Thanksgiving is usually not the holiday that people associate with movies; that is more apart of the charm of Christmas.
With that said, I went on a mission to find out what films are considered to be the best Thanksgiving movies.
TOP 7 THANKSGIVING MOVIES
from about.com
Thanksgiving is about more than turkey and football: it’s a complicated celebration of the American family gathered around a table. Here are our top picks of the best Thanksgiving films.
7) Pieces of April
Can cute, edgy Katie Holmes really cook a turkey? She certainly tries in Peter Hedges 2003 indie drama about an independent young woman who invites her estranged family to her East Village apartment for the holidays. All is well until the stove breaks.
6) Miracle of 34th Street
What is Thanksgiving for, if not to get hyped up about the coming of Christmas? Nowhere is that more joyously clear than in the 1947 classic “Miracle on 34th Street,” starring Mareen O’Hara, John Payne and the super adorable, six-year-old Natalie Wood. The film starts at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and heads straight into the venerable department store. Let the shopping begin!
5) The Ice Storm
Oh, the Seventies in the suburban USA, when married couples had key parties to beat away the boredom and despair. Ang Lee adapted Rick Moody’s novel in 1997, and the tragic climax comes down on Thanskgiving day. Starring Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, and young rising stars Tobey Maguire, Elija Wood and Christina Ricci.
4) Mighty Joe Young
What has this got to do with Thanksgiving? Nothing, except for the fact that Ernest B. Schoedsack 1949 classic film about a beautiful young woman (Terry Moore) and her beloved ape used to play every year on turkey day, and the two are forever linked in my mind. The film was remade in 1998 with Charlize Theron, but it’s essential you view the original.
3) The House of Yes
Indie film’s first reigning queen Parker Posey won a Special Recognition award at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival for her all-out eccentric performance as Jackie-O. Mentally deranged but charming in her pill box hats, Parker flies into a menacing jealous rage when her adored older brother (Josh Hamilton) brings home a girlfriend (Tori Spelling) for Thanksgiving.
2) Home for the Holidays
Jodie Foster’s directorial debut gets it just right: dinner with the family can be a nightmare – and also hilarious. The stellar cast includes Academy Award winner Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr., Claire Danes, and Anne Bancroft.
1) Hannah and Her Sisters
Woody Allen’s 1986 drama about three sisters is one of his very best. The film’s set piece is Thanksgiving, where Hannah’s (Mia Farrow) clan gathers together in a tremendous Central Park West apartment for the holiday celebration. The black maid polishes the silver, Mia’s mother drinks too much and plays the piano, hearts are broken and mended in startling ways. Barbara Hershey, Michael Caine, Diane Wiest, Carrie Fisher, and Woody Allen also star.
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My favorite Thanksgiving movie of all-time? “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”. Okay, so it’s technically TV special not a movie, but really, what is a holiday without good ol’ Charlie Brown and company?
I can’t remember the last time I sat down and watched Friends. For years this sitcom, between its ten years on the air and when it was broadcast constantly in syndication, largely defined my life. But lately it feels like I have to go on the hunt to watch Friends now that it has been replaced by Two and a Half Men (barf) and How I Met Your Mother in the land of sitcom syndication.
@Cinefille 