I'll Be Home for Christmas (1997)

Robert Hays, a surgeon who recently lost his wife, returns to his hometown with daughter Ashley Gorrell to run the local hospital. Jack Palance, Hays' father, wants him to meet somebody, so he tries to reunite him with veterinarian and ex-girlfriend Ann Jillian, but Hays is having a tough time readjusting to the easygoing lifestyle of a small town and to life without his wife--especially around Christmas time. 94 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English, Dolby Digital Stereo. Product Description

Warm & Pleasant Christmas Story

This is an enjoyable, warm and pleasant family film for anytime to view. The roles were done well. Ann jillian always gives a good performance & does in this role as a hometown veternarian who loves the community in which she lives. She is loved & respected by many. Along comes a widowed father of a young girl back to the neighborhood & his father's (Jack Palance)home as he has encountered some emotional obstacle to his professional ability in medicine. Ann Jillian helps them all to meet the problems ahead and thicken the plot so that the developing story brings high & low moments to a good resolution. How she does it is a good story. I had seen it on TV several times & can look at it again every so often. January 2, 2008

I'll Be Home For Christmas

A surgeon (Robert Hays) who has lost confidence in his ability and his daughter (Ashley Gorrell,) who has lost the feeling of joy in her life, go back to his home in St. Nicholas, Iowa, for the Christmas holidays and come face to face with their past and fears.
Jack Palance is wonderful as their father/grandfather. Ann Jillian as the mayor/former love interest of the surgeon gives a light to the film which is enchanting. A very pleasant holiday movie. January 1, 2008

Home for Christmas

This movie took me by surprise. I thought, how can this be ok? Once I got into the movie, and began watching, I was hooked. We know how we want it to end, and finally it does! December 23, 2007

This is The Ann Jillian and Robert Hays Version!

There are several movies that have this same title, I'll Be home for Christmas and I want to point out that this isn't the theatrical movie with Jonathan Taylor Thomas from Home Improvement or the other TV movie version that starred Courtney Cox from Friends but it is the made for TV version that stars Robert Hays, Ann Jillian and Jack Palance and it is very good and is a Christmas movie/romance story and is about a surgeon played by Robert Hays who had lost his wife about 4 years earlier suddenly decing to go back with his daughter to his small town for Christmas and his father played by Jack Palance and the townspeople want him to stay and take over the hospital but the mayor who also happened to be his high school girlfriend and is played by Ann Jillian thinks everyone is wasting their efforts in trying to get him to stay so his father tries to bring them back together. I really liked this movie and I highly recommend the DVD for anyone who likes Christmas movies and romance books. I don't think this one was adapted from a romance book but it seems like it could have been. I strongly have to disagree with the previous reviewer! I didn't think the female in the love story was too fat at all and it's a good thing that she wasn't the typical too skinny Hollywood actress. 5 stars for this movie and for the actors! October 7, 2005

heartbreaker

This movie should have had five stars. There's a lot here to like. It has a good supporting cast and some really moving moments throughout the film. So, what's wrong? Why is this movie out of print so soon when it could have been a Christmas perennial?

Primarily, the casting of the leading lady. Yes, it does have a strong romance story, and in order for a love story to work, the audience has to fall in love with the man and the woman. But they cast a woman who was not just "overweight"; this woman was fat. Sorry, I know it's politically incorrect to say that, but it's true nonetheless. Unless you're a fan of hers, the love story just won't work for you. Movie stars routinely lose weight for a film. Why didn't she?

Second, the script is a bit disjointed (although it has some very strong moments and good scenes). The conflict should have been about coming home versus staying in the big city, advancing in your career versus accepting chickens as payment for services rendered, etc. Instead, we have an insecurity story, and even this story had problems: first, we can't relate to it because we're not told until the end what caused the insecurity. We needed to be told early and not just told but shown the scene. Second, the story is not developed. It's just there. Third, its resolution is not developed; instead, a crisis comes along and poof! the phobia is gone.

Note that the "Product Description" above is a total joke. None of it is accurate! Who writes these things?

On the positive side again, the performance by Jack Palance is amazing. He plays a good guy this time, and plays it very well and convincingly. Only trouble is that he is the only one in the whole set who has stage presence. Whenever he is in a scene, the eye inexorably travels to him, even though he isn't moving, isn't doing anything to attract attention.

Bottom line: see this movie anyway. There aren't many that can touch it. If you like family movies and relationship movies told with heart and compassion, see also Mary Christmas, An Angel in the Family, The Christmas Shoes, Unlikely Angel, or read the novel A Thanksgiving Miracle. These are the best of the best. There are a lot of fake holiday movies and books out there. These are the genuine article.
September 7, 2005

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