30 Cozy Fall and Thanksgiving Movies for Families (With Ratings)
From Peanuts specials to PG-13 comedies for teens, here are 30 cozy fall and Thanksgiving movies with ratings, runtimes and suggested starting ages in one easy table.
Updated October 2026. Looking for a cozy fall or Thanksgiving movie the whole family can actually agree on? Below are 30 picks, from Peanuts specials for preschoolers to PG-13 comedies for teens, with each film’s official rating, runtime and a suggested starting age in one scannable table. Ratings were checked against current listings; streaming homes change constantly, so we also show you the fastest way to find where each one is playing this week.
Key Takeaways
- For the youngest viewers, start with the G-rated and TV-G picks: the Peanuts specials, Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie, Wallace & Gromit and Charlotte’s Web.
- Most fall favorites are rated PG, but “PG” covers a wide range. Coraline and ParaNorman are much scarier than Over the Hedge or Free Birds.
- For true Thanksgiving movies, try A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, Free Birds, Miracle on 34th Street (1947) and, for teens, Addams Family Values.
- Older films like Ghostbusters (1984) were rated before PG-13 existed, so preview them if your kids are young.
- Streaming availability changes monthly. Check a tracker such as JustWatch, or your library’s free streaming services, before movie night.
Quick picks by age
| If your kids are… | Start with |
|---|---|
| Preschool (3 to 5) | It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie |
| Early elementary (6 to 8) | Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit; Free Birds; Over the Hedge; The Wild Robot |
| Older elementary (9 to 11) | Hocus Pocus; Casper; Frankenweenie; Fly Away Home |
| Tweens (11 to 13) | Coraline; ParaNorman; Ghostbusters; Remember the Titans |
| Teens and grown-ups | Addams Family Values; Dan in Real Life; Little Women; You’ve Got Mail |
The full list: 30 cozy fall and Thanksgiving movies with ratings
Ratings and runtimes below match current listings on Rotten Tomatoes, which displays the official MPA rating for theatrical films and the TV rating for television specials. The “suggested starting age” column is our editorial suggestion, not an official rating. You know your kids best.
| # | Movie (year) | Rating | Runtime | Suggested starting age | Fall or Thanksgiving vibe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) | TV special, no MPA rating | 25 min | 3+ | Pumpkin patch, trick-or-treat |
| 2 | A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973) | TV-G | 25 min | 3+ | Thanksgiving dinner |
| 3 | Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie (2005) | G | 1 hr 7 min | 3+ | Gentle Halloween |
| 4 | The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) | G | 1 hr 8 min | 6+ | Sleepy Hollow, autumn harvest |
| 5 | Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) | G | 1 hr 22 min | 5+ | Giant vegetable contest |
| 6 | Charlotte’s Web (2006) | G | 1 hr 38 min | 5+ | Farm and county fair |
| 7 | Over the Hedge (2006) | PG | 1 hr 23 min | 6+ | Gathering food before winter |
| 8 | Free Birds (2013) | PG | 1 hr 23 min | 6+ | Turkeys vs. Thanksgiving |
| 9 | The Wild Robot (2024) | PG | 1 hr 42 min | 6+ | Migration season |
| 10 | Fly Away Home (1996) | PG | 1 hr 47 min | 8+ | Geese heading south |
| 11 | Casper (1995) | PG | 1 hr 40 min | 7+ | Friendly ghosts |
| 12 | Hotel Transylvania (2012) | PG | 1 hr 26 min | 6+ | Monster party |
| 13 | The Addams Family (2019) | PG | 1 hr 26 min | 7+ | Spooky family comedy |
| 14 | Hocus Pocus (1993) | PG | 1 hr 35 min | 9+ | Halloween night in Salem |
| 15 | Hocus Pocus 2 (2022) | PG | 1 hr 43 min | 9+ | Salem sequel |
| 16 | Halloweentown (1998) | TV-PG | 1 hr 30 min | 7+ | Witchy family adventure |
| 17 | The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) | PG | 1 hr 15 min | 8+ | Halloween meets Christmas |
| 18 | Corpse Bride (2005) | PG | 1 hr 16 min | 9+ | Gothic stop-motion |
| 19 | Frankenweenie (2012) | PG | 1 hr 27 min | 9+ | Boy-and-dog monster tale |
| 20 | Monster House (2006) | PG | 1 hr 31 min | 9+ | Haunted-house Halloween |
| 21 | ParaNorman (2012) | PG | 1 hr 36 min | 10+ | Small-town ghost story |
| 22 | Coraline (2009) | PG | 1 hr 40 min | 10+ | Rainy, eerie autumn |
| 23 | Ghostbusters (1984) | PG | 1 hr 47 min | 11+ | Spooky New York comedy |
| 24 | Miracle on 34th Street (1947) | Not rated (pre-dates the rating system) | 1 hr 36 min | 6+ | Opens at the Thanksgiving parade |
| 25 | Little Women (2019) | PG | 2 hr 15 min | 10+ | Sisters, home and seasons |
| 26 | You’ve Got Mail (1998) | PG | 1 hr 59 min | 11+ | Fall in New York |
| 27 | Rudy (1993) | PG | 1 hr 53 min | 10+ | College football season |
| 28 | Remember the Titans (2000) | PG | 1 hr 53 min | 10+ | High school football season |
| 29 | Addams Family Values (1993) | PG-13 | 1 hr 34 min | 13+ | Camp Thanksgiving play |
| 30 | Dan in Real Life (2007) | PG-13 | 1 hr 38 min | 13+ | Big family weekend in fall |
Gentle picks for little ones (G and TV-G)
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Linus waits all night in the pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin while the gang goes trick-or-treating. At 25 minutes, it fits before bedtime, and it is a perfect first “movie night” for preschoolers.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
Peppermint Patty invites herself and friends to Charlie Brown’s for Thanksgiving, and Snoopy and Woodstock help put together a famously unconventional feast of toast, popcorn and jelly beans. Watch it while the turkey rests.
Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie
Roo and his heffalump friend Lumpy set out on a Halloween adventure in the Hundred Acre Wood. It is gentle and short, with a lesson about bravery and friendship.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Disney’s two-part film includes its classic animated “Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The Headless Horseman chase can startle very young kids, so try it with 6-year-olds and up.
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
The inventor and his silent, clever dog run a humane pest-control business ahead of a giant vegetable competition. Claymation charm that adults enjoy as much as kids.
Charlotte’s Web (2006)
The live-action adaptation of E.B. White’s book, with a pig named Wilbur, a spider named Charlotte and a county fair. Expect a sad moment near the end; it is a good one to talk through.
Fall adventures for grade-schoolers (mild PG)
Over the Hedge
A raccoon talks a group of woodland animals into raiding the suburbs for food before winter. Lots of slapstick, rated PG for some rude humor and mild comic action.
Free Birds
Two turkeys travel back in time to the first Thanksgiving to get turkey off the menu. Silly and fast-moving, rated PG for mild rude humor and some action.
The Wild Robot
A robot stranded on a wild island raises an orphaned gosling and prepares him for migration. Beautiful autumn and winter scenes, with some peril and emotional moments, rated PG for thematic elements and action/peril.
Fly Away Home
A girl raises a flock of orphaned geese and, with her father, leads them south in an ultralight aircraft. A quieter, heartfelt pick for 8-year-olds and up.
Hotel Transylvania and The Addams Family (2019)
Two animated monster-family comedies that are more silly than scary. Both are rated PG, mainly for scary images, action and macabre humor.
Spooky-cozy for older kids (PG with more scares)
This group is where “PG” gets tricky. If your child is sensitive to scary images, preview a few minutes first or start with Casper and Hocus Pocus.
- Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2: Three witch sisters return to Salem on Halloween. The original is a fall staple; the sequel, rated PG for action, some language and macabre or suggestive humor, debuted on Disney+.
- Casper: A friendly ghost befriends a lonely girl in a haunted mansion.
- Halloweentown: A Disney Channel original where a girl discovers her family are witches. Rated TV-PG.
- The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride: Stop-motion classics with music, gothic style and some scary images.
- Frankenweenie: A boy brings his beloved dog back to life in a black-and-white homage to monster movies. Rated PG for thematic elements, scary images and action.
- Monster House: Three kids discover the house across the street is alive. Rated PG for scary images and sequences, brief language, some crude humor and thematic elements.
- ParaNorman: A boy who can talk to ghosts must stop a centuries-old curse. Rated PG for scary action and images, thematic elements, some rude humor and language.
- Coraline: A girl finds a door to an “other” world that seems better than her own until it is not. Rated PG for thematic elements, scary images, some language and suggestive humor. Many families find it the scariest film on this list.
- Ghostbusters (1984): Released in June 1984, a few weeks before the PG-13 rating was introduced, so its PG includes some language and innuendo that would likely earn a stricter rating today. Preview it if your kids are under 11.
True Thanksgiving movies for the whole family
Few family films are set on Thanksgiving itself. These are the best bets when you want the holiday, not just the season.
- A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (TV-G): The essential pick for little ones.
- Free Birds (PG): Turkeys take on Thanksgiving history.
- Miracle on 34th Street (1947): Opens with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and moves into the Christmas season. Made before the modern rating system, so it carries no MPA rating; it is gentle, but the courtroom plot may bore young kids. The 1994 remake is rated PG for some mild language.
- Addams Family Values (PG-13): Wednesday’s summer-camp Thanksgiving play is a famous scene. Dark humor makes it a better fit for teens.
- Dan in Real Life (PG-13, for some innuendo): Not technically Thanksgiving, but a big extended-family weekend at a house in the fall feels very much like it.
Grown-ups after the kids are in bed often reach for Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), the classic Thanksgiving travel comedy. Note that it is rated R and known for its strong language, so it is not a family pick.
Fall-feeling dramas and comedies for teens
- Little Women (2019, PG): The March sisters grow up across several years and seasons. Rated PG for thematic elements and brief smoking.
- You’ve Got Mail (1998, PG): Rival bookstore owners in New York, with plenty of autumn scenery.
- Rudy (1993, PG): An underdog dreams of playing football for Notre Dame. Great for a Thanksgiving weekend when football is already on.
- Remember the Titans (2000, PG): A newly integrated 1971 Virginia high school football team. Rated PG for thematic elements and some language; a good starting point for conversations about history.
- Practical Magic (1998, PG-13): A witchy sisters story popular every October; it is darker than its cozy reputation suggests, so it suits older teens.
How to read movie ratings (and why “PG” varies so much)
Movie ratings in the U.S. are assigned by the Classification and Rating Administration, and the official ratings guide on FilmRatings.com explains each category. In short:
| Rating | What it generally means |
|---|---|
| G | General audiences; nothing most parents would find objectionable for children |
| PG | Parental guidance suggested; may include mild language, some scary or action scenes, or brief thematic material |
| PG-13 | Parents strongly cautioned; some material may be inappropriate for children under 13 |
| R | Restricted; under-17s need an accompanying parent or adult guardian |
| TV-G / TV-PG | Television ratings for specials and TV movies: general audience / parental guidance suggested |
Two tips. First, read the rating descriptors (“scary images,” “rude humor,” “thematic elements”), not just the letter. Second, remember that older films were rated by older standards. A PG from 1984 can feel very different from a PG today.
Where to stream: a note that saves you 20 minutes
We deliberately have not listed a streaming service for each movie. Licensing deals change month to month, and a title on one service in October may move by November. Instead:
- Search the title on a free tracker such as JustWatch, which shows current U.S. streaming, rental and purchase options.
- Check your library. Many U.S. public libraries offer free streaming through services like Kanopy or Hoopla with a library card, and libraries lend DVDs.
- Look for seasonal TV airings. Holiday specials and fall favorites often air on broadcast and cable channels in October and November.
- Consider owning the perennials. If you watch the Peanuts specials or Hocus Pocus every year, buying a digital or physical copy can cost less than chasing it across subscriptions.
Make movie night cozy (without spending much)
- Theme the snacks: Popcorn with cinnamon sugar, apple slices with caramel, or “Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” toast and jelly beans.
- Blanket fort: Couch cushions, a sheet and string lights turn the living room into an event.
- Kids pick, adults veto: Let kids choose from three pre-approved options.
- Double features by age: A 25-minute Peanuts special for the little ones, then a PG film after they are in bed.
- Talk afterward: Ask one question, such as “Who was the bravest character?” It turns screen time into family time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Thanksgiving movie for young kids?
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (TV-G, 25 minutes) is the classic choice. Free Birds (PG) works for slightly older kids who enjoy silly humor.
Is Hocus Pocus OK for a 7-year-old?
It is rated PG and many families watch it with early elementary kids, but it includes some scary moments and innuendo. Our suggestion is 9 and up; preview it if your child is sensitive.
Is Coraline too scary for kids?
It is rated PG for thematic elements, scary images, some language and suggestive humor, and many parents consider it one of the scarier PG films. We suggest 10 and up.
Why isn’t Miracle on 34th Street (1947) rated?
It was released before the current movie rating system began in 1968. It is a gentle family film; the 1994 remake is rated PG.
Are these movies on Netflix or Disney+?
Some are, some are not, and it changes often. Search the title on a tracker such as JustWatch for current options, or check your library’s free streaming services.
What fall movies are good for teens and parents together?
Try Little Women (2019), Dan in Real Life, Remember the Titans, Rudy or You’ve Got Mail. They feel cozy without being “kid movies.”
Pick tonight’s movie in 30 seconds
Under 6? Start with a Peanuts special. Six to 10? Wallace & Gromit, Free Birds or The Wild Robot. Ten and up? Hocus Pocus or ParaNorman for spooky, Remember the Titans for heart. Teens? Addams Family Values or Dan in Real Life. Make the popcorn, grab a blanket, and save the rest of this list for the weekends between now and Thanksgiving.
