Director Robert Lieberman and writer Richard Kramer enjoyed working together on a Christmas episode of Die besten Jahre (1987), they decided to collaborate again on a feature. This is the result.
The reason Stephanie (Amy Oberer) looks too old for Ethan (Ethan Randall/Ethan Embry) is because she was 17-18 during filming and he was only 12-13. That is probably why their kissing scene at the end is a chaste peck on the cheek and captured only indirectly by the camera.
Shot during a scorching Los Angeles summer.
At the beginning of the movie when Dad comes to pick up the kids, he is talking to Mum whilst she sits at the dressing table getting ready to go out with Tony. On the mantelpiece is a photo of her mother, played by Lauren Bacall - the photo is a real black-and-white photo of Ms. Bacall from her younger days.
Favorite movie of Hallie Kate Eisenberg's older brother and sister, to the extent that they suggested naming her after Thora Birch's character.