I'll Be Home for Christmas

"Somewhere between L.A. and N.Y. Jake found the meaning of Christmas."

1998 1h 26m EN

😐

6.0

MID

🥫

23%

ROTTEN

⭐

5.5

IMDB

★6.0TMDB · 366🥫23%Rotten Tomatoes★5.5IMDB · 12,444

ComedyFamily

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Estranged from his father, college student Jake is lured home to New York for Christmas with the promise of receiving a classic Porsche as a gift. When the bullying football team dumps him in the desert in a Santa suit, Jake is left without identification or money to help him make the journey. Meanwhile, his girlfriend, Allie, does not know where he is, and accepts a cross-country ride from Jake's rival, Eddie.

“Somewhere between L.A. and N.Y. Jake found the meaning of Christmas.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Jake
Jessica Biel
Allie
Adam LaVorgna
Eddie
Gary Cole
Jake's Dad
Eve Gordon
Carolyn
Lauren Maltby
Tracey
Andrew Lauer
Nolan
Sean O'Bryan
Max

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Arlene Sanford
Writers: Tom Nursall, Harris Goldberg, Michael Allin
Languages: English
Countries: Canada, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

28 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Canada, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Arlene Sanford, shot by Hiro Narita. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Debney. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Anita Brandt-Burgoyne shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Jessica Biel and Adam LaVorgna carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Somewhere between L.A. and N.Y. Jake found the meaning of Christmas.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Arlene Sanford directs. Hiro Narita behind the camera. John Debney scores. Anita Brandt-Burgoyne cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Canada, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
228 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 2 countries: Canada, United States of America.
4Directed by Arlene Sanford, shot by Hiro Narita. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by John Debney. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Anita Brandt-Burgoyne shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Jessica Biel and Adam LaVorgna carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Somewhere between L.A. and N.Y. Jake found the meaning of Christmas.".
9IMDB entry: tt0155753 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 10 themes, including "holiday", "santa claus", "sabotage", "selfishness".

The technical file

Cinematography: Hiro Narita
Original score: John Debney
Editing: Anita Brandt-Burgoyne
Production design: Cynthia Kay Charette
Costume design: Maya Mani
Makeup / hair: Connie Parker
VFX supervisor: Dale Fay
Sound: Bob Beemer
Stunt coordinator: Tony Morelli
Runtime: 86 min · 1h 26m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $30,000,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998)
Rotten Tomatoes: 23% 🥫 Rotten
IMDB rating: 5.5/10 · 12,444 votes
MPAA: PG
US box office: $12,214,338

Also by

Arlene Sanford

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

r96sk2020-10-09
★ 7/10
Well intentioned Christmas film, just a little undercooked. Jonathan Taylor Thomas is the lead of <em>'I’ll Be Home for Christmas'</em> and he's pretty good, especially at playing the cocky school kid. I feel his arc is satisfactory, though it would've been nice if there was a longer spell of him realising/correcting his behaviour. Still, I feel there's enough in there to justify the (predictable) happy ending. I, also, like the road trip elements. Elsewhere on the cast, a young Jessica Biel appears as Allie. She's solid, as is Adam LaVorgna as Eddie. It's also noteworthy to see Gary Cole involved. It's nothing impactful or anything, but it's fine festive viewing.

Production companies

Who made it

Walt Disney Pictures
US
Mandeville Films
US

Key crew

Costume DesignMaya Mani
ProducerDavid Hoberman
EditorAnita Brandt-Burgoyne
Executive ProducerRobin French
Production DesignCynthia Kay Charette
Art DirectionSandy Cochrane
ProducerTracey Trench
StuntsCelia Bond
StuntsLauro David Chartrand-DelValle
StuntsJ.J. Makaro
First Assistant DirectorGregory Jacobs
StuntsLarry Holt
StuntsReg Glass
Second Assistant DirectorPete Whyte
StuntsJohn-Clay Scott
Assistant EditorJana Lynn Gold
StuntsErnie Jackson
StuntsLori Stewart
StuntsTrish Schill
Assistant Set DecorationDale Ann Connery
First Assistant EditorCaroline Hardon
Supervising Sound EditorJohn Benson
StuntsDavid Jacox
CostumerAbigail Benjamin

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

holiday
santa claus
sabotage
selfishness
boyfriend girlfriend relationship
bribe
woman director
cross country trip
christmas
father son relationship

Release history · US

When it landed

Theatrical1998-11-13PG

Also known as

International titles

A casa per nataleIT
Vuelve a casa por Navidad, si puedes...ES
Na Vianoce budem domaSK
Látástól mikulásigHU

6.3