"I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS," A DELIGHTFUL HOLIDAY COMEDY STARRING JONATHAN TAYLOR THOMAS, AIRS AS THE "ABC FRIDAY MOVIE OF THE WEEK," DECEMBER 24

Also Starring are Jessica Biel, Adam LaVorgna and Gary Cole

"I'll Be Home for Christmas," a holiday comedy starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas (TV's "Home Improvement"), Jessica Biel and Adam LaVorgna (both of TV's "7th Heaven"), airs as the "ABC Friday Movie of the Week" on Christmas Eve, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network (Rebroadcast. OAD: 12/12/02). The film will air in HDTV format with 5.1-channel surround sound and video description via Secondary Audio Programming (SAP).

In "I'll Be Home for Christmas," Jonathan Taylor Thomas ("Walking Across Egypt") portrays a California university student named Jake whose father sends him an airline ticket so he can fly home to New York. Jake has alternate plans: he wants to cash the ticket and persuade his girlfriend, Allie (Jessica Biel, "Summer Catch"), to join him at a beach resort. The stakes get higher when Jake's dad promises to give Jake a restored '57 Porsche if he gets home for Christmas.

The fly in the ointment is Eddie (Adam LaVorgna, "Blast"), Jake's rival for Allie's affections, who strands Jake in the desert dressed in a Santa suit and takes off with Allie, who believes Jake has stood her up. Jake sets out on a hilarious cross-country odyssey in the Santa suit to earn his car and get his girl back.

"I'll Be Home for Christmas" stars Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Jake, Jessica Biel as Allie, Adam LaVorgna as Eddie, Gary Cole ("I Spy," "One Hour Photo") as Jake's Dad, Eve Gordon (TV's "Felicity") as Carolyn, Lauren Maltby as Tracey, Andrew Lauer ("Motherly Love") as Nolan, Sean O'Bryan ("Big Fat Liar") as Max, Lesley Boone as Marjorie, Amzie Strickland as tom-tom girl Mary and Mark de la Cruz as Esteban.

The 1998 release was directed by Arlene Sanford (TV's "The West Wing," "Ally McBeal"). The screenplay was written by Tom Nursall and Harris Goldberg ("Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo") and based on the story by Michael Allin "Flash Gordon"). The feature is a production of Leo Productions, Mandeville Films and Walt Disney Pictures. (CLOSED-CAPTIONED)

"I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS" IN HDTV:
The ABC Television Network's HDTV broadcast of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" will air in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's HDTV format, with 5.1-channel surround sound and video description.

This program carries a TV-PG parental guideline.