episode 9)
Izzie hosts Thanksgiving at Meredith’s house, but she is in over her head. Meredith takes a shift at the hospital because she dislikes the holidays. George’s dad and brothers take him turkey hunting. (Watch on Netflix)
This Is Us – Pilgrim Rick (Season 1, Episode 8), Number Three (S2, E10), Six Thanksgivings (S3, E8), So Long, Marianne (S4, E9), Taboo (S6, E7)
The Thanksgiving episodes are some of the most iconic episodes of This Is Us. Due to a series of traveling mishaps when the Pearson children were young, the family has a unique set of traditions revolving around the holiday. (Watch on Hulu)
Friends – The One Where Underdog Gets Away (Season 1, Episode 9), The One With The Football (S3, E9), The One With Chandler in a Box (S4, E8), The One With All The Thanksgivings (S5, E8), The One Where Ross Got High (S6, E9), The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs (S7, E8), The One with the Rumor (S8, E9), The One With Rachel’s Other Sister (S9, E8), The One With The Late Thanksgiving (S10, E8)
The Thanksgiving episode of friends became iconic over the course of the show. With the exception of season 2, every season of friends had a Thanksgiving episode. (Watch on Max)
New Girl – Thanksgiving (Season 1, Episode 6), Parents (S2, E8), Thanksgiving III (S3, E10), Thanksgiving IV (S4, E9), Last Thanksgiving (S6, E7)
New Girl is another sitcom with a long running tradition of Thanksgiving hijinks. Only season 5, and the short 7th season, don’t have Thanksgiving episodes. (Watch on Hulu)
Gossip Girl – Blair Waldorf Must Pie! (Season 1, Episode 9), The Magnificent Archibalds (S2, E11), The Treasure of Serena Madre (S3, E11), It’s Really Complicated (S6, E8)
Up until her parents’ divorce, Thanksgiving was Blair’s favorite holiday, so the first season of Gossip Girl features a Thanksgiving episode. Given that Thanksgiving is the perfect setting for family drama and scandal, four of the six seasons of the show have a holiday episode. (Watch on Max)
Seinfeld – The Mom and Pop Store (Season 5, Episode 9), The Dinner Party (S5, E13), The Strike (S8, E10)
Due to how chaotic and funny Thanksgiving episodes of sitcoms can be, Seinfeld had a few iconic episodes centering around the holiday’s hijinks. (Watch on Netflix)
Boy Meets World – Turkey Day (Season 4, Episode 10), Chasing Angela (S5, E8)
In true Boy Meets World fashion, the two big Thanksgiving episodes have two different vibes. One is heartfelt and emotional with some funniness sprinkled in. The other is full of hijinks and hilarity with a little bit of heartwarming elements. (Watch on Disney Plus)
Preschool Thanksgiving Specials
Thank you, Grandpere Tiger/Neighborhood Thank You Day
Daniel celebrates “Thank You Day” with his family and friends in the neighborhood. They write thank you notes to each other and share a meal. (Watch on Amazon Prime with PBS Subscription)
Margaret’s First Thank You Day
Daniel is excited to teach Margaret about Thank You Day, but plans change when Margaret gets sick. (Watch on Amazon Prime with PBS Subscription)
Sesame Street Thanksgiving – Season 48, Episode 1
“The neighborhood gathers to appreciate all the traditions, cultures and delicious foods their community has to offer.” (Watch on Max)
Thanks so much for compiling this list, Ashley! Planes, Trains and Automobiles is one of my absolute faves and I will definitely check out some of the holiday episodes of the tv shows you mentioned!
Make Life Marvelous