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3 best Max (formerly HBO Max) movies to watch for Thanksgiving

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For many of us, Thanksgiving is a time to sit down with family and friends, share a delicious meal, and reflect on the blessings in our lives. Thanksgiving serves as a bridge between Halloween and Christmas, with the holiday season ramping up after Turkey Day.

Since many of us will be gathering with others for the holiday, Thanksgiving is the perfect time to watch a movie. Max has a mix of holiday classics and family-friendly staples to stream over the long weekend. Below, check out three of the best Max movies to watch for Thanksgiving, including a magical snowman comedy, a chocolate lover’s dream, and a legendary Christmas adventure.

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Jack Frost (1998)

Warner Bros.

You’ve never seen Jack Frost like this before. Before becoming a snowman, Jack Frost (Batman’s Michael Keaton) was a musician and band leader for The Jack Frost Band. Jack is on the precipice of acheiving stardom, but his sacrifices have led to declining relationships with his wife, Gabby (Kelly Preston), and 11-year-old son, Charlie (Joseph Cross).

For Christmas, Jack finally puts his family first and leaves a gig to be with his wife and son, but he crashes his car in a blizzard on the way home and dies. One year later, Jack is resurrected as a snowman after Charlie plays a magical harmonica. It’s not how he drew it up, but Jack gets a second chance to be the father his son deserves. That is if the cold weather keeps him from melting.

Watch Jack Frost on Max.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Paramount Pictures

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory has nothing to do with Thanksgiving. However, many of us will have dessert on Thanksgiving night, and there’s no better place to indulge our sweet tooth than Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) is a poor boy who dreams of finding one of the five golden tickets inside a chocolate bar wrapper. A golden ticket wins a lifetime supply of chocolate and admission into Willy Wonka’s factory.

As fate would have it, Charlie finds the final ticket and heads to the factory with Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson). Inside, Charlie meets Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) and explores his magical factory. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a delightful family movie that will bring out the dreamer inside all of us. And fans of this film should make sure to check out Timothée Chalamet as the iconic candymaker in Wonka this December.

Watch Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory on Max.

Elf (2003)

New Line Cinema

Elf remains one of the best Christmas movies of all time. There’s no better time to watch it than now as Elf celebrates its 20th anniversary. Will Ferrell stars as Buddy the Elf, a human raised by Santa’s elves in the North Pole. Now an adult, Buddy realizes he does not fit in with the other elves because of his large stature and toymaking deficiencies.

Looking for answers, Buddy heads to New York City to find his biological father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan), a selfish businessman who finds himself on the Naughty List. Upon reuniting with his father, Buddy uses unorthodox methods – making spaghetti with syrup and cutting down a tree in Central Park – to bring some holiday cheer to Walter and his family.

Watch Elf on Max.

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Dan Girolamo
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