Best movies like Dinner at Fred's

A unique, carefully handpicked, selection of the best movies like Dinner at Fred's Starring Gil Bellows, Parker Posey, Kevin McDonald, Christopher Lloyd, and more. If you liked Dinner at Fred's then you may also like: The Vicious Kind, Nothing Like the Holidays, One Magic Christmas, Body, A Christmas Carol and many more popular movies featured on this list. You can further filter the list even more or get a random selection from the list of similar movies, to make your selection even easier.

A young businessman with a skill for magic tricks breaks down en route to his fiancee's parents' house on Christmas and ends up spending the holiday with a very different kind of family.

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Know any good movies to watch like Dinner at Fred's 1997. With a similar plot or stoyline. Suggest it.

The Vicious Kind

A man tries to warn his brother away from the new girlfriend he brings home during Thanksgiving, but ends up becoming infatuated with her in the process.

Nothing Like the Holidays

It’s Christmastime and the far-flung members of the Rodriguez family are converging at their parents’ home in Chicago to celebrate the season and rejoice in their youngest brother’s safe return from combat overseas.

One Magic Christmas

Ginny Grainger, a young mother, rediscovers the joy and beauty of Christmas, thanks to the unshakable faith of her six-year-old daughter Abbie and Gideon, Ginny's very own guardian angel.

Body

A night out turns deadly when three girls break into a seemingly empty mansion.

A Christmas Carol

Classic Charles Dickens holiday tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, the miser's miser who has a huge change of heart after spirits whisk him into the past, present, and future.

A Christmas Carol

A bitter old miser who makes excuses for his uncaring nature learns real compassion when three ghosts visit him on Christmas Eve.

Christmas on Mars

The film tells the story of the experiences of Major Syrtis during the first Christmas on a newly-colonized Mars. Coyne has described the film as "Maybe Eraserhead or Dead Man crossed with some kind of fantasy and space aspects, like The Wizard of Oz and maybe A Space Odyssey, and set at Christmas-time. The story that unfolds is intended to hint at childlike magic within a tragic and realistic situation."

Get to Know Your Rabbit

A young businessman goes to a magic expert to learn hardness and skill with his cynical and greedy collaborators. He becomes a very good tap dancer, but will he be able to get free of his old boss?

Ernest Saves Christmas

When Santa Claus decides to retire and pass on his magic bag of Christmas surprises to a new Saint Nick, he enlists the aid of a hilarious assortment of characters. A perky teen runaway and hapless taxi driver Ernest P. Worrell must convince a skeptical kiddie-show host to take over the post of Father Christmas.

I'll Be Next Door for Christmas

A comedy about a family that's crazy for Christmas. Except for the 16-year-old daughter -- her family's over-the-top Christmas celebrations have made her life miserable. When her long distance boyfriend decides to visit for the holidays, she's determined to spare him her family's Christmas obsession, so she hires actors to play her parents and stages a fake Christmas dinner in the empty house next door. What could go wrong?

Santa Claus

Santa arrives at a house on Christmas Eve to deliver his presents for the children.

Silent Night

Nell, Simon, and their boy Art are ready to welcome friends and family for what promises to be a perfect Christmas gathering. Perfect except for one thing: everyone is going to die.

All I Want for Christmas

Tis the season for making dreams true. If everything goes according to plan for one young boy, he just may be sharing this Christmas with a new dad. Ever since her husband died, Sarah Armstrong has divided her time between working at a community center and caring for her nine-year-old son, Jesse. When Jesse wins the All I Want for Christmas contest sponsored by a toy company, his wish comes as no surprise to find a new dad. Just in time for the holidays, All I Want for Christmas is a surprise romantic treat for anyone who believes in the magic of love, friendship, and family.

Last Vermont Christmas

When widowed mom Megan returns home for Christmas, she and her two sisters Audrey and Bethany are surprised to learn their parents are selling their childhood home, making this their last Christmas together in Vermont. Megan is even more surprised to discover that the buyer is her high school sweetheart, Nash, who plans to use the house as an investment property.

Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas

On her first holiday without her father, Zoey attempts to create a magical Christmas for her family just like the ones Mitch used to do.

Christmas Is Canceled

A father begins dating his 29-year-old daughter Emma's high school frenemy soon after his wife passes away. His daughter embarks on a mission to break up the happy couple.

The Christmas Box

A ski-shop owner reluctantly moves himself, his wife, and his daughter in to an estate as live-in help for an elderly widow. While struggling to balance his career and family life, he has recurring dreams about an angel.

Home for Christmas

Mickey Rooney plays a weary old thief who befriends a young child. Home for Christmas is a 1990 Canadian made film about a young girl (Chantellese Kent) who wants a grandfather for Christmas. She chooses an elderly, homeless ex-con (Mickey Rooney) as her pseudo-grandfather and he teaches her - and her family - the true meaning of Christmas. Somewhat predictable.. but has a good plot twist about half way through that keeps it interesting. A solid, low-key performance by Mickey Rooney as the seemingly broken down homeless man saves this one from drowning in it's own mushiness.

Mistletoe Magic

When self-proclaimed “Christmas Grinch” Harper realized that she accidentally donated her family’s beloved magic mistletoe to a charity, she enlists the help of thrift store owner and old friend Luke to help her retrieve it. Can Luke convince Harper that perhaps the magic of Christmas is real and that true love does exist?

Christmas Break-In

Izzy is an energetic 9-year-old. Overscheduled and running late, Izzy's parents can't pick her up on-time the last day of school before Christmas break. A blizzard complicates the matter, but not as much as a pair of bad guys who are freezing in an ice cream truck. The school's janitor is kidnapped by the intruders, and it's up to Izzy to save the day.

Holiday Engagement

Thirty-something Hillary Burns has spent her life trying to get the approval of her parents, most specifically her judgmental mother, Meredith Burns, thus far without success. Part of that approval for Hillary is to marry the right man. That's why Hillary is so happy that she is engaged to successful lawyer Jason King, who she will bring home to meet the family for the first time at their Thanksgiving get-together weekend in a week's time. However, Hillary's life starts to fall apart when simultaneously she loses her part-time newspaper writing job when the newspaper itself folds, and Jason dumps her as he tries to focus on his career which is seemingly more important to him than Hillary. On the advice of her best friend Sophie, Hillary - who feels she can't go home without Jason, especially as her two sisters' lives seem to meet their mother's approval - decides...

A Holiday for Love

A man is sent to a small town to assess which of the workers in the local factory that supplies the town with jobs should get the boot when the downsizing begins. He gets sidetracked when he falls in love with a local, a cute single mom.

The Christmas Club

Two busy strangers meet when they help an elderly woman find her lost Christmas savings. Thanks to fate and Christmas magic, they also find something they were both missing: true love.

Christmas Solo

Two single parents stumble into the possibility of love for Christmas, only to discover that their daughters are embroiled in a nasty rivalry at school. When the rivalry gets out of control, can hope and healing lead everyone to a peaceful and merry Christmas?

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Five-time Emmy nominee and Golden Globe winner Henry Winkler stars in The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, the story of what happens when you open your heart to the power of Christmas. Disenchanted single mom Jennifer Cullen (Brooke Burns) is a Scroogette when it comes to anything Christmas. In fact, even her six-year-old son, Brian, is having trouble believing in Santa Claus. But when her Uncle Ralph (Henry Winkler) visits and brings a fellow passenger from his flight named Morgan Derby (Warren Christie), Jennifer s dubious heart awakens to the possibility that perhaps Christmas really does hold miracles. It s uplifting and laugh-packed and a story that will inspire the whole family to believe.

The Christmas House

Working through some difficult decisions, Mitchell family matriarch Phylis and patriarch Bill, have summoned their two grown sons – TV stars Mike Mitchell and Brandon Mitchell – home for the holidays. It is their hope that bringing the family together to recreate the Christmas house, will help them find resolution and make a memorable holiday for the entire family and community.

Matchmaker Santa

As a little girl, Melanie Hogan wished to find her own prince charming just like her parents found true love. Now an adult, Melanie is running her own bakery and dating a handsome CEO, Justin. Although things seem perfect when Justin asks Melanie to spend the holidays together at his beautiful lake house upstate—and meet his mother. Melanie finds herself spending more time with Justin’s best friend and loyal assistant, Dean, who just might be harboring a secret crush on her. When complications arise that throw Melanie and Dean together over the holiday, will the two realize they're meant to be?

Christmas Wishes & Mistletoe Kisses

Single mom Abbey takes a leap of faith to pursue her passion for interior design. When she gets hired to decorate the estate of local businessman Nick, Abbey must complete the job by Christmas Eve. With the holidays fast approaching, Abbey must figure out how to break down the wall between her and Nick, as this could be the opportunity that jump-starts her career.

Finding Christmas

Single mother Ryan has just about given up on dating after her divorce, happily accepting her young son as the most important man in her life. That all changes when Ryan's brother Owen, also feeling unlucky in love after a bad breakup, swaps his home in their small North Carolina town with New York City adman Sean.

Christmas on 5th Avenue

Eve, A Christmas loving professional wish granter, takes on the task of decorating the high-end condo for a reclusive writer who is spending the holidays out of town. But when the handsome writer turns out to be home for the holidays after all, Eve will have to pull out all her tricks to make him fall in love with Christmas all over again – and maybe find romance along the way.

Crazy for Christmas

A girl loses her parents and husband and is left driving a limo trying to get by raising her young son. An interesting but strange rich man hires her limo on Christmas eve and has her drive him to various ice rinks where he gives out $100 bills to the people there. The news media catches on and starts following him.

Stick Man

Stick Man lives in the family tree with his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three, and he's heading on an epic adventure across the seasons. Will he get back to his family in time for Christmas?

Campfire Christmas

Romance rekindles for Peyton and her closest friends when her parents decide to host a holiday themed reunion before selling their family owned summer camp.

The Dog Who Saved Christmas

Zeus, a Labrador Retriever and a former police dog (voiced by Mario López), has lost his bark after his barking ended up blowing off a five-year investigation and his partner can't shoot straight again and ends up at the pound. He is adopted by a father (played by Gary Valentine) as both an early Christmas present and as a good guard dog for the house, but the mom (played by Elisa Donovan) is hesitant.

A Bride for Christmas

Bride-to-be Jessie Patterson calls off her third engagement - during the ceremony! She swears off serious relationships, until she meets and is pursued by Aiden MacTiernan. Aiden, on the other hand, has bet his friends he is marriage material, and can find a fiancé in the four weeks leading up to Christmas. When Jessie and Aiden begin to fall for each other, Jessie must decide if she is ready for serious love, and Aiden must decide if his bet is worth risking his relationship with Jessie.

Holiday Date

When Brooke’s boyfriend, Ethan, breaks up with her just before the holidays, she agrees to go home with Joel, an actor who will pose as her boyfriend.

Christmas Lodge

Mary Tobin has wonderful memories of family gatherings at the Christmas Lodge. When she arrives for a weekend vacation, she quickly realizes that the lodge that she loves has fallen into serious disrepair. With a lack of funds and a looming deadline, she not only restores the Christmas lodge's charm but finds love along the way.

Mr. St. Nick

Kelsey Grammer stars as Nick St. Nicholas, a Miami-based playboy philanthropist who is about to make his life complete by wedding the girl of his dreams, gorgeous TV weathercaster Heidi Gardelle (Elaine Hendrix). Not known to the general public is that the profligate St. Nicholas is really the son of none other than Santa Claus (Charles Durning)--or, as the jolly old elf is known in this story, Nicholas XX. Expected to take over the "family business" at the North Pole before his father's power fades, Nick balks, choosing instead to remain in Miami, where he is about to launch his latest charity at the behest of his fiancee Heidi. By the time he realizes that his "dream girl" is actually a mercenary nightmare, Nick finds himself besieged by a vindictive INS agent (Colin Cunningham)--and racked with guilt over the gloomy fate awaiting his father and the North Pole toy factory.

Christmas with the Andersons

Drowning in tinsel and lights every Christmas, Michael and Caroline Anderson throw the year’s biggest party at their house. But this year, with Michael jobless and Caroline’s store struggling, that tradition may end. The Andersons decide to host a very different kind of party and, in the process, rediscover what’s most important about the holiday.

Meet The Santas

Because she is marrying the man who assumed the mantle of Santa Claus last December 26, Beth's postponed wedding has to be rescheduled for Xmas eve. Overwhelmed by selling the house she and her son share and the prospect of the duties of Mrs. Claus, she has to call on her estranged socialite Grinch of a mother to arrange the wedding. Of course her mom has never met the fiancé nor his family and has no inkling of his secret. This is a sequel to 2004's Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus.

A Royal Family Christmas

In the sequel to "A Royal Family Holiday", the children Phillip "Flip" Royal (Romeo Miller), a good-looking spiritual guru; Austin Royal (Eric Myrick III, At Sunrise), a Washington, D.C. community activist; Kelsey Royal (Chelsea Tavares, Fright Night), a fashion designer's gopher; and Pamela Royal (Taquilla Whitfield, Magic Mike XXL), a hair and nail salon owner; join forces to reunite their parents in time for Christmas. They try every trick in the book - including "playing nice" and setting aside old sibling rivalries - only to learn their mom and dad are enjoying "the single life." Their plan also goes awry as getting their parents back together ends up taking a back seat to their own personal and professional drama.

Christmas at the Plaza

With Christmas approaching in New York City, historian Jessica is hired to create an exhibition honoring the history of Christmas at The Plaza Hotel. When she is paired with Nick, a handsome decorator, they wind up enjoying a host of holiday traditions together and find themselves falling for each other.

Christmas with Holly

After being dumped at the alter on her wedding day, Maggie Conway moves to the island town of Friday Harbor in Washington State, where she meets Mark Nagle, the local coffee shop owner.

Return to Christmas Creek

As Christmas approaches, Amelia Hughes, a career-focused Chicago app developer lacking in holiday spirit, returns to her small hometown of Christmas Creek to rediscover the meaning of Christmas. There, she reunites with her childhood best friend Mike and her estranged uncle Harry, whose mysterious rift with Amelia’s father divided her family during the holiday season when she was a child.

The Christmas Chalet

A recently divorced mother books a chalet in a beautiful Christmas village in Vermont to try and rekindle Christmas magic for her teenaged daughter who feels like her family is ruined forever. When they arrive, they find that the house has been double booked and now they must share their family holiday with a grumpy writer who hates Christmas. Together, they’ll learn that a little Christmas magic heals even the most broken heart.

Making Spirits Bright

Grace and Tony are from two separate families who are in the business of decorating homes for Christmas. Unfortunately they have also been in feud for as long as anyone can remember. But this holiday season they must try to find a way to get everyone to work together in order to win a town competition that could save their livelihoods.

Christmas Angel

While working on a class assignment to write a paper on “My Impossible Christmas Wish,” Olivia Mead quickly takes note of unusual happenings. As her wishes come true, she is convinced the miracles are linked to a mysterious woman she believes is an angel.

A Christmas Exchange

The holiday season has started and Molly Cooper is looking for joy. Finally living her childhood dream, Molly swaps her quaint farmhouse for London Financier Patrick Kingston’s posh apartment. Through the ups and downs of her new life in London and searching for romance, Molly begins to look forward to all communication with Patrick. Likewise, Patrick finds Molly’s warm emails and texts charming and compelling. Sparks fly between them as they get to know each other as they live in each other’s spaces.

Reunited at Christmas

Frazzled and struggling with writer’s block, novelist Samantha, along with her boyfriend, heads home to her late grandmother’s home to spend Christmas. While at home with family, her grandmother’s wise words reveal the true meaning of Christmas with Samantha at a time when she most needs encouragement.

The Night Before the Night Before Christmas

When Santa sets off on his Christmas duties a day early, crashes into the Fox family's house, ends up with amnesia and loses his magic sack of presents, he needs help! But the Fox family are a modern and broken family. Can they help him? The parents are preoccupied with work and the kids aren't very festive. But it's up to them to help Santa find his magical bag of toys and the clock is ticking or Christmas will be ruined. Forced to set their own problems aside and work together the Fox family rediscover how much they enjoy being together and realise that maybe they need to reprioritise their lives. The Night Before The Night Before Christmas is a crazy Christmas fantasy for all the family, brimming with festive spirit.

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