When there’s nothing left but the bones on the turkey and you’ve fought over the last of the rolls, turn on one of these movies and enjoy that Thanksgiving food coma.
Everyone has their favorite Christmas movies that they love to rewatch all holiday season, but what about the best Thanksgiving movies? Sure, there aren’t nearly as many Thanksgiving movies as there are Christmas movies, but they are out there!
If you’re looking for a movie to pop on after Thanksgiving dinner that isn’t geared towards that holiday over a month away, check out our list below! There’s sure to be something for everyone.
Here are the best Thanksgiving movies as of 2017.
‘Home for the Holidays’
Directed by Jodie Foster, Home for the Holidays follows single mother Claudia (Holly Hunter) as she returns to her childhood home for Thanksgiving. Her family is, of course, completely dysfunctional, which leads to all sorts of hi-jinks and chaos. However, she finds solace in her brother’s friend Leo (Dylan McDermott). Home for the Holidays is a solid installment in the the genre of dysfunctional family dramedies with a Thanksgiving twist.
‘What’s Cooking?’
It’s not all turkey and stuffing in this film starring Julianna Margulies, Kyra Sedgwick, Mercedes Ruehl, Alfre Woodard, and Joan Chen. What’s Cooking? follows the Thanksgiving dinners for four ethnically diverse families gathering for a traditional holiday meal. Each dinner is served with a full plate of conflict and comedy, making for a perfect post-dinner movie.
‘The Ice Storm’
Directed by Ang Lee (Life of Pie, Brokeback Mountain), The Ice Storm follows two dysfunctional families over Thanksgiving weekend as they deal with various changes in their lives and to their world.
It’s a far more serious and mature film than others on the list, but Ang Lee delivers an underrated look at the darker side of the American family. Starring Sigourney Weaver, Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, and more, The Ice Storm is a perfect antithesis to the classic holiday story.
‘Julie & Julia’
Cooking, cooking, and more cooking! That’s what you think of what you think of Thanksgiving and that’s what Julie & Julia delivers on. The film tells the stories of two women. The first follows Julia Child (Meryl Streep) during the early years of her career as she experiments with new recipes. The second is about Julie Powell (Amy Adams), who aspires to cook all 524 of Julia Child’s recipes in a single year.
While the film is not exactly about Thanksgiving, there’s enough cooking to make it count. Written and directed by Nora Ephron, the movie is sure to remind you why you just ate that huge Thanksgiving dinner and might drive you to the kitchen to break into those leftovers a little early.
‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’
Starring Steve Martin and John Candy, Plane, Trains and Automobiles is the perfect comedy to help you laugh off your Thanksgiving dinner this holiday weekend. The film follows Neal Page (Martin) as he attempts to make his way from New York City to Chicago in time for Thanksgiving dinner. Del Griffith (Candy) is the polar opposite of Page, which leads to a series of misadventures that make for a wild trip home. If you’re traveling home for Thanksgiving this year, this movie might bring up some bad memories but it’s sure to make you laugh along the way.