'Home Alone'—A Movie Review

I hope we didn’t forget anything! What would you do if you were home alone? Well, eat ice cream, watch movies and...defeat two burglars? Oh, that wasn’t on my list. It sure wasn’t on Kevin McCallister’s list in Home Alone!

Home Alone is a film directed, written and even produced by Chris Columbus. It is never to be missed around the holidays. It has that nostalgic feeling that everyone loves. It is such a great film to have a laugh or just make you smile. I have to watch Home Alone every year.

For those who have never seen the film, it is about a young boy named Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) who is accidentally left behind when his family go on a trip to Paris. While Kevin is home by himself he is caught in the middle of a burglary. Kevin has to do everything to defend his house while his family tries to fly back home to get him.

Everything about this movie is beautiful and has a realistic quality. One of us the younger sibling has been pushed around. And we’ve all had our spats with family. And listen to the music, too. John Williams scores a beautiful background theme. Music is so important in film. It’s almost like a second character which guides the audience through the story.

I have mentioned that each time I see a movie there is a detail or a scene that I didn’t notice. For example, even if Kevin did make the plane with his family he wouldn’t have been able to go. Watch closely when the milk spills all over the kitchen table. Kevin’s ticket was thrown away! That is really well-timed camera technique. Every movie has its secrets.

Now, I have seen Home Alone over a dozen times, but I always forget the interactions between the other members of Kevin’s family. You always remember Kevin and the burglars.

Each member of the family gets their screen time and memorable one-liners. I like how the director did that. No matter what role you’re given it’s always important. Like Jimmy who calls out Kevin for being a shoplifter, the store clerk who checks out Kevin, and even a cameo by the wonderful late John Candy!

Let’s talk about Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern). Home Alone would not be what it is without these two bungling villains. Honestly, they’re cinemas best, most memorable villains. Their comedic timing and on-screen chemistry meshed together so perfectly to create the dysfunctional duo. Nobody else could have fallen down stairs, get shot in the head with a BB gun, or have a tarantula placed on his face.

Speaking of which, another interesting fact. Daniel Stern (Marv) agreed to have the tarantula placed on his face. But, his reactions were mimicked and Marv’s famous scream was added post-production! That takes acting!

I am sure whenever anyone watches Home Alone they’re waiting for King Kong. When I say that I mean the famous traps Kevin sets so the burglars won’t get into the house. I cannot explain all of them in depth because the entire sequence is an Oscar in history.

The film also stars Catherine O’Hara and the late John Heard as Kevin’s parents. O’Hara does such a wonderful job remaining a frantic mess to search for any flight to get her back home. She will always be remembered for this role. She’s made her mistakes but she is willing to whatever it takes to fix everything to get back to her son.

You know, when I was younger I’d tended to skip over or ignore the church scene where Kevin chats with his next door neighbor. Marley, played by the late Robert Blossom, is such an important character. In retrospect, he’s Marley who warns Scrooge of danger if he doesn’t change. Watching this scene now, it is really touching and heartfelt. It gives the audience a message that you can’t judge someone by how they look or their past.

There is much more symbolism in this film than you think. For example, pay close attention to the wound on Marley’s hand. It relates to his relationship with his estranged son.

Even the camera work has some talented elements. At the beginning of the film, the camera towers over Kevin representing the adults. It isn’t until the end where Kevin stands over the camera making him the power of a superior. He gains confidence that was there, but he didn’t know.

There are so many interesting facts about Home Alone. It is almost three decades old, but the film will never lose its touch. It’s one of the best holiday films to re-watch every year and still laugh at the same jokes. Home Alone is a masterpiece! If you still have not watched it get out some ice cream, go ride the toboggan downstairs (okay, maybe don’t do that), and sit by the TV and watch it.

Merry Christmas you filthy animals!