Home Alone captures all the joys, frustrations and sorrows of being alone during the holidays. Having time to oneself might be relaxing and pleasant, but eight-year-old Kevin McCallister also discovers the drawbacks to having an entire house to himself during Christmas, after wishing his family would disappear.
Kevin Wants A Plain Cheese Pizza
Fifteen members of the extended McCallister family are preparing for a trip to France. Kevin, one of the younger children, is picked on by his siblings as he circulates through their hectic household instead of packing: one of his sisters calls him “incompetent” in French. But is he? When he arrives in his parents’ bedroom, he is scolded for using a glue gun and fishhooks in order to make ornaments -- foreshadowing what will happen later in the film.
In the midst of the bullying and the packing and a visit from a concerned policeman, an accident-prone surly pizza delivery driver arrives with dinner. Kevin rushes to the kitchen behind everyone else, eager to have a few slices of plain cheese pizza. However, according to his brother Buzz, someone will have to “barf it up.” Kevin reaches his breaking point; he hurls himself against Buzz. An entire kitchen full of McCallisters reacts. In the ensuing chaos, a passport and an airplane ticket are thrown into the trash.
Kevin is found guilty of creating this mess and is sent upstairs. He protests all the way, and wishes everyone would disappear.
The Family Disappears
Although the passport and ticket are missing, a few more events contribute to Kevin being overlooked when the family leaves for the airport: distractions, miscounting, absent-mindedness. The family is on the plane flying to France before anyone realizes he is missing.
When Kevin wakes up, he is confused, then thoughtful, then delighted. He wastes no time eating giant ice cream sundaes; going through Buzz’s belongings; and jumping wildly on his parents’ bed while eating popcorn.
And then the fun might end. While snoozing after dessert-lunch, he hears intruders. He figures out a way to convince them an adult is in the house. Eventually the intruders, two thugs named Harry and Marv who call themselves the Wet Bandits, realize Kevin is home alone.
From this point on, it’s Kevin against Marv and Harry ... and his loneliness. His family tries to reach him, but without success. His only company includes the bumbling bandits, creepy Old Man Marley next door (nicknamed the “South Bend Shovel Slayer” by Buzz), suspicious storekeepers and cashiers, and Buzz’s tarantula.
No Wasted Moments In The Film
Everyone and everything, from director Chris Columbus, to actor Macaulay Culkin as Kevin, to the warm and shining set decorations, contributes to a visually and aurally stimulating film that celebrates the best and worst of Christmas and the holidays, including those relatives you tolerate rather than enjoy (Gerry Bamman as Uncle Frank calls Kevin a “little jerk”).
The music is matched to the action with amusing results; watch and listen for the build-up to Marv slipping on ice outside a closed door. Almost every familiar holiday tune has been sampled, including “White Christmas,” “Carol of the Bells,” “Rocking Around The Christmas Tree,” and “O Holy Night.”
Along with the music, the colors stand out: traditional Christmas forest green, warm red and soft gold throughout the McCallister house and most of the set interiors. Outside, the neighborhood is white with snow, as are Paris, the airports and the landscape during an unexpected road trip.
The actors are enhanced, but not trumped, by the music and scenery. Casting directors Janet Hirshenson and Jane Jenkins found talented men and women for even the smallest parts: the pizza delivery driver, the actors in the gangster film “Angels With Filthy Souls”; Kevin’s snarky brothers and sisters; and even the airport shuttle driver. Although Macaulay Culkin has most of the screen time, the film seems to feature an ensemble cast.
Should We Worry About Kevin?
At eight years old, Kevin is small and only a couple of years out of kindergarten. He looks inconsequential against the vast house, the outdoors and the bandits. But remember those fishhooks and the glue gun? A little hint about what Kevin experiments with when he’s not being supervised: they’re only the tip of the iceberg.
Source:
- Home Alone. Director Chris Columbus. Perf. Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, 1990. Running time: 103 minutes.
Christina Guerrero - Christina Guerrero is an American journalist and writer. Her published credits include 98 nonfiction print articles.
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