--- title: Best Thanksgiving Movies to Watch: Charlie Brown, Big Chill description: From 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' to 'The Big Chill,' here's a comprehensive guide to the best Thanksgiving movies to watch after dinner. canonical: https://time.com/5725731/best-thanksgiving-movies/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-11-22T15:42:41.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-24T07:44:41.967Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: The 15 Best Thanksgiving Movies to Watch This Holiday Season og:description: From 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' to 'The Big Chill' og:url: https://time.com/5725731/best-thanksgiving-movies/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfb0774bc8c6f840c/698a05da97cdffc7756b9d6d/best-thanksgiving-movies.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: ABC's "Charlie Brown" og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The 15 Best Thanksgiving Movies to Watch This Holiday Season twitter:description: From 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' to 'The Big Chill' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfb0774bc8c6f840c/698a05da97cdffc7756b9d6d/best-thanksgiving-movies.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The 15 Best Thanksgiving Movies to Watch This Holiday Season > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: You've Got Mail Trailer [Watch (HLS stream): You've Got Mail Trailer](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/lWTqNN5X.m3u8) (2:16)  _Published 2019-08-26. You've Got Mail Trailer_  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Nov 22, 2019 3:42 PM UTC  A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING - The Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Television Network will celebrate the start of the holiday season with the classic special, "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20 (8:00-8:30 & 8:30-9:00 p.m., ET), on the Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Television Network. In the 1973 special "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," Charlie Brown wants to do something special for the gang. However the dinner he arranges is a disaster when caterers Snoopy and Woodstock prepare toast and popcorn as the main dish. Humiliated, it will take all of Marcie's persuasive powers to salvage the holiday for Charlie Brown. (Photo by Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Photo Archives/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images) A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING - The Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Television Network will celebrate the start of the holiday season with the classic special, "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20 (8:00-8:30 & 8:30-9:00 p.m., ET), on the Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Television Network. In the 1973 special "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," Charlie Brown wants to do something special for the gang. However the dinner he arranges is a disaster when caterers Snoopy and Woodstock prepare toast and popcorn as the main dish. Humiliated, it will take all of Marcie's persuasive powers to salvage the holiday for Charlie Brown. (Photo by Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Photo Archives/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images)ABC Photo Archives—Walt Disney Television via Getty  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Nov 22, 2019 3:42 PM UTC After an indulgent [Thanksgiving feast](https://time.com/5458622/how-thanksgiving-affects-your-body/), there’s no better way to cope with the bloat than to settle in to binge-watch a [holiday film marathon](https://time.com/3630672/christmas-movies-streaming/). And just like the abundance of side dishes available on the holiday table, there’s a Thanksgiving movie suited to just about everyone’s taste. Those looking to stick to something classic and family-friendly can turn on [_A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving_](http://entertainment.time.com/2011/11/23/top-10-thanksgiving-movie-scenes/slide/a-charlie-brown-thanksgiving/)_,_ while those looking for something that mirrors their experiences of family angst during the holidays might prefer the complicated dynamics of the Katie Holmes-fronted indie [_Pieces of April_](http://entertainment.time.com/2011/11/23/top-10-thanksgiving-movie-scenes/slide/pieces-of-april/)_._ For viewers who prefer something adjacent to the holiday instead of focused on it, there’s the beloved rom-com [_You’ve Got Mail_](https://time.com/5661621/new-on-amazon-prime-video-september-2019/), probably the only film to turn a Thanksgiving shopping run at Zabar’s into a pivotal plot point in a burgeoning romance. From romantic and heartwarming to hilarious and side-splitting, here are the best Thanksgiving movies to watch this holiday season. ## _A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving_ (1973) Football, friends and an impromptu feast skillfully prepared by Chefs Snoopy and Woodstock—consisting of buttered toast, pretzels, popcorn, and jelly beans—are the ingredients that make up this heartwarming classic cartoon about practicing gratitude during Thanksgiving. ## _Rocky_ (1976) Yes, _Rocky’s_ about boxing, but it’s about so much more. Familial conflict leads to romance for Adrian Pennino (Talia Shire) and Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) after Adrian’s irascible older brother, Paulie (Burt Young), tosses the turkey she’s been cooking for Thanksgiving out the back door. Not to worry, however; Rocky salvages the holiday by taking Adrian out to the ice skating rink for a sweet date. ## _The Last Waltz_ (1978) Martin Scorsese’s documentary _The Last Waltz_ captures the Canadian-American rock group The Band’s iconic farewell concert, filmed on Thanksgiving Day, 1976\. More than that, it’s an ode to the generation of rock and roll in which their music flourished. The concert not only featured The Band, but guests like Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Ringo Starr, making for a classic concert film. ## _The Big Chill_ (1983) While _The Big Chill_ isn’t explicitly a Thanksgiving movie, it has many of the holiday’s themes (gathering with loved ones, the explosion of simmering disagreements, preparing and sharing a meal together) and a nostalgic flashback scene that takes place during a Thanksgiving past. ## _Planes, Trains and Automobiles_ (1987) Anyone who’s had transportation woes during the holidays can identify and hopefully laugh with _Planes, Trains and Automobiles_, John Hughes’ buddy comedy starring Steve Martin and John Candy. The pair faces a number of hilarious, transportation-related challenges in a race to get Martin’s character home in time for Thanksgiving with his family. ## _Addams Family Values_ (1993) Leave it to the Addams family to bring up a cheeky critique of a holiday while simultaneously celebrating it. In one of the most memorable scenes in the now-cult classic _Addams Family Values_, Wednesday (played by a grim and glorious Christina Ricci) takes a snobby frenemy to task during a Thanksgiving camp skit portraying white settlers and Native Americans. Wednesday, playing an anachronistic Pocahontas, and other bullied kids at camp who were cast as Native Americans, employ extremely problematic stereotypes as they portray a community they don’t belong to. Ultimately, though, they offer a larger rebuke of colonization. ## _Home for the Holidays_ (1995) Holly Hunter’s single mother Claudia Larson just can’t catch a break ahead of Thanksgiving in _Home for the Holidays_. After losing her job, kissing her ex-boss, and being blindsided by her precocious daughter’s plans for the holiday, the last thing Claudia needs is family drama, which, of course, is exactly what she gets once she arrives back at her parents’ house. ## _The House of Yes_ (1997) It’s a seriously twisted Thanksgiving for the Pascal family, thanks to the volatile whims of Parker Posey’s zany “Jackie-O” in _The House of Yes._ Jealousy, incest, borderline personality disorder and an obsession with Jacqueline Kennedy are all served with a healthy dose of camp in this kooky holiday movie. ## _The Ice Storm_ (1997) Thanksgiving is a tumultuous affair, both literally and figuratively, for the residents of this cold suburban enclave of Connecticut. Ang Lee’s adaptation of the novel of the same name is a darker choice of Thanksgiving movie, in which infidelity, alcohol abuse and sexual exploration take center stage. ## _You’ve Got Mail_ (1998) While one might assume that the best holiday moments in _You’ve Got Mail_ center around Christmas, given the caroling, tree-trimming and Christmas shopping at the bookstore, it’s important to remember that Thanksgiving plays an important role in the development of the romance between the rivals-turned-internet paramours played by Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. In a memorable moment on Thanksgiving, Hanks’ character rescues Ryan from the wrath of a cashier and her fellow patrons while in line at the classic New York deli store, Zabar’s. ## _What’s Cooking?_ (2000) Four families from four different cultures celebrate the holiday in their own way and with their own special traditions, all while confronting their own interpersonal conflicts. Gurinder Chadha’s dramedy stars Mercedes Ruehl, Kyra Sedgwick, Julianna Margulies and Alfre Woodard. ## _Sweet November_ (2001) If you’re grateful for the [internet’s boyfriend, Keanu Reeves](https://time.com/5603032/keanu-reeves-best-moments/), this Thanksgiving, then you’ll definitely want to watch _Sweet November_. In the film, Reeves plays a self-centered businessman named Nelson whose life gets turned upside down when he has a chance encounter with a woman named Sara (Charlize Theron), who convinces him to spend all of November with her. The Thanksgiving they share culminates in a bittersweet celebration of both the holiday and their relationship. ## _Pieces of April_ (2003) Katie Holmes plays April, the rebellious black sheep of a conventional family, who invites her parents and siblings to share a Thanksgiving feast in her tiny Lower East Side apartment after she finds out that her mother (Patricia Clarkson, who scored an Oscar nom for this role) has terminal breast cancer. ## _Funny People (2009)_ In Judd Apatow’s dark comedy about a successful comedian and actor reevaluating his life choices after receiving a cancer diagnosis, Adam Sandler delivers one of the most touching Friendsgiving speeches in all of film history. ## _Krisha_ (2016) The tensions that can arise at a family holiday gathering are examined in intimate detail in _Krisha_, the first feature from director Trey Edwards Shults. In the film, Krisha, a woman who has struggled with addiction, returns to her family’s suburban home in an attempt to make amends with estranged relatives, including her son Trey. The film itself, a darker choice than Charlie Brown, to be sure, is a family affair in real life, albeit with much less drama; Shults plays Trey, the role that bears his name, while his aunt Krisha Fairchild plays the titular role. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5725731/best-thanksgiving-movies/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5725731/best-thanksgiving-movies/"},"headline":"The 15 Best Thanksgiving Movies to Watch This Holiday Season","datePublished":"2019-11-22T15:42:41.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T07:44:41.967Z","description":"From 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' to 'The Big Chill'","url":"https://time.com/5725731/best-thanksgiving-movies/","keywords":["movies","Thanksgiving"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfb0774bc8c6f840c/698a05da97cdffc7756b9d6d/best-thanksgiving-movies.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Cady Lang","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/cady-lang/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfb0774bc8c6f840c/698a05da97cdffc7756b9d6d/best-thanksgiving-movies.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"ABC's \"Charlie Brown\"","caption":"ABC's \"Charlie Brown\"","creditText":"ABC Photo Archives—Walt Disney Television via Getty","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5725731/best-thanksgiving-movies/","name":"The 15 Best Thanksgiving Movies to Watch This Holiday Season"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Rocky - Trailer","description":"Rocky - Trailer","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/a18SNAaN/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2019-05-27T19:04:25.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/a18SNAaN.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5725731/best-thanksgiving-movies/","duration":"PT3M26S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5725731/best-thanksgiving-movies/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"You've Got Mail Trailer","description":"You've Got Mail Trailer","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/lWTqNN5X/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2019-08-26T16:43:20.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/lWTqNN5X.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5725731/best-thanksgiving-movies/","duration":"PT2M16S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5725731/best-thanksgiving-movies/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```