Inside: Thanksgiving Movies in Spanish class. Spanish class movies for El Día de Acción de Gracias. Spanish films that focus on themes related to Thanksgiving including Indigenous Peoples, family, sharing food, gathering together, and feeling gratitude. Thanksgiving movies for students in Spanish class.
Author: Allison Wienhold
Published: October 29, 2024

Movies in Spanish Class
If you are a long-time Mis Clases Locas reader, you know I love sharing culture-rich movies for Spanish class. In particular, I enjoy posting about appropriate films that can be used in all levels of Spanish class Read more >> 15 Appropriate Movies for Spanish class
This is the time many people are searching for Thanksgiving movies for students. I know it can be a lot to wade through long lists, so in this post, I will keep it to 5 movies to watch for Thanksgiving in Spanish class. They also work for Thanksgiving movies for families in Spanish. If you need a shorter film, check out the Top 7 Short Spanish Movies on Disney+.
Spanish Class Movies for other popular themes
- The Best Movies to Teach the Day of the Dead
- Hispanic Heritage Month Movies for Spanish Class
- Best Movies for Black History Month in Spanish Class
- Best Spanish Earth Day Movies
- Good Cinco de mayo movies
- Spanish Class Documentaries
5 movies for Thanksgiving in Spanish class
These films focus on themes related to Thanksgiving. Indigenous peoples, family, sharing food, gathering together, and feeling gratitude.

McFarland USA (2015)
PG, 2015, 2h 9m, Disney+, based on a true story, Sport/Drama
McFarland USA is a wonderful Disney movie that is perfect for Spanish class. Set in a small southern California town, it tells the story of a high school cross-country team composed of mostly Latino students who overcome significant obstacles. McFarland USA can be found on Disney Plus.
I have used the PG movie McFarland USA for years in my Spanish classes. McFarland USA has many themes for any Spanish Class – family, Mexican-American identity, sports, quinceñeras & migrant farming. It is based on a real story and is a perfect positive film for Thanksgiving. You could tie in where the food at your Thanksgiving table comes from in regards to migrant farming as well.
- McFarland USA in Spanish class blog post
- McFarland USA movie guide in my website store
- McFarland USA movie questions on TPT.

The Casagrandes Movie (2024)
PG, 2024, 1h 25m, Netflix film, animated, fantasy/comedy, Mexico
The newest film on this list is The Casagrandes Movie. This new 2024 Netflix film follows the family from the Nickelodeon show with the same name. While not a traditional Spanish Thanksgiving movie, it shows a large multigenerational Mexican-American family gathering and traveling together. The Casagrandes also have a large tie-in with the Indigenous peoples of Mexico.
The extended Casagrande family travels to Mexico to visit Great Grandma for the summer. The Latinx creator and actors make The Casagrandes enjoyable and not stereotypical. There is a ton of Spanish in this entertaining and funny adventure with a lot of culture of Mexico and Indigenous peoples. If you are looking for Thanksgiving movies for students on Netflix, The Casagrande works well for around Thanksgiving in Spanish class.
- The Casagrandes Movie blog post
- The Casagrandes Movie Guide in my website store
- Casagrandes Questions on TPT.

Pachamama (2018)
PG, 2018, 72m, Netflix film, animated, family/adventure, Peru
The beautiful animated movie Pachamama is great for focusing on Indigenous Peoples. It has themes for giving thanks to Mother Earth and the traditional crops.
Pachamama is found on Netflix. It is one of the shorter films on the list at only 72 minutes. The PG animated film Pachamama is very appropriate, with positive messages for all ages. The film Pachamama is originally in English, but you can change the language if you prefer to use it in Spanish.
Pachamama goes great with the themes of indigenous cultures of South America and the environment. While the movie is animated, it is a little slower-paced and with a couple of scary elements.
- Pachamama blog post with lots of authentic resources & free character intro slides
- Pachamama Movie Questions in my shop
- The same Pachamana guide on TPT.

Encanto (2021)
PG, 2021, 1h 42m, Disney+, animated, family/fantasy, Colombia
Next is a film you might not have originally thought of for Thanksgiving in Spanish class, Encanto. This film can be found on Disney Plus and is centered around a multigenerational family in Colombia.
In Encanto, the family regularly gathers around a giant table to enjoy meals together. You could discuss and compare the traditional foods of Colombia and what families in class eat at Thanksgiving. Finally, the characters are intentionally diverse, to show the cultural and ethnic diversity present in Colombia.
- many resources in this Encanto blog post
- Encanto Guide here in both Spanish and English
- Encanto guide on TPT

Encanto Character Introduction Bonuses & #Authre Culture Slides
The Encanto bonuses will be emailed to you after you sign up. It will be a force-copy Google link, so you might need to use a non-school Gmail to make a copy.
El Día de Acción de Gracias de Charlie Brown
G, 1973, 25 min, Apple TV+, animated
If you want something specifically about Thanksgiving, you could always use A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. No, El Día de Acción de Gracias de Charlie Brown is not full of culture or directly related to Spanish class. But, it is only 25 minutes and you could watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving in Spanish. You could also discuss and write about El Día de Acción de Gracias de Charlie Brown in Spanish. It is an easy last-day-before-break option.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is perfect if you are looking for short Thanksgiving movies for students.
Watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving in Spanish or English with Apple TV+. There is a 7-day free trial of AppleTV+. This includes the film with both Spanish or English Audio & Spanish or English subtitles.
At one point El Día de Acción de Gracias de Charlie Brown was available in Spanish on DVD, but it looks hard to find now. You can always check at your local public library or school library to see if they have A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving with Spanish audio.

El Día de Acción de Gracias de Charlie Brown 1 day lesson plan idea.
- PQA & discuss family & Thanksgiving traditions of those in class
- Introduce the classic characters of Charlie Brown in Spanish
- Watch El Día de Acción de Gracias de Charlie Brown
- Write & or Discuss the film & connections to your life in Spanish

Spanish Thanksgiving Movies – What audio, subtitles & guide should I use?
Most Netflix or Disney Plus films have both Spanish and English audio & subtitle options. Always double-check audio and subtitle availability before purchasing films online.
Here is how I typically used the movies above in my Spanish classes. Please do whatever works best for you and your students to meet them where they are
- Upper-level Spanish – Spanish audio with Spanish subtitles. Spanish version of the guide.
- (pre-teaching and pausing to discuss and check for comprehension)
- Spanish 2 – Spanish audio. English version of the guide to check for comprehension.
- (English subtitles if with a sub or very early in the year, Spanish subtitles if watching with me pre-teaching and pausing to discuss)
- Spanish 1 – Spanish audio with English subtitles. English version of the guide.
- Exploratory – English audio with English subtitles. English version of the guide.
- (Using as a tool to discuss culture & other themes).
Thanksgiving Movie Alternatives
If you need an alternative to the films above.
- Maya y los 3 – an animated show set in pre-colonial Mexico with diverse characters – shorter each about 30 minutes
- Spanish Class Documentaries
- 15 Appropriate movies for Spanish class – all my top appropriate suggestions
- Editable Movie Guide Bundle for Spanish Class Culture Authentic Listening
- My Movie Guide Bundle on TPT
More Thanksgiving Resources for Spanish Class
To expand into a deeper exploration of Thanksgiving in Spanish class see below.
- Thankful Turkey Activity – each & fun bulletin board!
- NEW Spanish Thanksgiving Songs
- Thanksgiving in Spanish Class
- How To Teach Gratitude in Spanish Class
- Indigenous Peoples in Spanish class for Native American Heritage Month in November
- Positive Plates team-building activity for around Thanksgiving
These are just a few of my favorite movies for Spanish class around Thanksgiving and beyond. Do you have any other recommendations? Please share them with us in the comments below!
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