MovieChat Forums > Home for the Holidays (1995) Discussion > Any other holiday favorties?

Any other holiday favorties?

posted 16 years ago by AcidRaina
16 replies | jump to latest

I was just wondering what other holiday films fans of Home For The Holidays enjoy. While I do like some of the classics I'm partial to more offbeat films than the typical holiday offerings. Here are mine:

Films -

Home For The Holidays - Obviously
Pieces Of April - Another great Thanksgiving film. I know a lot of people shy away from it due to Katie Holmes playing the title character. She's never been high on my list of great actors at all but she and the rest of the cast really shine in this.
Scrooged
Reckless
Mixed Nuts - I know its pretty awful but I enjoy the dark humor and over the top performances from the ensemble cast.
The Ref
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Family Man
200 Cigarettes

TV Specials -

The Claymation Christmas Celebration
A Garfield Christmas
Pee-Wee's Play House Christmas Special - Where else are you ever going to see Grace Jones delivered as a Christmas gift looking like Nefertiti on acid?
Early Simpsons Christmas specials
The PJ's Christmas
He-Man and She-Ra - A Christmas Special

"Living our maggot lives, dreaming of becoming flies."

[–] dichotomymom 16 years ago

Home for the holidays is my favorite hands down but Prancer, A Tree grows in Brooklyn, a house w/out a christmas tree and the Christmas star are dear to me.

[–] Useless_Chick_23 16 years ago

This is from a post I started on another board. Seems it fits in here.

Hey Guys,

A few years ago (2003 or 2004), we had a cool thread on the IMDb regarding Thanksgiving movies. Many wanted to know what (if any) Thanksgiving movies there were out there. Here is the short (but hopefully growing) list. If you know of any Thanksgiving-themed movies (or any films with Thanksgiving scenes) or Thanksgiving TV specials of yore, please add them. Thanks!

1. PIECES OF APRIL (Film takes place on Thanksgiving Day)
2. PLANES, TRAIN & AUTOMOBILES (The days leading up to Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving Day)
3. HANNAH & HER SISTERS (Film begins on Thanksgiving Day)
4. HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (Days leading up to Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day and Thanksgiving weekend)
5. THE ICE STORM (Days leading up to Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day and Thanksgiving weekend)
6. WHAT'S COOKING? (Thanksgiving Day)
7. THE HOUSE OF YES [Thanksgiving Day (night, actually) and next morning]
8. SCENT OF A WOMAN (Days leading up to Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day and Thanksgiving weekend)
9. HOLIDAY INN (Thanksgiving Dinner scene and Thanksgiving song)
10. ... ABOUT LAST NIGHT (Thanksgiving Dinner scene)
11. SPEAK (Father and daughter try desperately to thaw out a frozen turkey)
12. ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES (Thanksgiving play performed at summer camp)
13. MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (Film begins on Thanksgiving Day)
14. A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING
15. THE MYTH OF FINGERPRINTS (Haven't seen it but have been told it's Thanksgiving-based)
16. THE DOORS (Thanksgiving Dinner scene)
17. MISS PEACH OF THE KELLY SCHOOL THANKSGIVING SPECIAL
18. GRUMPY OLD MEN (Film takes you through Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.)
19. DUTCH

FROM THE IMdb:

18. Garfield's Thanksgiving (1989) (TV)
19. Thanksgiving Family Reunion (2003) (TV)
aka "National Lampoon's Thanksgiving Reunion" - USA (complete title)
aka "National Lampoon's Thanksgiving Family Reunion" - USA (complete title)
20. The Thanksgiving Visitor (1967) (TV)
21. A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion (1993) (TV)
22. A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving (1998) (V)
23. Thanksgiving in the Land of Oz (1980) (TV)
aka "Thanksgiving in Oz"
24. Bugs Bunny's Thanksgiving Diet (1978) (TV)
25. Thanksgiving Prayer (1991)
26. The Thanksgiving Promise (1986) (TV)
27. The Thanksgiving Treasure (1973) (TV)
28. B.C.: The First Thanksgiving (1973) (TV)
29. A Day of Thanksgiving (1951)
30. Intergalactic Thanksgiving (1979) (TV)
31. The Monday Before Thanksgiving (2008)
32. Sing Sing Thanksgiving (1974)
33. Thanksgiving Day (1990) (TV)
34. The Thanksgiving Story (1973) (TV)
35. "A Thanksgiving Tale" (1983) (TV series)
36. ThanXgiving (2006) (V)
aka "The Thanksgiving Massacre" - USA (working title)
37. An American Thanksgiving (2006) (TV)
38. The Arthur Godfrey Thanksgiving Special (1963) (TV)
39. The Bob Hope Thanksgiving Special (1964) (TV)
40. I Was a Thanksgiving Turkey (1986)
41. An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving (2008) (TV)
42. Operation Thanksgiving (2005)
43. Poundcake (2008)
aka "The Dissection of Thanksgiving" - USA (working title)
44. The R.C.A. Thanksgiving Show (1948) (TV)
45. Thanksgiving 2 (2006) (V)
46. Thanksgiving Special (1980) (TV)
aka "Alan King's Thanksgiving Special" - USA (complete title)
47. Thanksgiving Special (2007) (TV)
aka "Martha Stewart's Thanksgiving Special" - USA (complete title)
48. A Thanksgiving Tale of Two Turkeys (1995)
49. The Thanksgiving That Almost Wasn't (1972) (TV)
50. Thanksgiving USA (2006) (TV)
51. VH1: A Very Classic Thanksgiving (2004) (TV)

"FRA-GEE-LAY. That must be Italian!"
"I think that says 'fragile', honey."

[–] CharliePacex3 16 years ago

Home for the Holidays

A Christmas Story, it's basically my family's theme. We even have Chinese food for Christmas dinner

Every Thanksgiving I always watch the friends episodes all 10 thanksgiving ones

I also love all the cheesy ABC family Christmas movies

"I'm in love with Dominic Monaghan."
"Who is he?
"No its okay if i told you, you'd love him too."

[–] AcidRaina 16 years ago

I think its awesome that you have Chinese food for Christmas.

"Living our maggot lives, dreaming of becoming flies."

[–] duked 16 years ago

Don't forget Broadway Danny Rose, my personal favorite Thanksgiving movie after Home For The Holidays!

[–] thedayshoursminutes 16 years ago

Thanks, there are a lot on there that I didn't realize were holiday movies (the ref, 200 cigarettes, reckless). Here are a few I'll add:

Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Trading Places
Love Actually
Elf
The Family Stone

I agree totally about Mixed Nuts! My husband can't stand to watch it, but I do think it has a certain charm.

[–] YourLipsareRed 16 years ago

Pieces of April, Home for the Holidays, and The Ice Storm for Thanksgiving.

As far as Christmas movies.."National Lampoons Christmas Vacation", "All I Want For Christmas", and "Home Alone."

And "200 Cigarettes" always on New Years.

I guess I'll cut my losses, and turn my tricks at the magic show..

IheartRiloKiley.

[–] nyteflyer13 16 years ago

Thanksgiving:

Home for the Holidays (of course)
Addam's Family Values

Christmas:

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
Bad Santa
Lethal Weapon
Edward Scissorhands
A Christmas Carol (George C. Scott version)
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
A Christmas Story
Love Actually
The "Woodland Critter's Christmas" episode of South Park
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (original animated version)

New Year's Eve:

When Harry Met Sally
End of Days

[–] YourLipsareRed 16 years ago

Oh yeah..Edward Scissorhands. Always a good one.

I guess I'll cut my losses, and turn my tricks at the magic show..

IheartRiloKiley.

[–] JoeLoebner 16 years ago

Here is my list of my ideas of Thanksgiving cinema:

Miracle On 34TH Street
Fiddler On The Roof
Rocky
Rocky II
Planes Trains & Automobiles
Son In Law
Home For The Holidays

[–] panton63 16 years ago

These may be oldies, but goodies---- many of which have been left out of the holiday season movie lineup, very very seldom shown, and forgotten as classics:

CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945)
A HOLIDAY AFFAIR (1949)
THE GREAT RUPERT (1950)

[–] riojasjudy 16 years ago

Elf
The Family Stone
Meet Me In St. Louis
A Christmas Story
Its A Wonderful Life
Love Actually
Die Hard (All)
Muppet Christmas Carol
The Holiday
Jingle All the Way
Shop Around the Corner (You've Got Mail too...)
The Santa Clause
Home Alone
Mircacle on 34th Street
Jack Frost
Amahl and the Night Visitors
The Family Man
I'll Be Home For Christmas (w/ Johnathan Taylor Thomas)

all for xmas though

"woodstock"

[–] ossetra 16 years ago

A couple of more unusual choices -

"Mystic Pizza" - takes place right before Halloween until right before Thanksgiving. Not a 'Holiday' movie necessarily, but a great mood/atmosphere movie and a lot of fun.

"Beautiful Girls" for that post-holiday early January blues time. Just a fantastic film, sweet and funny. You will fall in love with Uma Thurman every time you see it.

[–] LatigoMeans 16 years ago

I have a short list, in no particular order, of "must watch" films for the holidays...

Home for the Holidays
A Christmas Carol (both the Alastair Sim [the best] and the George C. Scott versions)
Nat'l Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
A Christmas Story
Holiday Inn
3 Godfathers ( http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0040064/ ) - I know, an odd choice... I used to watch it on late night TV Christmas Eve with my Dad... always seemed to be on when we got home from my Aunt's Christmas Eve dinner party... you have to wait until the last half hour to really get the Christmas tie-in... I think it's worth the wait.

After those I am open to others. Many of the TV (Hallmark, etc) holiday movies are too treacly for the most part, but there is one that I particularly enjoy... One Magic Christmas ( http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0089731/ ) with Mary Steenburgen and Harry Dean Stanton.

And the holidays simply aren't "the holidays' without watching the Peanuts specials... they never get old!

~LjM
Put your pants on, Spartacus!

[–] riojasjudy 16 years ago

omg i love Beautiful Girls... definitely a bluesy time.

"woodstock"

[–] rateater (10132) 4 years ago

turkey hollow