Top family movies to warm the heart this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is all about family. It’s that warm and fuzzy time of year when the older kids might be coming home from college, or you just have time to take a breath from all the craziness of back-to-school activities, Halloween, and those time-consuming extracurriculars.

Thanksgiving weekend is ideal for cuddling up on the couch with some warm apple cider and pumpkin pie leftovers to watch a movie together. Since the holiday is all about togetherness, of course, you’ll want to enjoy movies centered around family. So, here are the best Thanksgiving movies for families that will warm the heart, make you laugh, and might even bring a tear to the eye.

Best Thanksgiving movies for families

There aren’t too many family movies appropriate for the entire household with Thanksgiving as a backdrop, but there certainly are plenty that focus on the funny and multilayered family dynamic. If you’re not quite ready to dive into the pool of holiday movies streaming on Hallmark, check out these family-centered movies this Thanksgiving weekend that are a perfect pick for the season.

The Incredibles (2004)

115m

Genre

Action, Adventure, Animation, Family

Stars

Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell

Directed by

Brad Bird

Watch on disney+

This movie about a family of superheroes never gets old. It’s a perfect pick for families with multiple ages. Even teens won’t roll their eyes at this family flick.

Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

125m

Genre

Comedy, Drama, Family

Stars

Robin Williams, Sally Field, Lisa Jakub

Directed by

Chris Columbus

Watch on amazon

A classic from the ’90s, Mrs. Doubtfire has a stellar cast with Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Bronson, and Harvey Fierstein at their finest. The subject matter touches on something many kids deal with: divorce. You will definitely need to keep the tissue box nearby for this one.

Fly Away Home (1996)

107m

Genre

Adventure, Drama, Family

Stars

Jeff Daniels, Anna Paquin, Dana Delany

Directed by

Carroll Ballard

Watch on amazon

Another ’90s gem, Fly Away Home, is a touching film that will certainly get the tears rolling. It follows the journey of a young girl who tragically loses her mom and then must uproot her life to move to Canada to live with the dad she hardly knows. The pair bond over a nest of abandoned goose eggs as they find a different kind of family together. It won a Christopher Award for Best Family Film.

Stepmom (1998)

125m

Genre

Drama, Romance, Comedy

Stars

Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Ed Harris

Directed by

Chris Columbus

Watch on amazon

If you’re looking for a family movie for tweens and teens, Stepmom is a great choice. It’s a ’90s film starring Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, and Ed Harris that again touches on divorce, its aftermath, and finding the joys of family again. This is another family film that will make you laugh and cry.

The Rookie (2002)

127m

Genre

Drama, Family

Stars

Dennis Quaid, Rachel Griffiths, Jay Hernandez

Directed by

John Lee Hancock

Watch on amazon

Sports movies are always a great pic for warming the heart, especially ones based on a true story. The Rookie takes on the story of Texas high school teacher and baseball coach Jim Morris. Morris had his shot at the MLB when he was 35, thanks to a beat with his high school team. Dennis Quad portrayed the coach who never gave up on his dream. It’s a wonderful choice for families with multiple ages since it’s rated G.

The Parent Trap (1961)

129m

Genre

Comedy, Family

Stars

Hayley Mills, Maureen O'Hara, Brian Keith

Directed by

David Swift

Watch on amazon

Whether the family watches the original Parent Trap with Hayley Mills or the remake with a young Lindsay Lohan, it will be a win-win. This funny and uplifting movie is always a must-watch for the whole family. With the long Thanksgiving weekend, watch the ’60s version first and then the remake.

Freaky Friday (1976)

95m

Genre

Fantasy, Comedy, Family

Stars

Jodie Foster, Barbara Harris, John Astin

Directed by

Gary Nelson

Watch on amazon

Imagine switching places with your mom for a day. Crazy right? Well, that’s the premise for this Disney film that has been remade several times. There is talk that the 2003 version with Jamie Lee Curtis as the mom and Lindsay Lohan as the teenage daughter will be redone again with the pair reprising their roles. It’s a silly flick that teaches an age-old lesson about understanding the challenges of parenthood and being a teen. Watch the original on Disney Plus, too, which stars a very young Jodi Foster.

Father of the Bride (1991)

105m

Genre

Comedy, Romance

Stars

Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams-Paisley

Directed by

Charles Shyer

Watch on disney+

Only Murders in the Building has introduced Steve Martin and Martin Short to a whole new generation of fans. Head back to the ’90s with this classic and its sequel to laugh and cry with another tale as old as time about a father learning how to let go of his daughter as she moves into the next chapter of her life. Martin and Short are simply hysterical in both family films.

More movies for families to watch this Thanksgiving

If football and Black Friday shopping aren’t your thing, here are some additional family-centered movies to watch with yours this Thanksgiving weekend.

• ET The Extra Terrestrial
• Hook
• Princess Diaries
• Spy Kids
• Big Hero 6

There’s always so much to do to prepare for Thanksgiving especially if you’re hosting. The long weekend, though, is also the perfect opportunity to reconnect with your family whether it’s the first time the older one has come home from college or if it’s the first break everyone has had since school started.

Watching movies together with those Thanksgiving leftovers close by is a wonderful way to spend some quality time together, especially when you’re watching family-centered movies. So, cuddle up this November with one or more of these top Thanksgiving movies for families, and don’t forget the tissues. You will need them.