While there are hundreds of comedies set during the Christmas season, very few focus on Thanksgiving. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that it's not celebrated internationally, or perhaps it's simply eclipsed by the undeniable romanticism of other winter holidays. Whatever the reason, feature-length Thanksgiving-themed films are few and far between.
Of course, that's not to say that they don't exist. Children of the '70s may well remember the 1973 special, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and younger generations enjoyed autumnal treats like Chicken Run and Fantastic Mr. Fox. The holiday may have far fewer celebratory show-stoppers when compared to Christmas, but those wishing for festive Thanksgiving movies haven't been completely left out in the cold.
10 Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)
The events of 2009's Paul Blart: Mall Cop may transpire on Black Friday, but, as Kevin James' titular character eloquently puts it, "safety never takes a holiday." After failing out of the police academy, Blart assumes the role of a mall security officer, hilariously enforcing the rules to the nth degree.
Initially premiering as a fun-yet-forgettable holiday movie, Paul Blart: Mall Cop and its sequel have recently been re-introduced to popular culture, thanks to a weird uptick in Blart-related memes. It's no masterpiece, but it's a serviceable comedy for the sometimes-overlooked holiday.
9 Hannah And Her Sisters (1986)
Directed and written by controversial comedian Woody Allen and starring Hollywood heavy-hitters like Michael Caine, Mia Farrow, Carrie Fischer, 1986's Hannah and Her Sisters is a comedy/drama which, as one might expect, focuses on the tumultuous love lives of a woman named Hannah and her two siblings.
Woven around a circular ending involving a Thanksgiving party, Hannah and Her Sisters follows three women over the course of two years as they work to kindle or re-kindle romantic flames. Humorous in some areas and surprisingly dark in others, it's not for everyone, but it offers a distinctly autumn feel for which rom-com lovers may be searching.
8 Holiday Engagement (2011)
An outrageously mushy offering befitting of and released on the Hallmark Channel, Holiday Engagement sees Bonnie Somerville's Hillary Burns desperate to find a man to bring home for the holidays after her fiance dumps her in favor of his career. She eventually tracks down an actor to fill the role of her faux fiance, and the two slowly fall for each other while feigning engagement.
As is the case with most Hallmark fare, which also releases many Christmas movies, Holiday Engagement wasn't intended to be a work of significant cinematic achievement. However, it's a fun, feel-good flick that'll have viewers in the Thanksgiving spirit — if there is such a thing.
7 Alice's Restaurant (1969)
An adaptation of Arlo Gutherie's heavily-satirical half-blues-song-half-comedy-record, "Alice's Restaurant," this 1969 film of the same name depicts the events described in the song and, despite being a comedy, serves as a staunch criticism of the military draft enacted in the United States during the Vietnam War.
After generating half of a ton of garbage following a Thanksgiving meal, Gutherie and company are forced to dump it on the roadside when they discover that the town dump is closed for the holiday. It's a hilarious dismantling of the then-contemporary political standards, and it's a shame that the film has largely fallen by the wayside.
6 Tower Heist (2011)
When Wallstreet big-wig Arthur Shaw scams his penthouse apartment's concierge out of their pensions, Ben Stiller's Josh enlists the help of Eddie Murphy's slide to steal millions of dollars from the defamed billionaire.
Though the plot doesn't have much to do with the holidays, the titular heist actually takes place during Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. The fall festivities actually play a not-insignificant part in the movie, and, in some ways, it's akin to the original Die Hard movie's weird relationship with the Christmas season.
5 Free Bird (2013)
For a holiday film centered around anthropomorphized turkeys, 2013's Free Bird is surprisingly high-concept. After Reggie the turkey receives the traditional presidential pardon, he's roped into a mission to go back in time to the first Thanksgiving and ensure that turkey never becomes the staple dish of the season.
Starring Owen Wilson and Woodie Harelson, Free Bird doesn't quite have the charm of other holiday classics, but it's a lighthearted and enjoyable-enough adventure for the whole family.
4 Dutch (1991)
In a bid to win over his upper-crust girlfriend's son, Dutch Dooley travels to Georgia to pick him up from the private school he attends. The son, Doyle, doesn't want to come home, however, and Dutch has to resort to some pretty absurd measures to get him there.
Reminiscent of other classic '90s comedies like Tommy Boy and Dumb and Dumber, Dutch is a slapstick comedy that sees two wildly different personalities eventually come together in a wholesome holiday reunion. It's a feel-good affair for everyone to check out after Thanksgiving dinner.
3 Planes, Trains, And Automobiles (1987)
A timeless Steve Martin classic, 1987's Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is another road trip-centric movie that sees two men fall for folly after folly in an attempt to get home for the Thanksgiving holiday.
From lowbrow humor staged in a seedy motel to Flintstone's theme singalongs aboard a crowded bus, there are plenty of memorable moments in this well-aged effort. As heartwarming as it is hilarious, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is one of the few must-see Thanksgiving comedy movies out there.
2 Chicken Run (2000)
Desperate to escape from the Tweedy farm before they're all made into chicken pies, Ginger and the rest of her coop enlist the help of Rocky Rhodes, voiced by Mel Gibson, in a bid to finally make it over the farm's fence and out to greener pastures.
While it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with Thanksgiving, there's a decidedly November-ish aesthetic evoked in Chicken Run. Grey skies and muddy farmlands cause the titular orange-and-red creatures to nearly pop out of the frame, and it's not as if there's much of a difference between chickens and Thanksgiving-favorite turkeys.
1 A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)
Opening on one of The Peanuts' iconic football skits, 1973's A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is a classic Peanuts seasonal special that follows the plight of the every-cynical Charlie Brown as he tries to sort out his holiday plans. His friend, Peppermint Patty, won't have family to celebrate Thanksgiving with, and fearing that he won't be able to take her to his grandma's house for a meal, he opts to have two meals, cooking one with the aid of Snoopy and Woodstock.
Perhaps the most culturally-significant Thanksgiving special ever to air, there's a quiet magic to this nearly 50-year-old cartoon, and, for many, it's a defining part of the holiday.
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