7 Best Hallmark Thanksgiving Movies
Thanksgiving might be one of America’s most popular holidays, but it gets short shrift when it comes to holiday entertainment. Sandwiched between Halloween horror movies and feel-good Christmas flicks, Thanksgiving-themed films are relatively scarce.
That’s certainly the case at Hallmark Channel. The network churns out dozens of new Christmas movies every year, which typically begin airing in mid-October. That’s good news if you love decking the halls, but it means those looking for pumpkin spice-tinged romance are mostly out of luck. But even though they aren’t common, Hallmark does have a handful of Thanksgiving movies to keep you entertained this Turkey Day. If you love all things autumnal, here are few Hallmark Thanksgiving movies to watch this year.
All movies are streaming on Hallmark+ unless otherwise noted.
‘Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade’
The appropriately-named Autumn Reeser co-stars with Antonio Cupo in the Chicago-set Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Reeser plays Emily Jones, who is in charge of organizing the city’s beloved annual event. Cupo plays Henry Williams, a consultant who is hired to improve the parade’s financial performance. As Emily and Henry work together, she starts to fall for him. Will she be able to confess her feelings and pull off the perfect parade?
Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade airs Thursday, November 27 at 12 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Mystery.
‘Pumpkin Pie Wars’
Are you in charge of bringing the pumpkin pie to this year’s Thanksgiving feast? If so, hit play on 2016’s Pumpkin Pie Wars while you prep dessert. Julie Gonzalo and Eric Aragon play duelling bakers who face off in a pie-baking contest.
‘Holiday Hotline’
Anyone who’s faced the challenge of preparing a full Thanksgiving feast will appreciate 2023’s Holiday Hotline. While most of the movie focuses on the lead-up to Christmas, the story revolves around a single dad (Niall Matter) who calls up a cooking hotline to get advice on cooking a turkey. He connects with the experts on the other end of the line (Emily Tennant)
Holiday Hotline airs Tuesday, November 25 at 6 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel.
‘A Family Thanksgiving’
Daphne Zuniga and Faye Dunaway (?!) star in this 2010 Hallmark movie, which follows an ambitious attorney (Zuniga) who forces her subordinates to work on Thanksgiving. But when she’s magically transported to an alternate reality where she’s a minivan-driving soccer mom, she realizes what she’s given up for the sake of her career.
A Family Thanksgiving airs Thursday, November 27 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Mystery.
‘The Thanksgiving House’ (aka ‘Legally Tender’)
A Boston lawyer (Emily Rose) clashes with a local historian (Justin Bruening) after she inherits a historic home in Plymouth, Massachusetts, that might have been the site of the first Thanksgiving.
Unfortunately, The Thanksgiving House isn’t on Hallmark+. But you will find it streaming on the Pixl channel on Prime Video under its alternate title, Legally Tender.
‘Holiday Engagement’
When Hillary’s (Bonnie Somerville) new fiancé dumps her right before the Thanksgiving holiday, she hires an out-of-work actor David (Jordan Bridges) to pose as her boyfriend so she can gain the approval of her demanding mother (Shelley Long). But as she spends more time with David, Hillary wonders if her plot to trick her family might have caused her to stumble into a real relationship.
Holiday Engagement is streaming on Netflix, The Roku Channel, Hoopla, Tubi, and Pluto TV, in addition to Hallmark+.
‘An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving’
Inspired by a short story by Little Women author Louisa May Alcott, Hallmark’s 2008 movie An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving follows a widow named Mary (Helene Joy) and her three children who have fallen on hard times. Mary’s wealthy and estranged mother (Jacqueline Bisset) steps in to help, breeding resentment in her daughter. In the end, it will take more than money to heal this family’s old wounds in this 1860s-set period drama.
An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving is streaming on Kanopy, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Plex, Tubi, and Shout! TV.
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