Every now and then, my youngest son gets on a "kick" wanting to watch a series of movies during a weekend. This weekend he again took out what I consider to be one of his most favorite movies and sequels, Home Alone out once more to view probably for at least the fortieth time!

Who Is Home Alone?

The McCallister family consisting of several children, parents, and extended family members are preparing to travel to Paris to visit relatives for the Christmas holidays. The evening before they are about to leave the family is busy with last minute packing and planning. As a security guard meets with parents concerning the family's visit out of the country, a pizza delivery person brings several pizzas for the final supper.

The youngest child of the McCallister family, Kevin, who is eight years old seems to be in mischief constantly. During the last supper though, Kevin is antagonized by his older brother, Buzz, enciting an older brother/younger brother fight. As the parents punish Kevin to the attic, away from the rest of the family, Kevin wishes that they would all go away so that he could live alone as he is tired of fighting for position at home.

During the night though a storm hits the area and utilities are out. As the McCallister family realizes that they are late for the airport, they hurry together to catch the plane not realizing that Kevin has been left behind -- home alone. After the flight leaves, the security guard's true identity is revealed as a burglar, intent on hitting the McCallister home with his partner -- to rob the family of all of their valuables.

As Kevin realizes that he is home alone, he wonders if this was the result of his wish. However, in his wish, he didn't wish for burglars, and as the days go by, it appears that Kevin is on his own to find some way to protect his home from invasion. But can he do it on his own? Watch and see!

What I Love About Home Alone

Physical Comedy

The main thing that I enjoy about Home Alone is its use of physical comedy for laughs. Having watched the Three Stooges for decades their warped type of humor has always put a smile on my face no matter what. When Kevin encounters the burglars, his defenses really have the bad guys running for cover and the audience laughing!

Typical Kid Behavior

Another thing that I enjoy about Home Alone is that Kevin acts like a typical kid when he realizes that his parents and family are gone. He eats junk food, watches movies he has no business watching, and typically does everything that he was ordered Not to do as a kid. Knowing how I was as a kid, I laugh because those are things I would have done!

Touched by An Angel?

The last thing that I enjoy about Home Alone is that there's a really touching scene in a church where Kevin has a rather intimate and close conversation with one of his neighbors, a really crotchety old man called Old Man Marley by the neighborhood kids. This man has been accused by the kids as being a murderer, but as Kevin has this really deep conversation with him, it is quite evident that both of them have been the victims of assumption. In the end, they become friends, giving advise and showing caring affection. This makes the Christmas theme of the movie stand out as being a prominent feature instead of just the hustle and bustle of it all.

What I Don't Like About Home Alone

The main thing that I don't like about Home Alone is that it portrays adults as being totally incompetant and stupid. Kevin's parents are judgmental toward the younger siblings when the older ones are equally at fault. During the rush the the airport, the parents depend on one of the kids to count the other kids and do not take the time to make sure that everyone is there boarding the plane. To me, these are just plain stupid portrayals of parents as I know of no parents especially who would fly out of the country without making sure visually on their own that all of the kids were there.

In addition, the portrayal of police in this movie is terrible. They are summoned to the McCallister residence to check on Kevin in the dark hours and naturally Kevin isn't going to answer the door in the dark because he is scared. Instead of going back in the daytime to check on him, they discard the call totally with a comment to tell the McCallisters to count their kids again.

Finally, I find it really disheartening that Kevin had absolutely no one that he could call in his hour of need. I find it unbelievable that for a family as large as the McCallisters with as many friends as they must have, that they could find NO one to call Kevin. I also can not believe that Kevin would not go to a pay phone while he was shopping to call someone that he trusted to have them help them. This seems to portray a really bad image and situation to show children. Children should feel that there should always be someone there for them to call on in emergencies if their parents are not around.

Overall Recommendation

Even with its faults, Home Alone is a great masterpiece of comedy for all members of the family. As long as parents explain that this is only a "movie" and in their own lives, that these things should never happen, children should feel secure enjoying the antics of Kevin as he defends his home against the bad guys, and finding the love of Christmas and family along the way.

Note: Main characters of Home Alone include the following:
Macaulay Culkin - Kevin McCallister
Joe Pesci - Harry
Daniel Stern - Marv
John Heard - Peter McCallister
Roberts Blossom - Old Man Marley
Catherine O'Hara - Kate McCallister



Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8