And when I say “every autumn movie,” you’d think I’m being bold in assuming I know every fall film that exists, but really it’s a matter of how loosely the tag “fall film” can fit across different genres of cinema.
November is a near-perfect time of year for movies. The distinct smell of crisp, clean air mixed with a hint of dead leaves and a distant bonfire reminds me that it’s about to be a stay-in night more often, and we’re gonna need some cozy films to fit the vibe.
the movie can be anything from a murder mystery to a family drama; it’s really more about the aesthetic of a movie than anything else that makes it a cozy fall film.
The warm, muted color pallets, the sweaters and cardigans, the arguing over politics while carving a turkey. Anything that can remind me what it’s like right now in the month where everyone else is just trying to make it Christmas already.
Personal choice: I don’t listen to Christmas music until December. Or at least until Black Friday. This is where I find my sanity–standing on real principle.
Similarly, I’m not watching Christmas movies until after Thanksgiving, either. So, I had to find some movies that fit the fall vibe just right without bleeding into the winter holidays.
I started looking for movies that specifically take place around Thanksgiving and not Christmas, and eventually expanded my search into films that took place in the autumn months.
In doing so, I found that most of the movies that fit the description of “fall films” can basically be put into one of three camps:
Fall Film Faction #1: Thanksgiving Movies
These are movies that actually have Thanksgiving in the plot or have at least one scene featuring the Thanksgiving holiday.
I had a hard time coming up with this list, because a lot of movies that have Thanksgiving in them are actually Christmas movies, which is exactly the type of thing I was trying to avoid.
You can find my updated Letterboxd list here, but as of typing this blog, the biggest titles that include Thanksgiving are Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) with Steve Martin and John Candy, and You’ve Got Mail (1998) starting Meg Ryan and Tom hanks.
I had been meaning to watch planes, trains, and automobiles for some time, and this gave my wife and I a good reason to put it on. Turns out, it’s a classic and a clear standard for comedy writing.
I also found some lesser known (by me) titles like Pieces of April (2003) and Hannah and her Sisters (1986). We haven’t put these on yet, but the trailers definitely fit the fall time vibe and apparently feature Thanksgiving in some capacity.
Other Thanksgiving films I’m adding to my watchlist:
- Home for the Holidays (1995)
- Scent of a Woman (1992)
- Dutch (1991)
- The Oath (2018)
- Funny People (2009)
my sleeper pick: Prisoners (2013) with Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal. Starts with a Thanksgiving dinner scene. Probably wouldn’t recommend putting this one on during an actual Thanksgiving dinner, though.
I have a collection of TV episodes I put on for Thanksgiving, too (the Friends football episode is a Thanksgiving morning tradition), but that’s mainly because this list isn’t all that big.
Considering the best offerings I had for this list before doing some digging was Tower Heist with Eddie Murphy and the 2002 Spider-Man movie (I’m still putting them on the list), I’m excited to have a more exhaustive list of movies that actually feature my favorite fall holiday.
Fall Film Faction #2: Cozy Fall Vibes
This section is much more inclusive (and therefore exhaustive) because it really only has one rule: look like fall.
Movies like Little Women, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Good Will Hunting don’t feature anything specific that ties them to the autumn months, but they still fit the mood and tone of the season.
Whether it’s the color pallet or the family drama (or both—looking at you, Knives Out), these movies emulate fall without actually needing to say it.
These movies give me a different way to enjoy the colors of fall (especially since the sun starts to set way too early this time of year).
I checked out Dan in real life with Steve carell and Juliette binoche literally just because I read that it took place at a log cabin in the fall time. And even though the story was bad and the characters were cringe, I still liked having it on for the ~vibes~ of fall time.
Twilight specifically crossed my mind; I think it fits but I also think it’s too Halloween-y. Agreed?
Some other titles I hadn’t seen before that I’m adding to my watchlist: Moonrise Kingdom, The Big Chill, and October Sky.
Fall Film Faction #3: Football Movies
The final faction of fall films is literally just football.
Football is the predominant fall sport (in the United States, that is), so most football movies naturally fit the fall vibe because a huge chunk of the football season takes place during autumn weather.
The early-morning outdoor groutfit runs in Remember the Titans are my favorite because I don’t actually have to do any of that to enjoy the fall morning ambience in the movie. They’re wearing groutfits and kicking dead leaves while I’m sipping hot cider.
We Are Marshall, Rudy, and Any Given Sunday are my other top picks for football movies that fit the major themes of fall film: family values, a tolerable plot, and the American sport of football.
Trees changing color to show the football season progressing is used in at least two of these entries. There isn’t a better type of movie that respects the season of fall more than football film.
For a funnier take, I prefer The Longest Yard (both new and old versions). This one is especially good on Thanksgiving if the kids’ table has a TV near it. This is coming from the kid that used to get way too excited when this movie would come on, so you know this recommendation is backed by real science.
I went a very long time without knowing that the Adam Sandler version of The Longest Yard is a remake of the original movie starring Burt Reynolds. Not a proud moment of mine, but now I’m making it a personal task to make sure no one else disrespects Burt like I did.
You can see my full Letterboxd list of fall football movies here where I name as many football movies as I can.