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A seminal holiday classic written by the late great John Hughes, 1990's Home Alone is a Christmas film in a more superficial sense compared to other Yuletide-themed titles. Although the story occurs during the festive season, it is not a straight-up Christmas film merely about the turbulent holiday (like A Christmas Story) or the mythology of Santa Claus (like Santa Claus: The Movie); instead, it is a family comedy with a splash of action. Nevertheless, many film-watchers consider Home Alone an essential Christmas favourite, often mentioning it in the same breath as other holiday greats like It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street. A hugely enjoyable film for adults and children alike, it is easy to see why Home Alone was a smash hit during its theatrical release - every child has dreamed about enjoying freedom from parents and the household rules they enforce with an iron fist. The film taps into the fantasies of virtually every prepubescent boy, with the young protagonist indulging in stairway sledding, raucous bed jumping, ordering pizza, and binging on junk food.
With Christmas rapidly approaching, the McCallisters are in full holiday mode, with the extended family gathering at the Chicago home of Peter (John Heard) and Kate (Catherine O'Hara) before they all fly to Paris. However, on the eve of the family's departure, eight-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) seems to get in everyone's way and becomes a target for his older siblings. After the family blame Kevin for a dinner disaster, Kate sends her son to sleep in the attic for the night as punishment. Consequently, Kevin has no hesitation in wishing his entire family would disappear. The following morning, the family oversleeps after heavy winds cause a power outage and disable the alarm clocks, and they forget about Kevin in their mad rush to get to the airport on time. By the time Kevin wakes up, the whole family are already on their way to France. The boy initially believes the universe has granted his wish, and he is thrilled at his newfound freedom without any siblings to pick on him. Kate soon realises that they left Kevin behind and desperately tries to make her way back home despite limited travel options over the Christmas period. Meanwhile, house burglars Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) - the "Wet Bandits" - are spending their Christmas robbing vacant houses in the affluent neighbourhood, and the McCallister home is on their hit list.
The real meat-and-potatoes of Home Alone is, of course, the grand finale, during which Kevin thwarts Harry and Marv's attempted home invasion with a string of ingenious booby traps. In reality, Kevin's painful traps would result in serious injury or worse, but in this PG-rated fantasy world, the results are side-splitting, turning the robbers into live-action Wily E. Coyote-esque characters who repeatedly find themselves one step behind the smarter, Roadrunner-like Kevin. Although one must suspend their disbelief because the traps almost always conveniently work in Kevin's favour, this hardly matters. However, Home Alone's opening act is slightly less successful, with the chaotic McCallister household feeling artificial instead of natural or authentic as dozens of family members run around with seemingly no purpose while a policeman (Harry in disguise) and a pizza delivery boy stand around in exasperation. Still, the movie efficiently establishes the family and their individual personalities, and one can feel Kevin's seething frustration as his parents punish him while his siblings face no consequences for their behaviour.
In addition to the on-screen Christmas iconography and decorations, the deeper meaning of Christmas plays a crucial role in establishing Home Alone's tone, heart and soul. The hustle and bustle of the festive season drives the plot, while the Christmas spirit motivates several touching character moments, including polka musicians giving Kate a lift to Chicago and Kevin's eccentric elderly neighbour (Roberts Blossom) managing to reconcile with his family. Despite being produced for a meagre $18 million, the technical contributions across the board are exceptional. Director Chris Columbus (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone) establishes a captivating atmosphere and keeps the pace breezy, ensuring there are no dull moments during the movie's 100-minute duration. The grand finale benefits from sharp editing and convincing special effects, as Columbus turns the climactic burglary into an involving extended action sequence. Additionally, John Williams's classic score generates a playful holiday atmosphere, leading to his umpteenth Oscar nomination. Recruiting someone of Williams's calibre (Star Wars, Superman: The Movie) for a family comedy might seem like overkill, but his compositions meaningfully elevate the movie, introducing memorable motifs and ensuring the picture feels cinematic instead of cheap or disposable.
Macaulay Culkin's performance as Kevin is another element that makes Home Alone so endearing. He is a likeable boy with a bright screen presence, bringing the right mixture of innocence and mischief to the role. Although not the best or most nuanced child actor in history, he is highly believable, and it is easy to root for him as the Wet Bandits descend on his home. Meanwhile, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are iconic as the incompetent, bumbling Wet Bandits, effortlessly generating humour through amusing interplay and physical comedy. It is interesting to see mobster flick mainstay Pesci in a children's film where he could not let his foul mouth run rampant. Roberts Blossom also makes a terrific impression as a caring older gentleman who becomes one of Kevin's allies, while Catherine O'Hara contributes meaningful heart to the story as Kevin's concerned mother. John Candy even makes a small but memorable cameo appearance as a benevolent polka musician, and he is delightful in every frame. Candy's warmth and kindness shine through here, ensuring the actor makes a lasting impression despite limited screen time. Candy appeared in the film as a favour to Hughes, only receiving a few hundred dollars as payment, and according to Columbus, he went off-script and improvised all his dialogue. As a side note, look out for an extra in the background as Candy's character approaches Kate - legend has it, this extra is Elvis Presley, as they bear a remarkable resemblance to the late rock star.
Frequently funny and infinitely rewatchable, Home Alone deserves its continued reputation as one of the most entertaining and successful family Christmas movies of all time, and its appeal continues to endure with each new generation. In addition to its entertainment value, the film remains a Christmastime tradition due to its well-integrated and touching message about the importance of family, leading to an extremely uplifting finale. Although the narrative is predictable, and the climax includes a few absurdly cartoonish moments, the Hughes stamp of excellence is all over Home Alone, supplementing the terrific comedic set pieces with heart. Numerous sequels of declining quality followed the film, beginning with Home Alone 2: Lost in New York a mere two years later. Although filmmakers continue trying to replicate the picture's success (most recently in 2021's Home Sweet Home Alone), the original Home Alone is an untouchable gem in a league of its own.
7.8/10
