#27: Home Alone is not just a great movie; it’s a perfect Christmas story.
While there’s no official consensus of when the Christmas season begins, it’s one of those things you just know when it’s too early or too late. Retail shop decorations and YouTube advertisements won’t agree, but in my eyes, Christmas time begins as the final seconds of Thanksgiving are extinguished. In our house, the Christmas tree and decorations go up on Black Friday, and the first holiday movies and specials are consumed during the process.
Reader, at some point this holiday season, someone is bound to ask the question: “What’s your favorite Christmas movie?” You might have your answer ready to go, but what garners the top spot is ultimately subjective. Some will always reserve the top spot for classics like It’s a Wonderful Life and the original Miracle on 34th Street. Others will prefer more modern takes like A Christmas Story (though it’s not that modern anymore) and The Santa Clause. And there will always be those renegades who fight tooth and nail for oddball variants like Die Hard and Batman Returns (both movies taking place during Christmas). In many instances, I try to steer clear of speaking in absolutes. However, I am confident that somewhere on everyone’s Christmas movie short list is the 1990 classic Home Alone.
Home Alone, directed by Chris Columbus and written by John Heughs, on the surface is about a boy who accidently gets left home alone while his family travels to Europe. Kevin, the main character famously played by Macaulay Culkin, must protect his home from two burglars. Just below the surface, however, is an emotional story that shows us the importance of family connection and the spirit of Christmas. In my eyes, Home Alone is not just a great movie; it’s a perfect Christmas movie.
Before going into Home Alone’s perfection, I must ask, what are the most important traits of Christmas movies? Christmas movies are often set during Christmas time and littered with both decorations and snow. Though, these aren’t the only requirements; otherwise, films like Iron Man 3 and Lethal Weapon 2 would be considered Christmas movies. At their core, all Christmas movies contain two main requirements:
The plot of the story must be intertwined with Christmas and/or Christmas time.
The lesson learned or problem solved by the main character deals with the importance of connection and giving during this time of year.
Home Alone, of course, contains both important requirements.
At the beginning of the movie, Kevin McCallister’s family gathers at the McCallister Chicago residence before Christmas Day. Here we see Kevin’s interaction with his family members and how he doesn’t care for them. He even goes as far to proclaim that he “doesn’t need them” as Kevin is punished and sent away to the attic. When he awakes, Kevin realizes that he’s left alone, and at first, he’s happy about it. As time rolls along, and we get closer to Christmas Day, Kevin begins to miss his family (even the pesky Buzz) more and more. He begins to realize, in their absence, how important they are. The movie continues, building up to its climax as the Wet Bandits plan to break into the McCallister home on Christmas Eve night.
Just before Kevin administers his home defense, one of the film’s most important scenes occur. As darkness begins to creep on Christmas Eve night, Kevin finds himself stopping by the town church to reflect on all he’s done wrong with his family.
Throughout the film, a Boo Radley-like character periodically shows up and scares Kevin. Simply known as old man Marley, the character is a neighbor of the McCallister’s, and being a reclusive old man, rumors fly around town about him confirming Kevin’s fear.
As Kevin sits and listens to the church choir perform “Oh, Holy Night,” he looks over to the pew behind him to find old man Marley sitting, starring back. Marley gets up and walks towards a scared Kevin while the camera, positioned at a low angle, shows his dominance. The old man surprises Kevin by saying, “Merry Christmas,” and the scared look evaporates from the boy’s face. Marley asks to sit down next to our main character, and the two discuss family. Kevin admits that he “was kind of a pain lately,” and he’s upset about it because he “really likes his family” even if he doesn’t want to admit it.
Marley advises, “How you feel about your family is a very complicated thing. Deep down you always love them. But you can forget you love them, and you can hurt them, and they can hurt you.” After, Marley admits to Kevin that he and his son have differences, and as a result, he’s not welcome around his granddaughter anymore. Marley is afraid to take the first step in reconciling with his son, and Kevin helps the old man consider the fault in his thinking. Kevin recalls his own irrational fear of his basement, and simply walking downstairs helped him overcome it.
As Marley reflects on his own fear, he asks, “What if he won’t talk to me?”
“At least you know. I don’t care how mad I was at my dad; I’d still talk to him. Especially around the holidays,” Kevin replies back.
The scene ends with the two both imparting important knowledge to one another, and what’s learned by each character in this scene is paid off during the final moments of the film, on Christmas Day.
After Kevin’s wish of having his family back for Christmas is realized, he notices some movement out the window. Walking towards it, John Williams’s beautiful score begins to swell, and Kevin sees the old man embrace his son. Marely then lifts his granddaughter and clutches his arms around her. Catching a glimpse of Kevin in the window, Marley waves and the two smile at each other, knowing the impact each has left. It is in the final moments of the film where the second, and most important, requirement is met.
Home Alone is known for its gags and Looney Tunes inspired comedy. But it is this connection, between Kevin and Marley, that helps propel it into our hearts and to the very top of my Christmas movie list.
Thanks for reading.