Thanksgiving Movie Recommendations

The Holiday season is upon us! The weather is getting colder, the leaves are falling and those pesky insects die off for the season. The first major holiday coming up is of course Thanksgiving, a time for family to come together and be thankful for what we have over the past year.

I consider myself to be a Movie Guy, someone who loves movies and am here to recommend some movie titles for families to help you get through the Thanksgiving Holiday. Remember not everyone is a fan of football and these titles are mainly for families with young kids. Whether you're hosting Thanksgiving or traveling for Thanksgiving, these movies will be good for the kids to watch.

Now for me personally, my three go to movies are "Planes, Trains and Automobiles", "The Wizard of Oz", and "Home Alone". However the first movie is not recommended for kids at all and is best watched by adults only due to its R rating. The other two movies are perfect family movies.

Now most of the movies don't actually take place on Thanksgiving but they are great movies about family and friends.

First up, the 1995 movie "Babe" based on the novel "The Sheep-Pig" by Dick King-Smith. In the US the book is known as "Babe: The Gallant Pig". This movie tells the story of a pig named "Babe" who dreams of becoming a sheep dog. Babe is an orphaned piglet who is used in a "Guess the weight" contest and won by Farmer Arthur Hoggett (played superbly by James Cromwell) as he adjusts to his new life on the farm, Babe comes under the care and guardianship of Fly, a sheep dog. However when Babe learns the true fate of pigs, he attempts to make himself into something more useful on the farm by becoming a sheep dog..... Sheep pig. The movie features award winning visual effects and is a real treat for the whole family.

Next up is the 1939 beloved classic "The Wizard of OZ". This magical adventure of a young farm girl named Dorothy Gale who's whisked away from her farm in Kansas to the magical land of OZ is a treat for the whole family. Dorothy must travel down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City to find the "Wizard of OZ" in order to get back home to Kansas. Along the way, she meets some friends and must watch out for The Wicked Witch of the West, who is determined to get Dorothy's Ruby Slippers. This musical adventure teaches the values of friendship and family and most importantly that there is no place like home.

Next up is a not a movie at all but rather a beloved holiday special "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving". Our hero Charlie Brown is thrown for a loop when Peppermint Patty invites herself over to his house for Thanksgiving along with some other friends. With the help of Linus, Snoopy and Woodstock, Charlie Brown attempts to put together a Thanksgiving meal. An adorable special about friends and family that kids will enjoy!

The next movie is "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" a comedy about an overworked, wacky inventor who's newly created Shrink ray machine accidentally shrinks his kids along with the boys next door and are mistakenly thrown out with the trash. The kids must venture across the backyard if they ever hope to be big again, but little do they know that the backyard is a bit of a jungle with surprises along the way. The movie teaches about the values of friendship, teamwork and family. Some scenes might be scary for kids under five.

Up next is a duo: both an animated and live action film "101 Dalmatians" either version of the film is fine for kids, you get the best of both worlds. However in the live action film the animals don't talk. When Cruella De Vil kidnaps a family of Dalmatian puppies in order to make a fur coat, it is up to the parents to rescue them before it is too late. Both versions of the movie are equally entertaining and represent the values of family.

The next movie is the comedy "Night at the Museum" based on the best selling children's book. This fantasy comedy is a true delight. When a divorced father is told by his ex-wife that she believes him to be a bad influence on their ten-year-old son, he seeks out a job to impress him. Landing a gig as a night watchman at the American Museum of Natural History, he learns of a secret that the museum hides: At night all the exhibits come to life! A fun filled movie for kids of all ages, and is a bit of an educational movie.

The final two movies, I personally recommend for after Thanksgiving dinner and paired along with dessert as both films deal with the upcoming Christmas season.

First up "Home Alone", a family movie without the family. This movie is about an eight-year-old boy who is accidentally left home alone while his family goes on Christmas vacation in Paris, France. While enjoying his alone time, Kevin McCallister must also contend with two bumbling burglars and protect his home. The movie teaches the values and importance of family, however might be inappropriate for kids under six with its use of violence and some serious adult humor and language. In that case I recommend the final movie on this list.

The final recommendation is the movie "The Santa Clause". This 1994 family comedy about a divorced, overworked, cynical father who accidentally causes Santa Claus to fall off the roof and must help finish Santa's route, unknown to him by putting on the suit he automatically becomes the new Santa Claus. Although he tries to convince himself that it was just a dream, he slowly begins to transform into Santa Claus and with the help of his son turns into a believer.

You can't go wrong with these movies for Thanksgiving. These are my own personal recommendations, feel free to use any of them or even add your titles. The choice is yours.