8 Thanksgiving Movies (Sorry, No Pilgrims)

Like many people, Spider-Man has a complicated Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving hasn’t been one of the biggest holidays when it comes to movie storylines. For most people, in fact, when you talk about Thanksgiving movies, they’re more likely to reminisce about the films that were shown year after year every Thanksgiving on their local TV stations (in my case, that would be Laurel & Hardy’s March of the Wooden Soldiers, King Kong, and Mighty Joe Young–the original versions, of course). Nevertheless, there are actually some Thanksgiving-themed movies, and here, in no particular order, are a few to keep in mind:

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) I know, you’re thinking, “Isn’t this a Christmas movie?” But don’t forget, it starts out with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) Thanksgiving dinners bookend this Woody Allen movie about affairs, family fights, and midlife crises.

Home for the Holidays (1995) Jody Foster’s directorial debut is all about dysfunctional family fun as telescoped into the frenzy of Thanksgiving Day.

The Ice Storm (1997) This seems weird here, doesn’t it? But don’t forget, this drama about ’70s suburban angst is set over a Thanksgiving weekend.

Pieces of April (2003) Indie girl Katie Holmes tries to put together a traditional T-Day dinner for her visiting suburban family in her tiny East Village apartment. Patricia Clarkson steals the show as her mom.

House of Yes (1997) In this seriously indie film based on a play, Josh Hamilton brings his straightlaced fiancee home for Thanksgiving to meet his eccentric family, including his Jackie Onassis obsessed sister, played by Parker Posey (told you it was indie!).

Spider-Man (2002) Okay, so Thanksgiving only plays a small–but crucial–part in this movie (T-Day dinner where Green Goblin/Willem Dafoe realizes Peter Parker is Spider-Man), but what the heck, I just like to mention Spider-Man wherever possible.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987) Odd couple Steve Martin and the late, great John Candy struggle to get home for Thanksgiving. If you see this movie after a particularly bad travel experience (as I did), it will seem hysterically, incredibly funny. And if you see it under normal circumstances, it’s still pretty good.

That’s it for now. Enjoy your Thanksgiving Day.