Douglas Buck wanted to make Home (1998) with the same leads as his earlier short, Cutting Moments (1996). Gary Betsworth, the father, returned, but Nica Ray declined the role of Helen.
Gary Betsworth improvised his wave to an unseen neighbor in the final scene. During filming, writer/director Douglas Buck insisted that the actors faithfully follow the script, but when he saw that moment he realized it was too good to cut, and left it in.