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Comedy drama

I’ll Be Home For Christmas (1997): Cast, Box Office & Plot

I’ll Be Home For Christmas (1997) movie poster

I’ll Be Home For Christmas is a 1997 comedy drama directed by Jerry London, starring Jack Palance as Bob Greiser, Robert Hays and Ashley Gorrell. It runs 1 hour 34 minutes and earned $12.2 million worldwide on a $30 million budget.

worldwide gross
$12.2M
budget
$30M
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Read the plot summary
I’ll Be Home For Christmas (1997) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 34m (94 min)
Director
Jerry London
Genres
Comedy , Drama , Family , Romance
Original language
English
Studio
Jaffe/Braunstein Films
Budget
$30M
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is I’ll Be Home For Christmas About?

The premise of I’ll Be Home For Christmas without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A Christmas romance follows two high‑school sweethearts reunited after twenty years. She remains single and serves as the mayor of a small town; he returns as a widowed doctor and single father to visit his aging father. Pressured to stay because the community needs a local physician, they find a chance to rekindle their love.

I’ll Be Home For Christmas Themes & Keywords

· 7 tags
  • christmas
  • doctor
  • small town
  • punctuation in title
  • holiday in title
  • contraction in title
  • apostrophe in title
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Cast & crew

I’ll Be Home For Christmas Cast & Characters

Jack Palance leads the cast as Bob Greiser, with Robert Hays as Dr. Mike Greiser and Ashley Gorrell as Jilly Greiser. Directed by Jerry London; 22 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in I’ll Be Home For Christmas

· 18 more
Show all 22 cast members
From the director

More from Jerry London

More films directed by Jerry London: Counterstrike, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within, Take Me Home: The John Denver Story and Beauty.

Full filmography
Plot

I’ll Be Home For Christmas Plot Summary

What happens in I’ll Be Home For Christmas from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Jake Wilkinson, a California student, hasn’t been home to Larchmont, New York for any holidays after his biological mother’s death and his father’s remarriage ten months prior. A few days before Christmas Eve, his father, Bob Greiser, learns that Jake has traded in his airline ticket to New York for two tickets to Cabo San Lucas, and he offers to give him a vintage 1957 Porsche 356 if he arrives home by 6:00 PM on Christmas Eve for Christmas dinner. Jake’s girlfriend Allie Henderson, who opposed the Cabo trip, agrees to ride with him back to Larchmont, where her own family also lives.

Full summary

The whole story of I’ll Be Home For Christmas, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

I’ll Be Home For Christmas Box Office & Budget

I’ll Be Home For Christmas grossed $12.2 million worldwide on a $30 million budget, 41% of what it cost.

1997 box office

Worldwide gross

$12.2M

41% of its budget back

US & Canada
$12.2M
Budget
$30M
Quiz

How Well Do You Know I’ll Be Home For Christmas?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Where does Jake need to travel to make it home for Christmas?
Cars

Cars in I’ll Be Home For Christmas

50 cars on screen, including the 1986 Dodge Ram Van and the 1992 Ford Crown Victoria.

All 50 cars
  • 1986 Dodge Ram Van in I’ll Be Home For Christmas 1986 Dodge Ram Van Important role
  • 1992 Ford Crown Victoria in I’ll Be Home For Christmas 1992 Ford Crown Victoria Important role
  • Intermeccanica 356 D in I’ll Be Home For Christmas Intermeccanica 356 D Important role
  • 1998 Nissan Pathfinder in I’ll Be Home For Christmas 1998 Nissan Pathfinder Important role

Seen I’ll Be Home For Christmas?
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Movies Like I’ll Be Home For Christmas

Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including I’ll Be Home for Christmas, I’ll Be Home for Christmas and Aisle Be Home for Christmas.

FAQ

I’ll Be Home For Christmas FAQ: Cast & Box Office

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office and post-credit scenes of I’ll Be Home For Christmas, each answered in a sentence.

How long is I’ll Be Home For Christmas?

I’ll Be Home For Christmas runs 1 hour 34 minutes (94 minutes).

When was I’ll Be Home For Christmas released?

I’ll Be Home For Christmas was released on December 23, 1997.

Who directed I’ll Be Home For Christmas?

I’ll Be Home For Christmas was directed by Jerry London.

More films by Jerry London

Who is in the cast of I’ll Be Home For Christmas?

I’ll Be Home For Christmas stars Jack Palance as Bob Greiser, Robert Hays as Dr. Mike Greiser and Ashley Gorrell as Jilly Greiser, among 22 credited actors.

How much did I’ll Be Home For Christmas make at the box office?

I’ll Be Home For Christmas grossed $12.2 million worldwide on a budget of $30 million.

Does I’ll Be Home For Christmas have a post-credit scene?

No. I’ll Be Home For Christmas has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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