5 funny Thanksgiving movies to stream right away

The culture behind Thanksgiving revolves primarily around good food and great gatherings, an excellent way to kick in the holiday mood is to put on funny Thanksgiving movies which get one's spirits high.

As one prepares to move into the Holiday season, a movie marathon on Thanksgiving makes every gathering better. Be it Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) or The Ice Storm (1997), there are endless options when it comes to a Thanksgiving theme to set the right mood.

Let us take a look at five funny Thanksgiving movies to watch while you are at the turkey or the mashed potatoes.

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Five funny Thanksgiving movies to watch

1) Planes, Trains and Automobiles

The 1987 American comedy film, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, starring the Emmy Award winner Steve Martin and John Candy (Home Alone) makes for an excellent movie under the funny Thanksgiving movie list. Already an American staple for its Thanksgiving theme, the John Hughes movie was released on November 25, 1987.

The hilarious exchanges between the characters Neal Page and Del Griffith through situations where everything that could go wrong goes wrong make the movie a must-watch.

2) Home for the Holidays

This Jodie Foster film is one of the best funny Thanksgiving movies to watch this year. Home for the Holidays was released on November 3, 1995, and was based on a short story of the same name by Chris Radant.

The synopsis of the movie reads:

"After losing her job, making out with her soon-to-be former boss, and finding out that her daughter plans to spend Thanksgiving with her boyfriend, Claudia Larson faces spending the holiday with her family."

Featuring Holly Hunter (The Piano) opposite Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes), Home for the Holidays is a movie that is sure to pull one's spirits back up.

3) Broadway Danny Rose

A good old black-and-white American comedy must make it to every list of funny Thanksgiving movies and Broadway Danny Rose is that entry here.

Helmed by the Academy Award-winner Woody Allen, the movie stars the director-writer himself alongside Mia Farrow (The Great Gatsby) and Nick Apollo Forte (Billions). The movie synopsis reads:

"In his attempts to reconcile a lounge singer with his mistress, a hapless talent agent is mistaken as her lover by a jealous gangster."

This comedy film brings great laughs packed in between wonderful shots in monochrome by cinematographer Gordon Willis (The Godfather). Broadway Danny Rose was released on January 27, 1984.

4) The Farewell

This A24 comedy-drama is one of the five funny Thanksgiving movies that has been written and directed by Lulu Wang (Posthumous) and stars Awkwafina, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, and Zhao Shuzhen.

The Farewell is centered around a Chinese-American family that finds innovative ways to bid the matriarch in the family a final goodbye. As the movie synopsis reads:

"A headstrong Chinese-American woman returns to China when her beloved grandmother is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Billi struggles with her family's decision to keep grandma in the dark about her own illness as they all stage an impromptu wedding to see grandma one last time."

Wang's autobiographical movie brought Awkwafina her Best Actress – Musical or Comedy Golden Globe award in 2020.

5) Tower Heist

Among the five funny Thanksgiving movies, the Tower Heist is the final name on the list as it makes for an excellent American heist comedy film watch. The multi-starrer cast of this Brett Ratner movie includes Ben Stiller (Night at the Museum) and Eddie Murphy (Dolemite Is My Name).

As the movie synopsis reads:

"When a group of hard-working guys find out they've fallen victim to their wealthy employer's Ponzi scheme, they conspire to rob his high-rise residence."

Tower Heist features actors including Casey Affleck, Alan Alda Matthew, Broderick Stephen, McKinley Henderson, Judd Hirsch, Téa Leoni, Michael Peña, and Gabourey Sidibe in supporting roles - all of whom come with great comic timing therefore making this comedy film watch a fun-filled journey for Thanksgiving.