I'll Be Home for Christmas

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.

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 liked this movie a lot for its old-fashioned romance and watching Mike come to realize just how important home and family are to the soul of man.

Gee willikers! It's just a movie. I hear plenty of people criticize every movie or TV show because "that's not how real cops would do it" or "that's not how real doctors would do it." Do we criticize a movie about time travel because that's not how it's done in real life? The magic of movies can only work when we're willing to suspend our disbelief and let the movie create its own reality.

So rather than negatively comparing movies to real life, I think we should just enjoy the film for what it is. And this one has a real sweetness to it.

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.

What the community of St. Nicholas, Iowa lacks in size, it makes up for in enthusiasm. So when the mayor and local veterinarian, Sarah (Ann Jillian), reveals that a doctor is needed to keep the area hospital open, the town jumps at the chance to fill the position. The top candidate is hometown hero Mike (Robert Hays), the widower son of a local man (Jack Palance), who is a practicing surgeon in the city. St. Nicholas welcomes Mike and his daughter with open arms when they visit for Christmas, but moving back to town permanently is more complicated than it seems. Since losing his wife, Mike has struggled in his profession and his love life...both of which he must confront if he returns to St. Nicholas for good.

This film is really good. For adults but it is family safe. People with short attention spans will be bored. However movie fans will enjoy this because Jack Palance isn't playing the heavy. In this he plays a NICE GUY/GRANDFATHER. HE is wonderful and I just wish the film had more of him in it.

This film is really cheap to buy. It's on Amazon but be careful. There is several films that have this title however this is usually in DVD Multi Title Packs where you get more than one movie in a single purchase.