List of films set around Thanksgiving

This is a list of films set on or around the American Thanksgiving holiday. It does not include Thanksgiving television specials.

Action

Below Utopia (aka Body Count), a 1997 film starring Justin Theroux, Alyssa Milano, and Ice-T
Spider-Man, a 2002 film directed by Sam Raimi

Animated

Free Birds, a 2013 film directed by Jimmy Hayward

Comedy

Addams Family Values, a 1993 film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld
Alice's Restaurant, a 1969 film directed by Arthur Penn
An Ache in Every Stake, a Three Stooges short film
Beethoven, a 1992 film directed by Brian Levant
Broadway Danny Rose, a 1984 film written and directed by Woody Allen
Cold Turkey, a 2013 dark comedy written and directed by Will Slocombe
Diary of a Mad Housewife, a 1970 film directed by Frank Perry
Down and Out in Beverly Hills, a 1986 film written and directed by Paul Mazursky
Dutch, a 1991 film written by John Hughes and directed by Peter Faiman
For Your Consideration, a 2006 film written and directed by Christopher Guest
Friendsgiving, a 2020 film written and directed by Nicol Paone
Funny People, a 2009 film cowritten and directed by Judd Apatow
The Gold Rush, a 1925 film written by, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin
Gone Fishin' (film), a film directed by Christopher Cain and written by J. J. Abrams and Jill Mazursky.
Grumpy Old Men, a 1993 film directed by Donald Petrie
Hanging Up, a 2000 film directed by and starring Diane Keaton
Hannah and Her Sisters, a 1986 film written and directed by Woody Allen
Home for the Holidays, a 1995 film directed by Jodie Foster
The House of Yes, a 1997 film directed by Mark Waters
Instant Family, a 2018 American comedy-drama directed by Sean Anders
Jack and Jill, a 2011 film directed by Dennis Dugan
Mistress America, a 2015 film directed by Noah Baumbach
My Blue Heaven, a 1990 film directed by Herbert Ross
National Lampoon's Thanksgiving Family Reunion, a 2003 television film directed by Neal Israel
Nobody's Fool, a 1994 film directed by Robert Benton
Not Cool, a 2014 film directed by Shane Dawson
The Oath, a 2018 film directed by Ike Barinholtz
The Object of My Affection, a 1998 film directed by Nicholas Hytner
The Other Sister, a 1999 film directed by Garry Marshall
Palo Alto, a 2007 film directed by Brad Leong
Paul Blart Mall Cop, a 2009 film directed by Steve Carr
Pieces of April, a 2003 film written and directed by Peter Hedges
Planes, Trains and Automobiles, a 1987 film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes
Primary Colors, a 1998 film directed by Mike Nichols
The Prince & Me, a 2004 film directed by Martha Coolidge
She's Gotta Have It, a 1986 film written and directed by Spike Lee
Smart People, a 2008 film written by Mark Poirier and directed by Noam Murro
Somebody Killed Her Husband, a 1978 film directed by Lamont Johnson
Son in Law, a 1993 film directed by Steve Rash
The Star-Crossed Romance of Josephine Cosnowski, a 1985 television film written by Jean Shepherd and directed by Fred Barzyk
Starting Over, a 1979 film directed by Alan J. Pakula
Sweet Hearts Dance, a 1988 film directed by Robert Greenwald
Sweethearts: a 2024 film directed by Jordan Weiss.
Tadpole, a 2002 American film directed by Gary Winick
Tower Heist, a 2011 film directed by Brett Ratner
The Turkey Bowl, a 2019 film directed by Greg Coolidge
Turkey Drop, a 2019 TV film directed by Jerry Ciccoritti
What's Cooking?, a 2000 film directed by Gurinder Chadha
Youth in Revolt, a 2009 film directed by Miguel Arteta
You've Got Mail, a 1998 film written and directed by Nora Ephron

Documentary

The Last Waltz, a 1978 documentary film directed by Martin Scorsese about The Band's farewell concert, which took place on Thanksgiving Day in 1976

American Movie, a 1999 documentary film directed by Chris Smith.

Drama

American Gangster, a 2007 film directed by Ridley Scott
American Son, a 2008 film directed by Neil Abramson
Antwone Fisher, a 2002 film directed by and starring Denzel Washington
Avalon, a 1990 film directed by Barry Levinson
The Blind Side, a 2009 film directed by John Lee Hancock
Brokeback Mountain, a 2005 film directed by Ang Lee
Cast Away, a 2000 film directed by Robert Zemeckis
A Child Is Waiting, a 1963 film directed by Abby Mann
The Daytrippers, a 1996 film directed by Greg Mottola
The Doors, a 1991 biopic about Jim Morrison starring Val Kilmer
Four Brothers, a 2005 film directed by John Singleton
Giant, a 1956 film directed by George Stevens
Home of the Brave, a 2006 film directed by Irwin Winkler
The Humans, a 2021 film written and directed by Stephen Karam
The Ice Storm, a 1997 film directed by Ang Lee
Maestro, a 2023 film directed by and starring Bradley Cooper
The Morning After, a 1986 film directed by Sidney Lumet
The Myth of Fingerprints, a 1997 film directed by Bart Freundlich
One Special Night, a 1999 television film directed by Roger Young
One True Thing, a 1998 film directed by Carl Franklin
Palo Alto, a 2007 film written and directed by Brad Leong
Plymouth Adventure, a 1952 film directed by Clarence Brown
Prisoners, a 2013 film directed by Denis Villeneuve
Repeat Performance, a 1947 film directed by Alfred L. Werker
Rescue Dawn, a 2006 film directed by Werner Herzog
Rocky, a 1976 film directed by John G. Avildsen, written by and starring Sylvester Stallone
Rocky II, a 1979 film written and directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone
Scent of a Woman, a 1992 film directed by Martin Brest
Stepmom, a 1998 film directed by Chris Columbus
Still Alice, a 2014 film directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland
Stuck in Love, a 2012 film written and directed by Josh Boone
Sweet November, a 2001 film directed by Pat O'Connor
Thanksgiving, a 2004 short film directed by Tom Donahue
A Time to Remember, a 2003 television film directed by William Sims Myers
Unfaithful, a 2002 film directed by Adrian Lyne
Unhook the Stars, a 1996 film directed by Nick Cassavetes
The Vicious Kind, a 2009 film directed by Lee Toland Krieger
The War at Home, a 1996 film directed by and starring Emilio Estevez

Family

A Family Thanksgiving, a 2010 Hallmark Channel Original Movie directed by Neill Fearnley
Holiday Engagement, a 2011 Hallmark Channel Original Movie starring Bonnie Somerville and Shelley Long
The Hoboken Chicken Emergency, a 1984 Television Movie based on the 1977 book
Miracle on 34th Street, a 1947 comedy-fantasy spanning from Thanksgiving to Christmas; remade for television in 1973 and theatrically in 1994
Molly's Pilgrim, a 1985 Oscar-winning short film
The National Tree, a 2009 Hallmark Channel Original Movie starring Andrew McCarthy
An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving, a 2008 Hallmark Channel Original Movie based on a short story by Louisa May Alcott
The Santa Clause, a 1994 fantasy-comedy from Disney film spanning a year, with a scene in the latter half of the film set during Thanksgiving which helps kick off the film's final act
Squanto: A Warrior's Tale, a 1994 Disney film based on the life of Squanto, featuring the first Thanksgiving in the final scene
The Thanksgiving Promise, a 1986 TV film starring Beau Bridges
The Thanksgiving Visitor, a 1967 TV adaptation of the story by Truman Capote
Turkey Hollow, a 2015 film from Jim Henson Productions

Horror

Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County (1998), a family is terrorized by extraterrestrial creatures while celebrating Thanksgiving
Blood Rage (1987), a psychopath goes on a homicidal rampage after the twin brother he framed for murder years earlier escapes on Thanksgiving
Boogeyman (2005), around Thanksgiving, a man is stalked by the entity that haunted his childhood
Christmas Evil (1980), a mentally unbalanced man believes himself to be Santa Claus, giving presents to children and punishing the "naughty" through violence; part of the film takes place at Thanksgiving
Escape Room (2019), a withdrawn student is challenged by a professor to do something that scares her over Thanksgiving break
Home Movie (2008), home video footage documents a family's descent into violence and madness; includes scenes of various holidays including Thanksgiving
Home Sweet Home (1981), an escaped mental patient embarks on a killing spree over Thanksgiving weekend
Intensity (1997), a young woman encounters a serial killer while visiting a friend's family for Thanksgiving, then follows him to try and rescue a teenager he's abducted
Kristy (2014), a college girl who is alone on campus over the Thanksgiving break is targeted by a group of outcasts
The Last Thanksgiving (2020), a family of cannibals kill people who don't celebrate Thanksgiving
Séance (2006), a group of college students left alone in their dorm over Thanksgiving weekend decide to hold a séance
Thanksgiving (2006; short film), two couples are taken captive and tortured by a sadist during Thanksgiving dinner
Thanksgiving (2007; short film), an insane, turkey-obsessed pilgrim commits a series of random murders on Thanksgiving; directed by Eli Roth
Thanksgiving (2023), a full-length feature film version of the above short film, also directed by Roth
ThanksKilling (2009), a group of students are hunted by a demonic turkey during Thanksgiving break
ThanksKilling 3, a 2012 film sequel to ThanksKilling

Musical

By the Light of the Silvery Moon, a 1953 film directed by David Butler
Holiday Inn, a 1942 film directed by Mark Sandrich
The Wiz, a 1978 film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Diana Ross

Thriller

The Morning After, a 1986 film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Jane Fonda
Don't Say a Word, a 2001 film directed by Gary Fleder
Prisoners, a 2013 film directed by Denis Villeneuve
Traitor, a 2008 film directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff about a terrorist attack planned for Thanksgiving Day
Unknown, a 2011 film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra