12 Reviews of Christmas - Home Alone (1990)
Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, it's time for another entry in the 12 Reviews of Christmas. Today, I thought I'd take a look at a genuine holiday classic. So, let's take a look at Home Alone.
Released in 1990, this film, which had the makings of a run-of-the-mill slapstick comedy, became a holiday classic thanks to director Chris Columbus. The story focuses on Kevin McCallister, who during a busy night that involves getting ready for a morning flight to Paris along with his parents, siblings, cousins, and his aunt and uncle, ALL of whom are going on the trip, becomes fed up with his older brother, Buzz, and shoves him making a mess in the kitchen, and is forced to sleep in the attic, upon which he wishes his family would disappear. During the night, a heavy wind blows in, causing a tree branch to break off, affecting the power lines, and cutting off power. The next morning, two vans arrive to drive the McCallisters to Chicago's O'Hare Airport. The family makes it onto the plane, and they head off to Paris but with one problem: Kevin was left behind at home.
Kevin wakes up, and looks around to see that everyone is gone. After a day of nonstop fun, Kevin starts to get a little more serious. It's around this time that two burglars, Marv and Harry, drive up the street, looking for houses to rob. Harry had previously gone around disguised as a police officer checking to see if anyone would be around for the holidays. Kevin manages to ward them off, but after they spot him in town the next day, return the following night where they see the house is full, but we see that this is just another subversion by Kevin. On Christmas Eve, after getting picking up some groceries and getting the laundry done, Kevin asks a local Santa to deliver a message to the real Santa, asking for his family back. Kevin then goes to church, where he has a conversation with his elderly neighbor, Mr. Marley, who he had been afraid of because of stories told to him by his brother Buzz. Mr. Marley, it turns out, is actually a nice old man, who lives alone after an argument with his son one year caused the two to drift apart. Kevin suggests that Mr. Marley calls his son, especially for the sake of his granddaughter. After returning home, Kevin sets up a series of booby traps, as Marv and Harry had figured out that Kevin is home alone. After a series of events where Marv loses his shoes due to tar on the basement stairs, having an iron fall on his face, getting a nail in his foot, and stepping on Christmas bulbs with his bare feet, and Harry gets an 'M' burned onto his hand, gets his hair burned off, and gets covered in feathers and glue, and BOTH of them slip on Kevin's Micro Machines and get smashed in the face by paint cans, and a hilarious moment involving Buzz's tarantula, Kevin calls the police and makes his way outside. Leading them to the house of his neighbors, the Murphy's, Kevin is caught, but Mr. Marley comes to the rescue, taking Kevin back home, leaving Marv and Harry to be arrested.
Meanwhile, Kevin's mom Kate has been frantically trying to get back home, trading a pair of first class tickets to an older couple flying to Dallas, eventually making it as far as Scranton, Pennsylvania. Overhearing her dilemma, Kate is approached by musician Gus Polinski, aka the "Polka King of the Midwest," who offers her a ride in the Penske truck he and his band rented, willing to drop her off in Chicago on their way to Milwaukee. After a long road trip involving a lot of polka music and talking with Polinski, Kate finally makes it home. Kevin wakes up Christmas morning and looks around the house, and Kate sees him, wishes him a Merry Christmas, and ultimately apologizes for leaving him home alone. Kevin forgives her, and the rest of the family, minus his cousins and his aunt and uncle, burst into the house. Kevin tells thm that he took care of he shopping, and beyond that just hung around. Kevin looks out the window and sees Mr. Marley with his family, having called his son and the two made up. The movie ends with Kevin running off after Buzz shouts out "KEVIN! What did you do to my ROOM?"
Home Alone is a staple of the holiday season. Setting the film at Christmas time elevated it from being just another slapstick comedy to holiday classic on the level of stories like It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and A Christmas Carol. The cast of the movie was excellent, with the stand-outs being Macaulay Culkin as Kevin, Catherine O'Hara as Kate, John Heard as Peter (Kevin's father), and Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern as Harry and Marv, otherwise known as "The Wet Bandits." By the way, Macaulay Culkin's younger brother Kieran Culkin appears as Kevin's younger cousin Fuller, just though I'd point that out. The slapstick humor can be hit-and-miss at times, but it doesn't bring the movie down. I also really like watching Kate doing whatever it takes to make her way back home to Kevin, and as the Nostalgia Critic pointed out as well, it's incredible just how far she's willing to go to get home to her son. Overall, Home Alone is a tried and true holiday classic, and I gladly give it a rating of 5/5. This is Chuck signing off. See you guys next time as the 12 Reviews of Christmas continues.
Released in 1990, this film, which had the makings of a run-of-the-mill slapstick comedy, became a holiday classic thanks to director Chris Columbus. The story focuses on Kevin McCallister, who during a busy night that involves getting ready for a morning flight to Paris along with his parents, siblings, cousins, and his aunt and uncle, ALL of whom are going on the trip, becomes fed up with his older brother, Buzz, and shoves him making a mess in the kitchen, and is forced to sleep in the attic, upon which he wishes his family would disappear. During the night, a heavy wind blows in, causing a tree branch to break off, affecting the power lines, and cutting off power. The next morning, two vans arrive to drive the McCallisters to Chicago's O'Hare Airport. The family makes it onto the plane, and they head off to Paris but with one problem: Kevin was left behind at home.
Kevin wakes up, and looks around to see that everyone is gone. After a day of nonstop fun, Kevin starts to get a little more serious. It's around this time that two burglars, Marv and Harry, drive up the street, looking for houses to rob. Harry had previously gone around disguised as a police officer checking to see if anyone would be around for the holidays. Kevin manages to ward them off, but after they spot him in town the next day, return the following night where they see the house is full, but we see that this is just another subversion by Kevin. On Christmas Eve, after getting picking up some groceries and getting the laundry done, Kevin asks a local Santa to deliver a message to the real Santa, asking for his family back. Kevin then goes to church, where he has a conversation with his elderly neighbor, Mr. Marley, who he had been afraid of because of stories told to him by his brother Buzz. Mr. Marley, it turns out, is actually a nice old man, who lives alone after an argument with his son one year caused the two to drift apart. Kevin suggests that Mr. Marley calls his son, especially for the sake of his granddaughter. After returning home, Kevin sets up a series of booby traps, as Marv and Harry had figured out that Kevin is home alone. After a series of events where Marv loses his shoes due to tar on the basement stairs, having an iron fall on his face, getting a nail in his foot, and stepping on Christmas bulbs with his bare feet, and Harry gets an 'M' burned onto his hand, gets his hair burned off, and gets covered in feathers and glue, and BOTH of them slip on Kevin's Micro Machines and get smashed in the face by paint cans, and a hilarious moment involving Buzz's tarantula, Kevin calls the police and makes his way outside. Leading them to the house of his neighbors, the Murphy's, Kevin is caught, but Mr. Marley comes to the rescue, taking Kevin back home, leaving Marv and Harry to be arrested.
Meanwhile, Kevin's mom Kate has been frantically trying to get back home, trading a pair of first class tickets to an older couple flying to Dallas, eventually making it as far as Scranton, Pennsylvania. Overhearing her dilemma, Kate is approached by musician Gus Polinski, aka the "Polka King of the Midwest," who offers her a ride in the Penske truck he and his band rented, willing to drop her off in Chicago on their way to Milwaukee. After a long road trip involving a lot of polka music and talking with Polinski, Kate finally makes it home. Kevin wakes up Christmas morning and looks around the house, and Kate sees him, wishes him a Merry Christmas, and ultimately apologizes for leaving him home alone. Kevin forgives her, and the rest of the family, minus his cousins and his aunt and uncle, burst into the house. Kevin tells thm that he took care of he shopping, and beyond that just hung around. Kevin looks out the window and sees Mr. Marley with his family, having called his son and the two made up. The movie ends with Kevin running off after Buzz shouts out "KEVIN! What did you do to my ROOM?"
Home Alone is a staple of the holiday season. Setting the film at Christmas time elevated it from being just another slapstick comedy to holiday classic on the level of stories like It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and A Christmas Carol. The cast of the movie was excellent, with the stand-outs being Macaulay Culkin as Kevin, Catherine O'Hara as Kate, John Heard as Peter (Kevin's father), and Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern as Harry and Marv, otherwise known as "The Wet Bandits." By the way, Macaulay Culkin's younger brother Kieran Culkin appears as Kevin's younger cousin Fuller, just though I'd point that out. The slapstick humor can be hit-and-miss at times, but it doesn't bring the movie down. I also really like watching Kate doing whatever it takes to make her way back home to Kevin, and as the Nostalgia Critic pointed out as well, it's incredible just how far she's willing to go to get home to her son. Overall, Home Alone is a tried and true holiday classic, and I gladly give it a rating of 5/5. This is Chuck signing off. See you guys next time as the 12 Reviews of Christmas continues.
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