Thanksgiving Movies: The Top 5 Turkey Day Movies of All Time

It's easy to rattle off a list of your favorite Christmas movies of all time because the fact is, there are so many to choose from. But when it comes to Thanksgiving movies, the task becomes much more difficult. Most people, I'd imagine, would struggle to come up with the name of any movie about this holiday, let alone a really good one. Believe it or not, they're out there. And not only are they out there, they're right here! Here are the top five Thanksgiving movies of all time. 

1. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (Strong language)

The “clumsy fat guy with uptight skinny friend” genre has been a cornerstone of comedy since the silent era, and few have done it better than John Candy and Steve Martin in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Martin plays Neal Page, a businessman on his way home to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. When he crosses paths with the accident prone Del Griffith, his journey becomes a farcical odyssey of legendary proportions. This is a great movie to watch with the family on thanksgiving weekend, as it is a true classic in the “dad-movie” pantheon.

2. Son in Law

Pauly Shore, aka “The Weasel,” is an icon of annoyance, and Son in Law is some of his finest work. Shore reprises the same basic role that he plays in every movie, but this time he's causing trouble on a South Dakota farm. Though certainly not as funny as Bio-Dome, this Thanksgiving film does feature Lane Smith as the irate father. You might remember Smith as the prosecutor from My Cousin Vinny, or the evil coach in The Mighty Ducks. Tell me you wouldn't enjoy watching that guy's farm fall into the vexingly mischievous clutches of Pauly Shore. Quack!

3. Funny People (Strong language)

Funny People isn't totally focused on Thanksgiving, but Sandler's nostalgic toast is one of the more poignant moments in this film that actually works. Getting the whole cast together for dinner produces some other great scenes as well, but the highlight of Funny People is clearly Parks and Recreation's Aziz Ansari as Raaaaaaaandy. The rest of the film is hit or miss, especially the less comedic elements, but Randy (with 8 As) is always on point.

4. Alice's Restaurant

This 1969 film based on Arlo Guthrie's classic song of the same name is exactly as weird as you would expect a hippie-produced cinematic adaptation of a folk song would be. What starts out as a  free-love Thanksgiving quickly spirals into criminal littering charges, draft-dodging, and heroin-induced motorcycle accidents. Alice's Restaurant is a major part of 60s culture, making this another great one for millennials to watch with their folks.

5. Eli Roth's Thanksgiving (Graphic content and nudity)

If only...