It gets off to a grating start, but this slight comedy eventually finds its feet and delivers a holiday-themed package made up in equal parts of mild laughs and sweet-as-sweet-can-be sentiment. The 18-year-old Jake (Jonathan
Taylor Thomas) is already an accomplished operator, running a series of small-time scams at his laid-back California school while giving the cold-shoulder to his family back East. Jake is mad that his father (Gary Cole) remarried only 10 months after the death of Jake's mom, so he's planning to
boycott Christmas and steal away to Mexico with his sweetheart, Allie (Jessica Biel). But Allie, nice girl that she is, is going home. So Jake -- swayed...
Released:
1998
Rated:
PG
Length:
86 mins