There is a criminally low number of good Thanksgiving films, and it’s an egregious affront to the holiday film canon. While we can’t rewrite history, nor these films, we can rant on the internet about why the following films should’ve been set at Thanksgiving time instead of Christmas. (For the record, we’ll still watch and enjoy these films, just not without imagining what they would’ve been like if they were set at Thanksgiving.)
Just Friends
Just Friends is a great movie. Starring Ryan Reynolds and Amy Smart (and featuring a hysterical Anna Faris pre-The House Bunny and Mom), Just Friends is funny, but it’s not a Christmas classic because it’s not really a Christmas movie – it’s just a movie that’s set at Christmastime.
None of the major plot points are bound by yuletide events, and all but one of the most memorable scenes could’ve still happened at Thanksgiving time (and surely they could’ve subbed Samantha ruining Jamie’s parents’ Christmas display for a Thanksgiving disaster). Just Friends would’ve been just as delightful had it taken place just a month earlier.
Just Friends is available to rent wherever you rent movies.
Four Christmases
Four Christmases is considered a modern Christmas classic to some, but it should’ve been a Thanksgiving movie instead. The Vince Vaughn/Reese Witherspoon comedy centers on the two of them having to visit all four of their divorced parents’ homes for the holiday – a premise that could’ve just as easily centered around Thanksgiving. No, we wouldn’t have the epic nativity church scene, but like with Just Friends, another equally disastrous and hilarious scene could’ve been written revolving around Thanksgiving festivities.
While we like Four Christmases, there are so many other better Christmas movies. This would’ve absolutely gone down as a classic Thanksgiving film had it been set then.
Four Christmases is streaming now on Max.
Holidate
The Netflix original Holidate starring Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey hits all the major holidays, but many still consider it a Christmas movie. We think, however, that it would’ve been much better as a Thanksgiving movie.
It’s not a long film, so there’s a bit of holiday whiplash from seeing footage of all the United States bank holidays in less than two hours. A focus on just one holiday, namely Thanksgiving, would’ve added some cohesion and given this film a firmer identity. Also, watching the main characters build a relationship over the course of Thanksgiving weekend would’ve made for great viewing (similar to Son in Law, one of the few existing Thanksgiving movies).
Holidate is streaming now on Netflix.
