I'll Be Home for Christmas

this movie is so good to see. i saw it last week with my dad and i wanted my mom to see it as well. i want to buy it for Christmas even! it made me cry because of the great acting cast and storyline as well as the script. this movie feels like home to me and i love the way it is filmed in Toronto, Canada but set in Iowa, USA. i love the snow scenes. everybody did a terrific job on this movie and i congratulate them all. i wish it was shown every year in December and made a big deal of like other Christmas movies are, like "The Santa Clause". somehow this movie made me to want to keep watching, even though i knew it would entail a happy ending. i like movies with happy endings. this movie is so cool and i recommend it to every family out there who believe in the spirit of Christmas.

I adore this movie. It very much reminds me of excellent Hollywood movies from the 1940s - and should probably have been released in theaters.

There are a number of very interesting conflicts in this movie - the appeal of small towns vs. big cities, the psychological conflict within the male protagonist regarding his competence and career, the efforts by small Midwestern towns to remain viable, the awakening of the female middle aged protagonist to her own loneliness - and her subsequent defeated effort to resolve it, the granddaughter's past minimal relationship to her rural grandfather.

So many of the issues in this movie ring true - especially for those in the Midwest but not exclusively.

So many small towns have faded as the young and ambitious left the town far behind them when they went away to college - schools, hospitals, department stores, are shut down as the dwindling population no longer requires - or can support - them.

Similarly, the burn-out of an upper middle class professional after two decades of practice - and without a spouse to sustain him -- is true in countless cases.

Finally, the unlikelihood that a single woman doctor (in this case a veterinarian) will fall for someone of similar interests and education -when she returns to the small town after many years away at college and veterinary school, is very true.

The acting by all the principals is wonderful - Ann Jillian is graciously lovely, vulnerable and far more understated than in most roles I've seen her in, Robert Hays is his very credible gentlemanly self, Jack Palance is extraordinary - again far more understated than I've seen him in other roles, and the actress playing the girl plays her part so well - her trepidation, enthusiasm, directness, warmth.

One thing that I particularly liked about this movie was the pairing of Ann Jillian and Robert Hays. They're two actors I'd never have thought of together - the former has played such brassy and showy roles in so many productions and the latter is so self-effacing, almost shy. Yet this fits their parts perfectly - you can see in their looks and intelligence why they'd have been drawn together in high school - and yet not wanted to continue the relationship when both went off to college.

In the very different personalities of the actor and actress, you feel they're perfect as a FORMER high school couple. And yet as the decades have passed, one can readily accept the growing vulnerability of Ann Jillian's character - one can readily see how the vet's once spectacular attention-getting looks have (gently) faded as she's lived her life of activity and entrepreneurship, taken charge of necessary things - and taken little note of her own self. In this sense, the (still beautiful) Ann Jillian's current round figure and her character's dowdy camouflaging clothes perfectly fit the self-heedlessness of her character.

Similarly, the lines (on which the camera focuses) upon the face of the still boyish looking Hays character are testament to the loss of confidence suffered in the years since the death of the once brilliant funny wife who had fortified his own sense of being successful. His wife no longer shields his lack of confidence. Hays looks careworn and doubtful - and few of his body movements, even the way he looks at others, are committed.

In their current situations, these characters' emotions, hesitations, decisions - even their lies - are very well-written and very credible because they're wonderfully portrayed.

The small town is well-portrayed (especially the speed with which news told to one is passed around), and not overly sentimentalized. Moreover, the big city (Minneapolis? St. Paul? Rochester Minn.?) is - surprisingly and wonderfully - NOT made to look bad to make the small town look appealing. The availability of fun ice rinks, great shopping, a well-run major hospital - ARE advantages of the big city - and they're not downplayed in the interest of the story.

These are real adults - and this is a wonderfully adult movie. If you liked movies with say, Barbara Stanwyck or Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn or Irene Dunne - this movie's for you. It evokes truly strong emotions in the viewer because it all feels so very true.

I hope this becomes one of those movies that steadily gains enormous favor over time - and becomes ritual viewing across the country.

It's that good.

For a made-for-TV movie, this is very good. Don't expect a classic, but it's very heartwarming and touching for a family to watch around the holidays.

A man (Robert Hayes) comes home to his hometown with his preteen daughter (the talented and beautiful Ashley Gorrell, always one of my favorites as a kid and my first childhood celebrity crush!) who is very adorable in this movie and plays her part very well. Hayes is always very talented and a good dad in every movie he's been in, and this is no exception. He plays a very good man who returns to his hometown and gets reacquainted with many people. He has created himself a new life in his new town, and faces a lot of transitions when returning home. This leads to a lot of confusion for the man, being a widower and single dad. He faces a lot of choices and challenges in the process to make possible life changes. All everyone wants is for a Merry Christmas in this dying small town, which creates a lot of confusion and difficulty for many. A lot of surprises happen along the way to throw many expected things off course. Every character is very likable, however, and it leads to a very positive ending.

Being from a small and dying town myself, I can relate a lot to it; and only wish such things could end so well in my area. This movie is well worth watching around the holidays if you are in the mood for a good spirit and good family time. No classic, but enjoyable if one keeps expectations low and realizes it's just a TV movie.

Sarah (Ann Jillian) is the part-time mayor of a town that is big at holiday time, St. Nicholas is its name! With her other work time, she is the area's vet. Unfortunately, the village is rather remote and the town's doctor has just passed away. With simple cases, Sarah has been helping out in medical emergencies but she can't truly practice human medicine. Now, word comes that longtime, older resident Bob (Jack Palance) is going to have visitors. This would be his physician son, Michael (Robert Hays) and his tween daughter. Every resident is eager to greet Michael and persuade him to move back and be the doctor that they need. Unfortunately, there are complications. Michael has lived and practiced in a big metropolitan area, so he may not want to "go back home". But, more importantly, he is having anxiety attacks and loss of confidence in his skills, due mostly to the death of his wife a couple of years before. At the hospital where he has been treating patients, a supervisor is ready to grant him a professional leave, so that he can seek help. Maybe just going back to be among family and friends will do the trick. Here's hoping. Also complicating matters is the fact that Sarah was Michael's high school sweetheart and she has never married another. Will a rekindling of romance be possible? This is a nice family Christmas flick but it is not lighthearted in subject matter. Michael truly is going through an emotional crisis that has to be dealt with seriously. Also, Sarah is not certain she wants him back in town, for she is afraid her heart may be broken again. In addition, Bob is difficult to get to know well, making a hardship for the granddaughter who doesn't think her g-pa likes her very much. On the plus side, the cast members are quite fine, the setting is very lovely, while the script tackles issues with a caring story. Overall, if you want a holiday movie, this is a good one, yes, but just be in the mood for something more reflective and less light-hearted.

Surprisingly entertaining feel good comedy-drama about big city surgeon Michael (Robert Hays) and his daughter who are courted to return home to the small town he grew up in to run the local hospital. His father Bob, played by Jack Palance, talks the surgeon's old girlfriend Sarah (Ann Jillian), now an animal vet and the only doctor in town, into warming up to her old boyfriend. The entire town, old friends of Michael, do their best, but Michael can't get past the recent death of his wife. Will Michael and Sarah rekindle their romance? Will Michael raise his daughter in the wholesome Mayberry town he grew up in? Will Michael run the small town hospital? We all know the answers, but the fun is watching it all unfold. Colorful supporting cast, small midwest Christmas town atmosphere, and sweet performances from the leads make this a holiday treat.