I'll Be Home for Christmas (DVD)

In the spirit of the season, Disney presents the hilarious comedy adventure that celebrates the believer in all of us. Jake Wilkinson (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), a self-centered college student, has one thing on his mind get home for Christmas dinner or forfeit the vintage Porsche his father promised him. Just days before his deadline, Jake awakens in the California desert stranded and penniless, wearing a Santa suit and white beard! Desperate to claim his gift, he flies, crawls, cons, races, bullies, and even sleighs his way east. But his nonstop mission turns into a nonstop comedy of errors as a multitude of colorful and offbeat strangers look to "Santa" for help and kindness. The closer Jake gets to home, the closer he gets to the true meaning of Christmas and the importance of family. I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS is a trip your entire family will enjoy taking all year long! Capturing the magic of Christmas during May in Vancouver, Canada, presented challenges. One solution was to use organic, biodegradable paper snow, imported from Europe. Warm temperatures affected more than just the look of the production. The Santa 5K, a scene involving 150 fully dressed Santa Clauses running a 5-kilometer race, was filmed in 90-degree heat, causing a few Santas to nearly pass out. The lead character's entire cross-country trip including settings in California, New York, Nebraska, and Wisconsin was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, with some location shooting in California's Red Rock Canyon State Park and the nearby desert.