(Kevin McAllister, 23 - Dumbass Burglars - Big Fat 0…)
CAST: Macaulay Culkin, Catherine O‘Hara, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard, Roberts Blossom, Kieran Culkin.
DIRECTOR: John Hughes
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and some very compelling reasons to not half-ass your headcounts before leaving on holiday…
IT’S LIKE THIS: It’s the night before the McAllisters’ big Christmas family trip to Paris - and their pad is a madhouse. Mom (Catherine O’Hara) and Dad (John Heard) are running around like chickens with their heads cut off, and so is the rest of the family - which, by the way, seems to consist of the entire block. Let’s just say this is one big-ass family. Anyhow, the chaos carries over into the next morning with everyone waking up late and trying to get to the airport in time. And when the airport is Chicago O’Hare, they have good reason to be freaking out. But I digress... Anyhow, they end up overlooking one small detail: youngest son Kevin (Macaulay Culkin), who was banished to the attic the night before for being a little prick to everyone. Let’s just say Mom’s moment of realization at 30,000 feet halfway across the Atlantic is one for the books. It’s not like just forgetting to turn off the garage light, you know?
As you can imagine, while Mom and family are trying to figure out a way to get back to the US of A, Kevin has the McAllister house (which is bigger than most university buildings, by the way) all to himself and is living it up like a cat in a tuna cannery who has figured out how to use a can opener. Unfortunately, this godsend experience gets seriously pissed on when two idiot burglars known as (and I’m not making this up) the, ahem, “Wet Burglars” (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) decide to declare open season on Kevin’s domicile when they discover he’s - wait for it - “home alone”. Turns out, however, that our little Kevin is a lot more wily, clever, and mischievous than our two villains gave him credit for. There must be some Italian genes in the McAllister family tree…
THE DUDE (OR DUDETTE) MOST LIKELY TO SAVE THE DAY: Kevin - all the way. Oh, and also Gus Polinski (John Candy), the goodhearted Polka musician who helps Mom get home to Kevin in time to beat his ass for putting the family through hell. You know he’s gonna get it.
EYE CANDY MOST LIKELY TO FIRE UP A WOODY: This is not that kind of movie. We ain’t even going there…
MOST INTENTIONALLY HILARIOUS SCENE: First place goes to Larry (Pesci) getting his noggin flambéed and second place goes to Marv (Stern) screaming like a biyatch when Kevin plops a tarantula on his nose. Swear to God he sounds just like I did when I heard that a certain magazine wanted me to be one of their film critics. Only I was screaming from joy - not abject horror.
MOST UNINTENTIONALLY HILARIOUS SCENE: The scene in the van where Larry tells Marv that the McAllister house is a jackpot to rob - because of “all the VCRs” inside. If only he could see into the future and see that a medium pizza is more valuable than a VCR these days…
HOTTEST SCENE: Well, like I said, it ain’t that kind of movie. But, if we’re talking temperature, I guess the aforementioned scene of Larry getting his head torched. Ouch. Mucho caliente…
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW: Will Kevin successfully fend off Larry and Marv’s attacks? Or will they outfox him somehow? Will Mom make it home in time to rescue Kevin? And what about the scary old man (Roberts Blossom) who lives next door? Will he turn out to be an okay guy and help Kevin? Is he Kevin’s secret ally? How will this Christmas turn out? How?! HOW!?!?!
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH “HOME ALONE”: If you like family films with very clever premises, that do a very good job of blending humor, heart, and booby traps… And if you love Christmas and John Hughes, like I do.
WHY YOU MAY NOT ENJOY “HOME ALONE”: If you don’t like Christmas or laughter. In which case, too bad…
BUT, SERIOUSLY: Director John Hughes is famous for his slew of highly-entertaining and highly-successful teen comedies from the mid-to-late 80’s. Films like THE BREAKFAST CLUB, SIXTEEN CANDLES, SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL, and PRETTY IN PINK are now considered classics and permanently ingrained in the memories of most folks who grew up during that time. Hughes’ films spoke for a generation of youth in the 1980s in very much the same manner as THE GRADUATE and AMERICAN GRAFFITI did to their parents in the late 60s and early 70s.
In 1990, though, Hughes went in a completely different direction - and created what just might be his most popular film ever. Unlike his other films which appealed mainly to teenagers, HOME ALONE catered to everyone. With a premise that was funny, clever and timeless, and with a perfect cast and light-hearted-but-also-serious-enough tone, this movie took the world by storm - and is Hughes’ biggest hit. The story is simple, but the director and the actors have some major fun with it.
Macaulay Culkin became a household name because of this film, and the role requires him to basically carry the entire film on his shoulders. He has to be likable enough so that we have fun along with him when he’s left behind by his family. He has to be sympathetic and vulnerable enough so that when the inevitable sadness at being “home alone” comes along, we feel for him. And he has to be formidable enough to hold his own against and match wits with the determined burglars trying to get into his home. Culkin nails all of the required levels, and delivers a star-making performance.
But, as I’ve said in our various thriller reviews, you also need some worthy adversaries. Even though HOME ALONE is definitely not a thriller, it shares a similar structure with such films: trapped lone protagonist must battle and overcome relentless antagonists seeking to break into his sanctuary. This was the template of scary films all the way from THE FOG, THE BIRDS, and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, to STRAW DOGS, PANIC ROOM, and ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13. Even though everything is played for laughs (even some of the cringe-inducing violence) in HOME ALONE, some solid opponents are still necessary. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern more than fit the bill. Larry and Marv are a great pair of bumbling baddies. Some of the film’s best scenes are of these two getting their just desserts - by a variety of household items and appliances turned deadly. Great, comic moments - especially Larry’s “head-burning scene”.
But HOME ALONE is more than just a very comic take on a home invasion. It’s also a study of family and appreciation of family. Kevin McAllister is at odds with his family in the beginning - and wishes they were gone. When they inadvertently leave him behind, he thinks that his wish has come true - and embarks on the expected fun spree. But when the novelty fades, though, Kevin begins to realize just how much he took his parents and siblings for granted. This thread is strengthened by Kevin’s unexpected friendship with Marley (Roberts Blossom), the “scary guy” from next door who turns out to be an emotionally-wounded kindred spirit. This part is HOME ALONE’s strongest aspect, and is the movie’s most satisfying reward. There’s a great scene in a church at night mass where Kevin and Marley bond over their lost families.
Catherine O’Hara, John Candy, and Blossom are the strongest of the supporting cast. As with Blossom and his role of Marley, O’Hara and Candy turn in vivid performances in a plot thread that further echoes the message of graciousness and generosity - not only during Christmas, but all the time - as Gus goes well out of his way to help and comfort Mrs. McAllister in her quest to get home to Kevin.
All in all, HOME ALONE is a modern classic from a very unexpected source: John Hughes, the man who is usually more known for teen-angst comedies. I suppose HOME ALONE isn’t so different - if you think of Kevin McAllister as very small teenager.
