Home Alone (1990)

 Home Alone (1990)

Home Alone was always a Christmas stable in my family growing up as a child and will remain so for generations to come. I am hesitant with slapstick-based comedies, but this is how you create a slapstick movie with a meaningful story. Thank you, Chris Columbus and John Hughes for making a movie that became part of a holiday tradition. The story itself has the potential to wear itself out mainly because the idea is simple and paper-thin, but Hughes superb characterization does not allow that to happen. Columbus also added some story elements to provide more emotion. The scenes with Old Man Marley? That was all Columbus…and Marley’s story made for a touching ending. Before we get there, however, it is all about the bungling robbers and an eight-year-old kid outsmarting these bandits. Do you want to see Joe Pesci’s hair on fire? Or Daniel Stern getting a hot iron to the face? Look no further. I promise “you will be thirsty for more.” Pesci and Stern are the number one duo of the decade. If not, they are pretty darn close. They were the perfect foil to Kevin McAllister’s ruthless defensive skills, because I loved each and every trap that they fell for.

The idea for the script came to Hughes’s head when he went on vacation and he thought, “what would happen if I accidentally left my kids behind?” Perhaps not the absurdity portrayed in the movie, but you get the idea. Hughes gave Chris Columbus the directorial reign after Columbus turned down a National Lampoon movie because he often sparred with Chevy Chase. Columbus liked the Christmas theme and helped rewrite the film to add some more serious layers. He would go on to direct the first two Harry Potter films, but Home Alone may be my favorite movie of his. It is very rare to have this magical of a holiday film. Speaking of magic, it amazes me to this day how an esteemed film composer such as John Williams became attached to this project. Not that I am complaining because his score is magnificent, and it is difficult to surpass “Somewhere in My Memory.” Let’s just say that Williams was not typecast.

One of my favorite parts of the movie is “the movie within the movie.” It is so realistic, I keep thinking that Angels with Filthy Souls is an actual 1940’s gangster film. It parodies an actual gangster film, but it was used to great effect. Poor pizza driver. I guess that is a good way to order pizza without paying, huh? It is just one of the many fine comedic moments that Hughes came up with in his script.

Kevin McAllister (Macaulay Culkin) is an 8-year-old kid who is a bit of a troublemaker and somewhat resented by his family…especially his extended family. It is around Christmas and the family is preparing for a trip to Paris. After getting into a fight with his older brother Buzz (Devin Ratray), Kevin is sent to his room for the night. He wakes up…and everyone is gone. Everyone left for Paris without him! Rather quickly, he learns how to live independently. It also happens that these two burglars, Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), plan to rob everyone in the neighborhood on Christmas Eve…including the McAllister home. Kevin is not going to go down with a fight. His makeshift booby traps may help him save the day. Meanwhile, Kevin’s mother, Kate (Catherine O’Hara) is worried sick and will do everything possible to go back to the States and find her son. She ends up befriending musician Gus Polinski (John Candy) who will help her where she needs to go.

Macaulay Culkin was an easy choice for Hughes because he worked with the child on Uncle Buck. Culkin showed promise in the 1988 film, but he really comes into his own here. He seemed to relish working with legends like Joe Pesci. Speaking of which, I never thought they would be able to get Pesci in a film like this. He and Stern have unbelievable chemistry together as both get to act stupid on set. It was very hard for them not to curse on set because of all the child actors. Pesci famously avoided Culkin on set in order to make him more terrifying while filming. John Candy only had one day to film his scenes, so he was given special permission to improvise. In his brief role, he does a very good job as “The Polka King.” Also, a shoutout to Robert Blossoms as the “terrifying’ Marley. He really wasn’t so terrifying after all. In the end, everyone seemed to have fun on set, and you can see it in the character movements and expressions.

Home Alone is an all-time classic Christmas movie that remains popular to this day. It spawned a sequel that is nearly as good despite a recycled plot. The other sequels belong in the “don’t bother watching” wastebucket. The plot is stretched thin as it can get, but the performances, the gags, and heartfelt emotion save the day. John Williams added a magnificent score that assists in elevating the movie. If you live in a large family, I am sure you can relate to Culkin’s character, wanting his family to disappear. But, be careful what you wish for. Home Alone belongs in the highest pantheon of Christmas movies. It does for me at least because it never fails to spread holiday cheer.

My Grade: A