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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at PSU chapter.

Thanksgiving is almost upon us, and with that means lots of food, lots of family and lots of downtime. Other than preparing and eating food, your Thanksgiving day might be wide open – leaving lots of time to relax. One way to spend this time is watching movies with your family because, let’s be honest, when you’ve stuffed yourself full with three plates of food, all you can do is lay down. So, here are ten movies that are perfect for your Thanksgiving day!

1. Frozen

Family is a central part of Thanksgiving, which is why Frozen is such a great movie to watch. It focuses on friendship and the sisterhood between Elsa and Anna, and it’s full of funny moments and characters (like Olaf the snowman and Sven the reindeer.) With lots of musical numbers, it’s enjoyable for people young and old!

 

2. Ratatouille

Now I’m sure you don’t want to watch a movie about food after you’ve eaten all day BUT Ratatouille is such a fun movie to watch! It focuses on family, friends and dreams, which are all so perfect for Thanksgiving. The Parisian setting will also make anyone get into the fall spirit.

 

3. Cheaper By The Dozen

No family is perfect, and the family in this movie is no exception. The adventures and mischief that the kids get into are some of my favorite parts of this movie, and it also stars Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt. It’s a great movie to remind everyone about the importance of family!

 

4. Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone

The first Harry Potter movie is a great way to escape on Thanksgiving. Family making you upset? Someone burned the pumpkin pie? Your dog ate part of the turkey? No problem! Put on this movie and transport yourself to Hogwarts. It’s a movie that people of all ages can watch and be immersed in. You might as well watch the next eight movies while you’re at it and make it a marathon!

 

5. Coco

This is another great movie all about the importance of family. The story is so moving and heartwarming, and it also has great side characters and wonderful animation.

 

6. Despicable Me

Everyone loves a good redemption story. Gru is evil, but then he ends up adopting three girls who turn his life upside down. It’s a cute movie about family and how families are created in all different ways; also, the minions in this movie are hilarious.

 

7. The Princess Diaries

Take a blast to the past and watch The Princess Diaries! This movie has wonderful actors (Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway to name a few), and focuses on the bonds between friends, mothers and daughters, and grandparents and grandchildren. It’s delightful and magical because, honestly, who wouldn’t want to be a princess of a small country?

 

8. Elf

If you’re looking to jump into the Christmas spirit or already have (there’s no shame), Elf is a great movie to watch. It shows the complicated and developing relationship between a father and son, and it’s full of iconic lines (“son of a nutcracker!”) and Will Ferrell plays the main character, Buddy. What more could you ask for?

 

9. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Why not watch a movie about a teen’s day off while on your own day off? This is a cult classic 80s movie, and it follows Ferris Bueller as he skips school with his friends and does some crazy things like driving expensive cars and dancing in a parade. The love for this movie has been passed down for several decades, so I would definitely recommend it. Also, it stars young Matthew Broderick – what more can I say!

 

10. WALL-E

Thanksgiving is all about gratitude, and WALL-E does a good job of inspiring gratitude in its viewers. You begin to appreciate the world we live in and all the beauty it possesses, and the love between WALL-E and EVE is adorable; the other robots are also hilarious and are sure to make you laugh. Also, can I just adopt WALL-E because he’s so cute and adorable? No? Ok, I’ll just watch the movie again for the millionth time.

 

Hopefully you enjoy watching any one of these movies with your family. Have a happy turkey day, collegiettes!

Hannah Nelson is a senior at Penn State University, double majoring in Print/Digital Journalism and History. She enjoys Marvel movies, anything Harry Potter, books, quoting Vines and watching Tik Toks. In her free time, she is probably watching Try Guys videos on YouTube. She is passionate about mental health, women's rights and the Black Lives Matter movement.
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Samantha Grillo graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism. She loves creative writing, pop culture and Penn State, all of which led her to joining the Her Campus Penn State team at the beginning of her freshman year as a contributing writer. In her free time, Samantha enjoys reading, watching her favorite TV shows, and catching up on the latest movies.