Home Alone quickly became a cult classic and beloved movie. Kevin McCallister’s rivalry with Marv and Harry pits two grown adult men attempting to rob a house against a young child. Kevin’s journey from the annoying youngest sibling in a rowdy family of even worse relatives to the sole household protector became a family favorite. Although Home Alone is primarily a Christmas movie, its story and heart have allowed it to create an adventure that has worked its way into the hearts of millions without needing it to be Christmas to enjoy the film. There are series and franchises that prove that the quality of a movie series does not need to go down as the films continue. Unfortunately, Home Alone does not make the list.
Home Alone
- Release Date
- November 16, 1990
- Director
- Chris Columbus
- Cast
- Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard, Roberts Blossom, Catherine O’Hara
- Rating
- PG
- Runtime
- 103
- Main Genre
- Comedy
Home Alone is the best film in a franchise that features six movies. Home Alone 2: Lost In New York is a close second place as the only other film to feature the original cast. But, once the series hits the fourth film, the franchise goes downhill from the fourth to the sixth films. Home Alone best proves what this franchise is capable of creating through a smart child looking to outwit adults. But how did Home Alone show itself to be the best of the series?
Introducing Kevin as the Ignored Kid
From the beginning, Home Alone shows that Kevin is fairly ignored by his large family. He is either disregarded and disliked, or entirely ignored by others. For the most part, Kevin shows he has similar annoying traits as his relatives, but the rest are not self-aware enough to realize they are worse than Kevin.
Even the audience is distracted enough by the size of the family and trying to keep up with each of the characters, that Easter eggs about what is to come for Kevin gets lost in the shuffle. It allows for Kevin’s heroic turn to come across as more surprising while giving the character more sympathy from the audience, given the harsh nature of his family.
Isolating Him from the Family Quickly
For most families, even with how big they are, it can be fairly unrealistic to suggest that every adult could manage to forget one child. The catalyst for Home Alone needs to be that Kevin is forgotten, and by sending him up to the attic before the rush to the airport and the frantic behavior of being late, there is not much time devoted to paying attention to who is ready to leave.
In Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, getting separated from the rest of the family is just as much Kevin’s fault as his family’s when he is too distracted playing around to focus on where their plane is taking off. Home Alone 3 relies on Alex having a cold, but even when he calls for help, his cries are never taken seriously.
Kevin’s Initial Excitement Over Being Alone
Kevin’s joy about being left by himself is the embodiment of childlike excitement. The large and mostly crowded home is now only Kevin’s to control. He can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants to, and no one is home to tell him otherwise. In Home Alone 4, Kevin speaks like being left alone is old for him, as it has happened before. In other installments, the children are not left to be as excited about having full control of the house.
His Growing Friendship With the Neighbor
Kevin’s kind neighbor, Marley, was initially teased as being a dangerous serial killer. But, once Kevin gets to know him, Kevin realizes he is simply a kind, lonely older man who misses his family. This type of friendship never gets re-created in another installment. It is a recognition that there is more to people than meets the eye or the rumors that surround them. Kevin’s friendship with Marley gives both of their characters more emotional depth and development.
Using Quick Wits to Take Down The Bandits
Every installment of Home Alone has the main character run through various chaotic scenarios and inventions to outwit the bandits or villains of the story. But, Kevin’s initial set of dangerous, life-threatening tricks is one of the most comical and horrifying.
There is no talking down to children here. Kevin is using childhood toys in addition to other objects to completely violently pummel the life out of Harry and Marv. While the other films use versions of this, Harry and Marv’s dedication to trying to terrorize Kevin after he has clearly won is one of the elements that lets the movie stand out.
Kevin’s Mother’s Wish to Return Home
From the moment Kate McCallister lands at the airport after realizing they have left Kevin behind, she is anxious to return home. She tries to get in touch with police officers who can check on Kevin, and never gives up on trying to get home.
Home Alone acknowledges that Kate feels horrible about what happened, and that she is dedicated to ignoring her vacation in favor of reuniting with her son. Although she may be blissfully ignorant of what is occurring at home, her desire to get back to Kevin helps anchor the emotional moments of the film.
Kevin Grows to Miss His Family
Having seen the McCallister family’s behavior toward Kevin, it makes sense when he thrives in their absence. No more bullying from his older brother or mean uncle. But he is still a child, and after a few days of reveling in being alone, he begins to miss his family.
This is a relatable moment for Kevin to love and hate his family and enjoy being alone, but ultimately miss them because he thinks he made them disappear by accident. When Kevin reunites with his mother, their reunion is an emotionally satisfying one, as her journey of getting back to him and his recognition of not wanting to be alone on Christmas mix at the perfect moment.
Kevin VS. The Bandits Is Fresh
The first time around, Kevin’s fear of Harry and Marv and how he ultimately decides to fight back round out the main plot. Kevin’s rivalry with Harry and Marv is enjoyable, as he defies their expectations with dangerous defenses. Even their strange relationship, as Harry and Marv go after Kevin at his home, and then again in New York, relies on these scenes as building blocks for a bizarre relationship.
The established dynamic between Kevin and Marv does not show its backstory or chemistry when they meet again in Home Alone 4. Home Alone: The Holiday Heist and Home Sweet Home Alone offer strange conclusions between the central character and the bandits.
Iconic Moments Are Remembered Over Time
Iconic moments, such as Kevin’s scream in the bathroom, are remembered years after the film was released and are still used in pop culture references. Kevin’s use of old movies to fake gunshots, as well as harming Marv and Harry with weights and paint, are still enjoyable years later.
None of the other Home Alone movies offer moments that deliver such memorable events. While Home Alone: Lost In New York may come close, even that film mostly follows a similar formula to the original.
The Plot Is Simple
For the most part, Home Alone is an easy movie to follow without so many moving parts. Kevin is left alone after his family leaves for Paris without him. While Kate tries to return home, Kevin faces off against Marv and Harry to protect his home. While it may not be the most relatable plot, it is easy to follow without much trouble.
The other movies are a bit harder. Home Alone 4 requires the audience to work around all the recasts because these are supposed to be the same characters. Home Sweet Home Alone tries to turn the bandits into sympathetic characters, which makes it difficult to root for the main character, Max.
All Home Alone movies are available to stream on Disney+.
