4 Thanksgiving Movies the Whole Family Will Love

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It’s getting colder outside all over the country, and it’s starting to be the perfect time of year to cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie with the family. With Thanksgiving coming soon, are there any movies that are fitting for the holiday? While movies specifically about Thanksgiving are scarce, here’s a collection of perfect movies to watch with your family this Thanksgiving week.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)

The Charlie Brown franchise has produced some of the most iconic holiday movies of all time, including the 1965 classic A Charlie Brown Christmas. The 1973 film A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving may be slightly less well-known, but it’s still a beloved Thanksgiving movie that’s perfect to share with your family this year.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving follows Charlie Brown and his friends, including Sally, Linus, Lucy, and Charlie’s dog Snoopy. The group makes an unconventional Thanksgiving meal and learns about the meaning of the holiday beyond all the traditional food. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is available for streaming with Apple TV+.

Rudy (1993)

What’s a football movie doing on a list of family Thanksgiving movies? Well, not only is November the time of Thanksgiving and the peak of the fall season, but it’s also the peak of football season. There have been many great football movies over the years, but not many have been as successful or impactful as 1993’s Rudy, starring Sean Astin in the title role.

Whether your family loves sports or not, consider watching this classic movie about Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, a young man who had dreams of playing football for the University of Notre Dame despite physical, academic, and financial obstacles. This film can be purchased or rented on many video streaming sites, and it’s available for free with a Pluto TV or fuboTV subscription.

Free Birds (2013)

In this fun cartoon, two turkeys travel back in time to the first Thanksgiving to try and prevent the tradition of eating turkey at Thanksgiving each year. The film stars several fantastic voice actors, including Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, and Amy Poehler, in the lead roles.

If you have kids, they’ll love watching turkey friends Reggie (Owen Wilson) and Jake (Woody Harrelson) as they pull off a string of wild plans to try and convince the American settlers and Native Americans that pizza is a better Thanksgiving food than turkey. The movie is available for rent or purchase on many streaming sites, or for free with a Starz subscription.

It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)

While it’s too early to start Christmas celebrations for some people, for many, Thanksgiving and Christmas are part of the same season so why not watch a Christmas movie? The 1946 classic It’s A Wonderful Life tells the story of George Bailey, played by James Stewart. George is a man who gives up all his personal dreams to help people in his family and his hometown, and his thoughts of suicide on Christmas Eve lead a guardian angel to convince him his life is worthwhile.

If you haven’t seen this beloved Christmas movie, this year is the time. It’s A Wonderful Life can be watched with an Amazon Prime Video subscription or on NBC.