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Thanksgiving movies to kick off the holiday season

By Lisa Nicklanovich; courtesy image

Christmas movies get all the love. Thanksgiving movies tend to remind us how messy and dysfunctional families can be, or maybe joyful in comparison when we gather them around the table. For that sort of film, see Pieces of April, The Oath or Home for the Holidays – noting that dysfunctional movies are not always “family friendly.” If you’d rather go for more of a feel-good Thanksgiving vibe, check out these films:

What's Cooking? movie poster

What’s Cooking?
A window into four different multi-generational Los Angeles families and how they celebrate Thanksgiving. The cultural differences in their foods is a feast for the eyes, but the common theme of family and all its challenges is what gives this movie both a comedic and dramatic thumbs-up.

You’ve Got Mail
This Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan classic includes scenes where the leaves are turning while their romance is blooming. Hanks’ Joe Fox comes to the begrudged rescue of Ryan’s Kathleen Kelly on Thanksgiving Day.

The Blind Side
This Disney movie is based on a real-life story and book with plenty of faith, family, football, and a great big Thanksgiving scene.

Grumpy Old Men
Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau bicker endlessly in this comedy about a pair of crotchety neighbors. Their differences only deepen when a siren played by Ann-Margret moves to town, sending the former friends into a tailspin on Thanksgiving Day when they both see her on a date with someone else entirely.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
Celebrate Turkey Day with football, food, and fun along with Chuck and his friends.

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