The American Automobile Association (AAA) projects that 80 million people in the U.S. will travel at least 50 miles to enjoy Thanksgiving with family. For your loved ones doing all that driving, you can’t be a bad host – you must have the vibes set. The food will be cooking, the drinks will be flowing, why not enjoy some classic Thanksgiving movies in the midst of all the family fun? Here are four Thanksgiving movies or movies with Thanksgiving elements to watch with the family this holiday.
4. Soul Food (1997) A well-known classic from 1997 perfectly shows the dynamic of many Black families. The film, which stars Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long and Mekhi Phifer, perfectly embodies Black culture with its emphasis on Sunday dinners and family customs. The movie picks up after Big Mama, the matriarch, becomes ill, and the Joseph family struggles to remain together during and after her passing. Soul Food gives you a bit of everything; you will laugh, you will cry, and you will see your own Black family in it as well. Grab granny and the grandkids for this one – the whole family can enjoy this.
3. Thanksgiving (2023) When have we ever got a Thanksgiving horror film? Good thing it’s not too scary and will probably make you laugh more than jump. The movie tells the story of a masked murderer who is on a revenge tour in a small town one year after a Black Friday riot ended in a tragedy he just couldn’t get over. There are some bloody scenes, but the movie is very lighthearted, so much so you don’t have to kick the kids out. It is streaming on Netflix currently, and this is definitely more of an after-dinner vibes movie.
2. She’s Gotta Have It (1986) Spike Lee‘s first film will forever be a classic. Set in Lee’s hometown of Brooklyn, the movie follows Nola Darling, a confident and free-spirited woman who is dating three completely different men: one is the sensitive Jamie, another is a cocky and arrogant guy named Greer, and last but not least is the playful and fun-loving Mars. This film flipped society’s norms on their head as we have become so accustomed to men being the players. It was super refreshing to see Spike reverse the dynamic. Also, she invites all three men to Thanksgiving dinner – who wouldn’t want to see that mess?
1. Four Brothers (2005) You might have to put the kids up for this one. The movie starts off with an older lady doing some last-minute Thanksgiving dinner shopping; unfortunately, she would not make it back home as she was gunned down in an apparent robbery attempt. That lady was the adoptive mother of four brothers, the Mercer Brothers. The brothers, played by Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, André Benjamin and Garrett Hedlund, reunite to investigate their mom’s murder and decide they will hand out their own form of justice once they find out who was behind it. A great action movie directed by John Singleton and showing the dirty and street side of defending your family.
