5 Fall Movies For November

In November we gather with Friends and Family and give thanks for all the year has provided. Friendsgiving, The National Day of Mourning, and Thanksgiving are all centered on the idea of family; born, shared, or chosen. In that spirit of togetherness, we hope you enjoy these five movies (and the bonus movie too).

Legends of the Fall PG-13
This modern western debuted in 1994. It takes place in the early 1900s in Montana and stars Brad Pitt. The sweeping vistas of the frontier are celebrated with beautiful cinematography. The wide-angle shots remind us of Dances with Wolves (Kevin Costner 1990) and The Last of the Mohicans (Daniel Day-Lewis 1992). Legends of the Fall presents the ravages of war, explores the damage caused by a love triangle, and has a bit of romance. More than anything, the acting in this film earned it a spot on this list.

Ice Age (series) PG
Released in 2002, this movie won the Critic’s Choice Award and features the voice talent of Ray Romano, Denis Leary, and John Leguizamo just to name a few. The cast is an all-star lineup of comedic actors which really adds to the dialog timing of the film. Jack Black, Alan Tudyk, and Cedric the Entertainer also give great voice performances! The first in a series of six movies, this collection takes place at the end of the last Ice Age. It focuses on the bond between a chosen family of colorful characters as they migrate across shifting terrain. No series could better set the mood for Friendsgiving.

Swiss Family Robinson G
Walt Disney’s 1960 adventure film starts with a shipwreck and tells the story of family survival against all odds. In the late 1800s, Mom, Dad, and three sons wash ashore after a stormy wreck derails their plans to settle in New Guinea. With the remnants of the wreck, they build a stunning, five-star, island treehouse and a new life on the remote island. To survive they battle the elements, pirates, and a tiger, while learning to celebrate each other’s strengths when all hope seems lost. Trivia tidbit: The movie was shot in the Trinidad and Tobago nation and, you can visit the original Disney-built treehouse on the island of Tobago.

Gremlins PG
Although this 1984 movie takes place over Holiday break, we have included it here because good neighbors save the day. Plus, a little Holiday Sparkle can only add to your November feast! When a teenager’s too-soft heart brings on the invasion of little lizard monsters, Kingston Falls bands together. The compelling band of small-town characters which includes an inventor and his robot, the high school science teacher, and the local DJ work together to quell the Gremlin invasion. This misfit band of defenders showcases the importance of community.

Die Hard (series) R
Taking place during the 1988 December holidays, this movie earns a spot on the November list because it shows how important it can be to maintain good relationships. Die Hard is a wild ride with an off-duty officer determined to rescue a group of ungrateful hostages from their clever and utterly bad-guy captures. This movie has great effects, too, at the tale end of an era before computer effects dominated the film industry. If the hero had decided to stay home, rather than visit his estranged wife who knows what would have happened!

Bonus Movie! Meet The Robinsons G
This 2007 family film explores the importance of attentiveness in relationships. Spoilers! The main character’s orphanage roommate becomes his accidental nemesis after the main character is adopted by a zany family of loving scientists. In the future, the main character’s son invents time travel, goes back in time to get the main character, and together they save the future from the nemesis. This shows just how important familial bonds can be, but more than that, how we can change the future by being good friends.

We hope this movie list brightens your November Feast. We are all in this together, and together we can make the future a better place.

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