IT MIGHT JUST AS WELL BE CALLED `I'LL BE CLICHED FOR CHRISTMAS'.Byline: Keith Marder Daily News Staff Writer 'Tis the season for sappy movies. And, this year's entry in the finding-the-true-meaning-of-Christmas flick merges with another overused genre - the road comedy - and produces expected results. ``I'll Be Home for Christmas,'' which stars Jonathan Taylor Thomas Jonathan Taylor Thomas (born September 8, 1981) is an American child actor and former teen idol, perhaps best remembered for his roles of middle child Randy Taylor on the sitcom Home Improvement and the voice of the young Simba in Disney's The Lion King. as a self-absorbed college student who has no use for his stepmother, is so cliche-ridden that it's tough to tell where one ends and the next one begins. The story starts at a western university, where Jake (Thomas) establishes his scheming ways. His first move is to trade in the first-class plane ticket his father sent him for two tickets to Cabo San Lucas Cabo San Lucas (popularly known as just Cabo) is a small city at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula at , in the municipality of Los Cabos in the state of Baja California Sur, Mexico. . Jake, it seems, thought that his girlfriend Allie (Jessica Biel) would love the trip to the tropic port. But he finds out that she wants to go home for the holiday, and when his father (Gary Cole This article is about the actor. For the footballer, see Gary Cole (footballer). Gary M. Cole (born September 20, 1956) is an American actor, known for numerous roles, including the television series Fatal Vision, The West Wing, ) is willing to bribe him with a vintage Porsche to come home to upscale Westchester, N.Y., he quickly morphs into the Christmas spirit. In an unrelated (at the time) event, Jake's plans to help the football team cheat on an exam go awry, and team members seek revenge. It comes in the form of gluing a Santa suit This is what professional Santa Clauses call their clothing. Many people erroneously call the outfit a "Santa Costume". Those that are realistic Santa Clauses, like to think that they really are playing Santa Claus. They refer to the red outfit as their "Suit". on Jake and leaving him stranded in the middle of the desert. One major problem is that these football players, and all of the college students in the film, look way too young. That is because the movie was intended to be set at a prep school, but test audiences did not grasp the concept. Jake arrives late to pick up Allie, and she ends up driving cross country with Jake's nemesis, Eddie (Adam Lavorgna), who is trying to steal her away. The rest of the film is spent with Jake trying to catch up to Eddie and Allie and get home in time for Christmas dinner Christmas dinner is the primary meal traditionally eaten on Christmas Day. It is often seen as the main event of the day for which the family all gathers and eats together. . When he hits the road, he encounters a series of the standard wackos including the over-the-top convict guy who picks him up hitchhiking Hitchhiking (also known as lifting, thumbing, hitching, autostop or thumbing up a ride) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking people (usually strangers) for a ride in their automobile to travel a distance that may either be a short or long distance. , the unusual policeman and the cantankerous can·tan·ker·ous adj. 1. Ill-tempered and quarrelsome; disagreeable: disliked her cantankerous landlord. 2. bus driver. All the while he has more failed travel plans than the gang on ``Gilligan's Island Gilligan’s Island comedy about a party shipwrecked on a South Pacific island. [TV: Terrace, I, 312–313] See : Castaway .'' Along the way, Jake lies, connives and uses his charm to try to get home. His epiphany Epiphany (ĭpĭf`ənē) [Gr.,=showing], a prime Christian feast, celebrated Jan. 6, called also Twelfth Day or Little Christmas. Its eve is Twelfth Night. comes in a small town where he happens upon a race for guys in Santa suits. Jake enters, and narrowly outruns the town's mayor (Ian Robison), winning enough money to get home in time to get the pink slip of the red sports car. However, when he finds out that the mayor usually wins the race and forwards the proceeds to needy people, Jake's conscience emerges. Not to ruin the ending, but Jake learns some valuable lessons on the road, and is a better person for it. There are a couple of funny moments in the movie, such as when Jake hands out stolen household appliances to sick children in a hospital. Fans of Thomas will enjoy watching him in this role, but as a whole there is nothing in ``I'll Be Home for Christmas'' that you never have seen before. THE FACTS The film: ``I'll Be Home for Christmas'' (PG; mildly sexually suggestive scenes). The stars: Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Jessica Biel, Adam Lavorgna, Gary Cole. Behind the scenes: Directed by Arlene Sanford. Written by Harris Goldberg, Tom Nursall and Michael Allin. Produced by David Hoberman and Tracey Trench. Released by Walt Disney Noun 1. Walt Disney - United States film maker who pioneered animated cartoons and created such characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck; founded Disneyland (1901-1966) Disney, Walter Elias Disney Pictures. Running time: One hour, 30 minutes. Playing: Citywide. Our rating: Two stars. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Jake (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) tracks down his girlfriend (Jessica Biel) to save their relationship in ``I'll Be Home for Christmas.'' |
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