By Gillian Rees – News Editor

The classic holiday movie “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” released in 1998, stars a young Jonathan Taylor Thomas, (who viewers may also know as the voice of young Simba in the beloved “Lion King” movie), and is a film that can be enjoyed by all ages.

Directed by Arlene Stanford, who also directed the beloved Disney Channel movie “Good Luck Charlie: It’s Christmas,” “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” has the classic Scrooge undertone in the story of a college boy without Christmas spirit who then faces challenges and situations throughout the movie which makes him realize how important it is. 

The movie follows Jake Wilkinson (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), a college student who would rather avoid having to go home for Christmas, since his father (Gary Cole) remarried relatively too soon after his mothers death. Not only does his family have an issue with his reluctance to return home, but so does Allie (Jessica Biel), Jake’s girlfriend.  

It’s only when Jake’s father bribes him with a promise to receive a Porsche if he can manage to return home by 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve, that he makes an effort to go home, and agrees to bring Allie along with him because she grew up in the same town as Jake. 

Everything is seemingly sidetracked when his nemesis Eddie, a fellow college student that is too fond of Allie, manages to have Jake finding himself stranded in the middle of a desert with nothing but only a Santa suit glued to him. Eddie then takes off with Allie, who thinks she’s been stood up, and leaves Jake facing a hectic adventure not only to satisfy his family, get home by 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve, receive a Porsche and to save his relationship spiraling with Allie. All in the spirit of Christmas, of course.  

One of the most admirable things about this movie is that throughout the film Jake becomes less selfish and realizes the bigger picture of how important family and relationships are.  He learns that sometimes you have to give things up for other people for the greater good. In other words, he gains the Christmas spirit. 

The only thing that viewers may dislike about this movie is that it does not stand out from other Christmas movies. The story theme is pretty recognizable. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars