Give thanks this holiday season for movies that remind us of what we love most about Thanskgiving: the coming together of families; how our own dysfunctional clan pales in comparison to the strangeness of others; and of course, turkey.
The following holiday-themed films offer something for all ages and tastes. So cut a slice of pumpkin pie, give thanks, and grab the remote.
"Planes, Trains and Automobiles" (1987)
Del (John Candy) turns to Neal (Steve Martin) and says, "There's no way on earth we're going to get out of here tonight. We'd have more luck playing pickup sticks with our butt-cheeks than we will getting a flight out of here before daybreak." And so it goes in this epic comedy of errors from director/writer John Hughes about an impromptu duo's quest to return from a business trip in time for Thanksgiving dinner. A beloved classic with enough laugh-out-loud gags to temper the holiday schmaltz, "P,T and A" is a reminder to be thankful for the genius collaboration of Candy, Martin and Hughes, and that you already made it home to be on the couch watching a movie with family. (Available on Netflix, On Demand)
Set during Thanksgiving 1973 as a dangerous storm approaches New Canaan, Connecticut, this drama from Oscar-winning director Ang Lee features a stellar ensemble cast that includes Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Joan Allen, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci and Elijah Wood as two families struggling to come to terms with the changing political and social climates of the 1970s. Sexual experimentation, drugs and familial responsibilities are major themes in this insightful look at a period guaranteed to make you thankful for the current enlightened, if still sometimes confusing, state of modern society. (Netflix, Amazon Prime, On Demand)
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In the 1983 classic "A Christmas Story," all nine-year-old Ralphie wants under his tree is a Red Ryder BB gun. But his mother, teacher and a plump department store Santa all say the same thing: "You'll shoot your eye out!" Luckily, Dad is cooler than Mom.
Rankin/Bass/ABC
Santa Claus Is Comin to Town follows the orphaned Kris Kringle from his humble beginnings to his time as an outlaw and onward to fame and glory.
Twentieth Century Fox
"Miracle on 34th Street," the 1947 classic starring Edmund Gwenn and a very young Natalie Wood, has everyone thinking Santa Claus (legal name: Kris Kringle) is nuts until an ace lawyer proves he's the real deal.
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In 1994's "The Santa Clause," Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) gets stuck with the role of a lifetime when he accidentally turns into Kris Kringle.
WJAR
In "White Christmas," a successful song-and-dance team meets a sister act two weeks before Christmas As they team up to save a failing Vermont in, the four become romantically involved. Featuring the talents of Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen, it's the 1954 holiday classic that made the song "White Christmas" famous.
Warner Home Video
in 1966's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," the Grinch was a mean one until his heart was warmed (and expanded) by the goodness of Cindy Lou Who. You've got to be as charming as an eel and as prickly as a cactus to steal someone's presents.
Paramount
In the 1946 classic "It's a Wonderful Life," George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) thinks he's worth more dead than alive. But an angel shows him just how rotten Bedford Falls would be without him around. Zuzu's petals!
Castle Rock Entertainment/Warner Bros.
All aboard the Polar Express! The computer-animated film follows a doubting boy as he boards a magical train that's headed to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. With it's catchy tunes and classic storyline, it instantly became a must-see movie during the 2004 holiday season.
Twentieth Century Fox
In "Home Alone," Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) keeps the bad guys (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) at bay when his family accidentally goes on vacation without him.
Universal Studios Hollywood
In the stop-motion classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," misfits Hermey and Rudolph star as a Christmas elf who wants to be a dentist and an outcast reindeer with a shining nose. And it turns out Abominable Snowmen are really good decorators.
AP
The 1938 classic "A Christmas Carol" brings to life the story of Ebenezer Scrooge. On Christmas Eve, the old miser is visited by the spirit of his former business partner, Jacob Marley. After dismissing the apparitions warning to change his ways or face the consequences in the afterlife, he's taken by the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come.
Touchstone/Disney
In "The Nightmare Before Christmas," all hell breaks loose when the tall and spindly skeleton Jack Skellington, known as the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, kidnaps and tries to replace the much rounder Santa Claus.
New Line Home Entertainment
In 2003's "Elf," Buddy (Will Ferrell) is a really large man who's been raised as an elf at the North Pole. Identity crisis, anyone? Luckily, he discovers himself while working in a New York department store during the holidays. Merry Christmas!
Warner Home Video
In "A Charlie Brown Christmas," a down-in-the-dumps young boy, his mischievous dog and a bossy wannabe psychiatrist team up to figure out the true meaning of the holiday.
Featuring Cary Grant, David Niven, and Loretta Young."The Bishop's Wife" is a 1947 Christmas classic. As the romantic tale opens, a bishop prays for guidance about building a new cathedral. But when an angel arrives, his guidance isn't reserved for just fundraising.
Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Everyone's done their take on Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," but none can match "The Muppet Christmas Carol." With their large personalities, the Muppets bring new energy to the classic tale.
Warner Home Video
In 1989's "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," the Griswold family's misadventures continue.
Studio Canal/Universal Pictures
Set during the frantic month before Christmas, "Love Actually" follows the lives of eight very different London couples. As the 2003 romantic comedy progresses, many tales are shown to be interlinked.
Legend Films
Perhaps the first great Christmas flick was the 1934 classic "Babes in Toyland," in which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy star as a pair of toymakers who borrow some money to save Mother Peep's shoe from foreclosure.
Miramax Home Entertainment
"Bad Santa" is not one for the kids, but grownups will love Billy Bob Thornton as a foul-mouthed, hard-drinking con man disguised as a department store Santa.
Classic Media
In 1969's "Frosty the Snowman," Frosty has the kids grinning — until the warm weather starts to get the better of our hero and he has to hop a northbound train.
Macy's/CBS
In "Yes, Virginia" the year is 1897. Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon is preparing for Christmas until her classmate brings up the age-old question: "Is there a Santa Claus?" Seeking advice concerning his existence, she sends a letter to the editor of The New York Sun.
FBI
In the 1988 film "Scrooged," Frank Cross (Bill Murray) is every bit as much of a jerk as Ebeneezer, but like his predecessor, he has a change of heart after spending an evening with some ghosts.
"Arthur Christmas" was recently released on video. In this film, an aging Santa's oldest son prepares to take over the family business, but it's up to his younger son, the bumbling Arthur, to make sure that one little girl doesn't get overlooked.
"Free Birds" (2013)
For the younger members of the clan gathering for turkey day this bird's tale follows Reggie, a gobbler who goes from outcast to hero when he receives a presidential pardon and embarks on a time-traveling mission to try and turn Thanksgiving into a turkey-free holiday. Featuring the voices of Owen Wilson, Amy Poehler, George Takai and Woody Harrelson, this movie will have you giving thanks you decided to wait and watch it after the big meal. (Netflix, On Demand)
"Home for the Holidays" (1995)
Jodie Foster directs this darkly comic look at that fine line between loving and liking your family. Claudia (Holly Hunter) is apprehensive about her decision to return to her parents house for Thanksgiving. With good reason: she's just lost her job; her teenage daughter (who is not making the journey with her) has announced she plans to spend the holiday losing her virginity; her homosexual brother arrives with a new friend in tow; her brother also barely tolerates their prim younger sister and openly antagonizes their brother-in-law; and eccentric and boozy Aunt Gladys is also on the guest list. Also starring Robert Downey Jr., Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Geraldine Chaplin, Dylan McDermott, Cynthia Stevenson and Steve Guttenberg, "Home for the Holidays" will leave you thankful for your own dysfunctionally normal family. (DVD)
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"Pocahontas" (1995)
Disney's first animated film to be based on actual events and people retells the story of Pocahontas, the daughter of an Algonquin chief who is betrothed to a member of her tribe but becomes enamored of European settler John Smith. Featuring the voices of Irene Bedard, Mel Gibson, David Ogden Stiers, Christian Bale, Linda Hunt and Billy Connelly, this fictionalized account has been given the Disney spin, but younger viewers will enjoy the Oscar-winning melodies, sweeping drama and give thanks for Grandmother Willow, the wise old talking tree. (Netflix, On Demand)
