home alone film review essay

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors.

Now streaming on:

"Home Alone" is a splendid movie title because it evokes all sorts of scary nostalgia. Being left home alone, when you were a kid, meant hearing strange noises and being afraid to look in the basement - but it also meant doing all the things that grownups would tell you to stop doing, if they were there. Things like staying up to watch Johnny Carson, eating all the ice cream, and sleeping in your parents' bed.

"Home Alone" is about an 8-year-old hero who does all of those things, but unfortunately he also single-handedly stymies two house burglars by booby-trapping the house. And they're the kinds of traps that any 8-year-old could devise, if he had a budget of tens of thousands of dollars and the assistance of a crew of movie special effects people.

The movie's screenplay is by John Hughes , who sometimes shows a genius for remembering what it was like to be young. His best movies, such as " Sixteen Candles ," " The Breakfast Club ," " Ferris Bueller's Day Off " and " Planes, Trains and Automobiles ," find a way to be funny while still staying somewhere within the boundaries of remote plausibility. This time, he strays so far from his premise that the movie suffers.

If "Home Alone" had limited itself to the things that might possibly happen to a forgotten 8-year-old, I think I would have liked it more. What I didn't enjoy was the subplot involving the burglars ( Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern ), who are immediately spotted by little Kevin (Macaulay Culkin), and made the targets of his cleverness.

The movie opens in the Chicago suburbs with a houseful of people on the eve of a big family Christmas vacation in Paris. There are relatives and kids everywhere, and when the family oversleeps and has to race to the airport, Kevin is somehow overlooked in the shuffle. When he wakes up later that morning, the house is empty. So he makes the best of it.

A real kid would probably be more frightened than this movie character, and would probably cry. He might also try calling someone, or asking a neighbor for help. But in the contrived world of this movie, the only neighbor is an old coot who is rumored to be the Snow Shovel Murderer, and the phone doesn't work. When Kevin's parents discover they've forgotten him, they find it impossible to get anyone to follow through on their panicked calls - if anyone did so, the movie would be over.

The plot is so implausible that it makes it hard for us to really care about the plight of the kid. What works in the other direction, however, and almost carries the day, is the gifted performance by young Macaulay Culkin, as Kevin. Culkin is the little boy who co-starred with John Candy in " Uncle Buck ," and here he has to carry almost the whole movie. He has lots of challenging acting scenes, and he's up to them. I'm sure he got lots of help from director Chris Columbus , but he's got the stuff to begin with. He's such a confident and gifted little actor that I'd like to see him in a story I could care more about.

"Home Alone" isn't that story. When the burglars invade Kevin's home, they find themselves running a gamut of booby traps so elaborate they could have been concocted by Rube Goldberg - or by the berserk father in " Last House on the Left ." Because all plausibility is gone, we sit back, detached, to watch stunt men and special effects guys take over a movie that promised to be the kind of story audiences could identify with.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

Now playing

High & Low – John Galliano

Niani scott.

Drive-Away Dolls

Tomris laffly.

Monica Castillo

Riddle of Fire

Robert daniels.

Kung Fu Panda 4

Christy lemire.

American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders

Brian tallerico, film credits.

Home Alone (1990)

103 minutes

MacAulay Culkin as Kevin

Joe Pesci as Harry

Daniel Stern as Marv

John Heard as Peter

Roberts Blossom as Marley

Catherine O'Hara as Kate

John Candy as Gus Polinski

• John Williams

Photographed by

• Julio Macat

Directed by

• Chris Columbus
• Raja Gosnell

Written and Produced by

• John Hughes

Latest blog posts

Netflix Reimagines Patricia Highsmith's Timeless Character in the Chilling Ripley

The People’s Joker and Six Other Films That Were Stuck in Legal Limbo

Metrograph Highlights Remarkable Career of Lee Chang-dong

Female Filmmakers in Focus: Alice Rohrwacher on La Chimera

Favorite Movie: “Home Alone” by John Hughes Essay

Recently, I have watched one of the most famous American movies produced by John Hughes’ Home Alone . It is indeed an excellent family comedy because it evokes all sorts of nostalgia. Mainly, it reminded me of the childhood times when my parents would leave me alone, and I could do anything I wanted. Yet, I had mixed emotions being on my own in the empty apartment – I could sense weird noises coming from the middle of nowhere, or it was simply my imagination getting on my nerves. As far as the audience is concerned, Home Alone is a traditional Christmas comedy; yet, I assume one can watch it any time of year just to make a day better and recall Christmas family evenings.

The main character is a young boy named Kevin who is featured by Macaulay Culkin. The guy is celebrating Christmas with his family, which enlarges since all the relatives gather for this winter holiday. Kevin dislikes being surrounded by numerous kids who constantly tease him and dreams that his family would disappear one day (Hughes). When his dream comes true, and he finds himself in the empty apartment, Kevin starts doing every little thing his parent would forbid: he eats ice cream for breakfast, plays video games, and watches violent films. While he is enjoying his loneliness, Kevin’s parents realize they accidentally left their child at home before flying to Paris for a Christmas trip (Hughes). Yet, Kevin demonstrates himself as a young but increasingly responsible housekeeper and even protects his home from burglars.

To my mind, the actors chosen to perform each character have done a perfect job since they have managed to transmit their feelings, intentions, and emotions to the audience. Despite the fact that the film is primarily associated with Macaulay Culkin, the rest of the actors have contributed significantly to the movie’s atmosphere. Joe Pecsi deserves special attention since his acting was stunning and witty. What makes the film unique is the character’s personal traits – they are all different, at times, contradictory, but they make up a real movie family. In general, the actors performed at a high level, which made the film increasingly believable and indeed brought it to life.

Not solely the plot and acting make the movie atmospheric, but the scriptwriters, camera operators, and composer just did a fantastic job to entertain the audience. I believe the scenario was well-elaborated because, despite numerous events, there was no confusion between the scenes and the heroes. Moreover, the dialogues are just witty and hilarious; it almost felt like a comedy show even in the appalling moments. The filmmakers ingeniously used camera angles to set the tone in the film. For instance, a spectator could observe adult characters from Kevin’s perspective and vice versa. Besides, there is a beautiful background music theme throughout the whole movie. It is almost like a second character who leads the audience through the story.

In conclusion, I would restate my viewpoint that this film can surely lift one’s mood. Everything seems perfectly balanced in the story: characters, acting, music, editing, dialogues, and other details. Actors played a major role in transmitting a true Christmas atmosphere to the audience. I would recommend watching this classic of the genre to those who have not done it yet because it evokes pleasant childhood memories.

Home Alone . Directed by John Hughes, performance by Macaulay Culkin, Hughes Entertaiment, 1990.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, October 30). Favorite Movie: "Home Alone" by John Hughes. https://ivypanda.com/essays/favorite-movie-home-alone-by-john-hughes/

"Favorite Movie: "Home Alone" by John Hughes." IvyPanda , 30 Oct. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/favorite-movie-home-alone-by-john-hughes/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Favorite Movie: "Home Alone" by John Hughes'. 30 October.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Favorite Movie: "Home Alone" by John Hughes." October 30, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/favorite-movie-home-alone-by-john-hughes/.

1. IvyPanda . "Favorite Movie: "Home Alone" by John Hughes." October 30, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/favorite-movie-home-alone-by-john-hughes/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Favorite Movie: "Home Alone" by John Hughes." October 30, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/favorite-movie-home-alone-by-john-hughes/.

• Ten Hours Act of 1847: History and Implications
• The Witty Worm Software Virus and How to Address It
• George Straight: Music Legend
• ‘Fast and the Furious’ Franchise by Todd McCarthy
• Obesity Problem in Medical Cardiology
• Promotional Strategy for a Chain of Fitness Centers
• Terrorism as Spectacle: Extremist Propaganda
• Kevin Chen at the Sepang International Circuit
• No Pain, No Gain: Kevin Chen’s Racing Career
• Film Analysis “Dances With Wolves” by Kevin Costner
• The Movie "Outsourced" by John Jeffcoat
• “Boyz n the Hood”: Movie Analysis
• Feminist Film Theory Overview
• A Case Study of “Bus 174 Film” by Felipe Lacerda
• The Five Forces of Oppression in "Philadelphia"

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

‘home alone’: thr’s 1990 review.

On Nov. 16, 1990, 20th Century Fox unveiled the John Hughes-produced film in theaters, where it would go on to gross $285 million.

By Duane Bygre

Duane Bygre

• Share this article on Facebook
• Share this article on Twitter
• Share this article on Flipboard
• Share this article on Email
• Show additional share options
• Share this article on Linkedin
• Share this article on Pinit
• Share this article on Reddit
• Share this article on Tumblr
• Share this article on Whatsapp
• Share this article on Print
• Share this article on Comment

On Nov. 16, 1990, 20th Century Fox unveiled Home Alone in theaters, where it would go on to gross $285 million and launch a franchise for the studio. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review is below:

Writer-producer John Hughes’ first offering since he scurried back to his beloved Illinois, Home Alone is a polished comic celebration of Middle America with Hughes once again tapping the prosperous plains of his North Shore neighborhood for comic inspiration.

Related Stories

'deadwood': thr's 2004 review, 'family guy': thr's 1999 review.

It’s particularly overwhelming for 8-year-old Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) who, amid all the departure craziness, gets left behind. When he wakes up the next morning, he finds his big white house, overstuffed with family and relatives the night before, now eerily empty.

In this crazy but credible scenario, writer Hughes blends two of children’s tender spots: separation anxiety and its flip side, kids’ need to stretch their wings. During his stint as “man of the house,” young Kevin experiences both fear and elation. While there is no one to tuck him in or make him breakfast, there is also no one around to boss him around or to bully him.

Cross-cutting between the concerned parents’ Planes, Trains & Automobiles -type attempts to reach Kevin, and the young boy’s escapades, director Chris Columbus keeps the festivities lively and at a crackling, cheery tempo as the bright boy defends his hearth and home against the onslaughts of two cat burglars. This running battle between the boy and the two adults is the film’s comic highlight — one that kids will eat up — and Columbus pitches it to slapstick perfection.

In his performance as the home alone kid, Culkin carries the brunt of the production on his little shoulders spectacularly. —  Duane Byrge, originally published in “Reviews In Review” column on Nov. 13, 1990.

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Dwayne johnson says he won’t endorse biden again for president, box office: ‘monkey man’ fights off ‘first omen’ in thursday night previews, amy adams starrer ‘nightbitch’ sets december 2024 release only in theaters, cannes critics’ week names spanish director rodrigo sorogoyen jury president, hayao miyazaki’s ‘the boy and the heron’ smashes box office record in china, brooke shields, miranda cosgrove struggle with wedding prep in netflix’s ‘mother of the bride’ trailer.

Home Alone Review

01 Jan 1990

103 minutes

It’s easy to see how this cute high-concept comedy, from the fertile pen of John Hughes who adds kids to his cross section of mild middle-class American tribulation, became a minor phenomenon.  Its oh-so simple set-up — misunderstood sprog is forgotten in the family scrum to leave for a vacation, leaving him entirely to his own devices  — hits a gold seam of childhood fantasy, the wonderful collection of what-ifs of a world stripped of parental monitoring.

That it is set at Christmas adds an inspired whisp of Dickensian hardship. And that young Kevin, played with spark and comic timing by the impossibly cute Macaulay Culkin, must face off against two useless housebreakers grants the opportunity for a succession of Chuck Jones inspired hi-jinkery, giving the film a madcap energy lest it sink too deep into sentiment.

Spawning three sequels and numerous rip-offs, you could classify Home Alone as a seminal moment, but for all its naughty mania and wish fulfilment you can feel the rough gear-changes of processed scriptwriting hard-wired for effect. How we are meant to grin with infantile glee at Kevin’s unsupervised indulgences in adult videos, ice cream sundaes and interior sled-rides. And how we must chuckle and raise a cheer over his victoriously cunning booby traps, spread across his vast wood-panelled house, that leave long-suffering Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern permanently on their backsides.

It’s an ineffective cartoon form of violence where nothing, especially not criminal hide, is truly harmed. Which lands the film with an irritating but, perhaps, inevitable conceit — that it has one baby foot in the real world and one in purest fantasy. Kevin’s peril never really hits home, he just lives in a movie pitch. Otherwise, God knows the therapy he’ll need in adult life.

Related Articles

Movies | 22 12 2016

Movies | 12 10 2021

Movies | 13 08 2021

Movies | 11 12 2019

Movies | 05 11 2019

Movies | 08 08 2019

Movies | 07 08 2019

Movies | 20 12 2018

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Get the app
• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Explaining the News to Our Kids

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

Common sense media reviewers.

Family comedy has slapstick violence and language.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Family is important, though relationships can be c

Kevin is brave and resourceful, demonstrating cour

Frequent slapstick violence, especially toward the

Adult characters kiss on the lips. Kevin finds an

Language includes "s--t," "crap," "horse's ass," "

Brands shown and mentioned include Pepsi, American

Brief shots of minor characters (adults) drinking

Parents need to know that Home Alone is a hit 1990 John Hughes-directed holiday comedy in which a young boy named Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) is left to fend for himself when his harried parents mistakenly leave him behind during a family trip. Expect disrespect between kids and adults and sibling name-calling…

Positive Messages

Family is important, though relationships can be complicated. Love and forgiveness outweigh petty arguments. Initial judgments of others can be misleading. Believing in yourself can help conquer fears and meet challenges. Crime doesn't pay. But the movie also suggests that violence toward others is acceptable in certain circumstances.

Positive Role Models

Kevin is brave and resourceful, demonstrating courage and perseverance. He also learns to be more thoughtful and kind toward others. But he's pretty vicious in his attacks on the burglars and puts himself in dangerous situations. He also talks back to his parents and family members. Adult characters are questionable role models: Kevin's mother speaks quite harshly to him at one point, though later she shows genuine worry and remorse, going to great lengths to get to him as quickly as possible. The two burglars are greedy, threatening, show no concern for others; they're portrayed as arrogant and easily fooled. A neighbor shows unexpected kindness and insight, even though he is harshly judged by the film's kids. Overwhelmed adults and bratty kids are painted in a harsh light -- the name-calling and arguing is nonstop. Gender stereotypes are reinforced via children's toys and language from teens, such as "babes."

Violence & Scariness

Frequent slapstick violence, especially toward the end. Bullying among siblings, particularly from Kevin's older brother, Buzz. Adults fall down stairs, get hit with blunt objects, step on nails and glass, get burned, have a tarantula placed on their face, and are knocked unconscious with a snow shovel. Injury detail is shown, including burns to hand and head. The lead character, a young boy, shoots a thief in the groin area with a BB gun, which he carries around for a prolonged period and shoots at other objects. He watches a mafia-themed movie in which a character kills another with a machine gun while laughing maniacally, with the body seen convulsing on the floor riddled with bullets. An imaginary scene shows a furnace growling and talking in a threatening way. Passing mentions of murder, corpses, death by suicide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Adult characters kiss on the lips. Kevin finds an old Playboy magazine but isn't very interested in it. Teens make reference to "nude beaches" and whether French "babes" shave their armpits.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Language includes "s--t," "crap," "horse's ass," "keister," "butt," "shoot," "bitch," "damn," and "hell." Siblings pick on their little brother, calling him a "disease" and "puke." Other name-calling includes "idiot," "jerk," "dope," "brat," "creep," "moron," and "phlegm wad."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Brands shown and mentioned include Pepsi, American Airlines, Micro Machines, Junior Mints, Twinkies, Tic Tac mints, Toyota, Crunch Tators, Hershey's Syrup, Tropicana, Tide, and Dodge.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Brief shots of minor characters (adults) drinking and smoking, including a man dressed as Santa smoking a cigarette. Champagne drinking on a plane.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Home Alone is a hit 1990 John Hughes -directed holiday comedy in which a young boy named Kevin ( Macaulay Culkin ) is left to fend for himself when his harried parents mistakenly leave him behind during a family trip. Expect disrespect between kids and adults and sibling name-calling early in the movie: Kevin is called a "disease" and "puke" by his older siblings and even a "little jerk" by his uncle, while Kevin talks back to his mother. There's no diversity (all characters are White and mostly male), and there's a ton of slapstick violence: Kevin trips would-be burglars down a flight of stairs, burns them, hits them with heavy objects, places sharp items on the ground for them to step on, and shoots them with a BB gun. Dangerous behavior with no real consequences includes Kevin sledding down the stairs and out the front door or going out shopping and walking alone after dark. Kevin also is shown watching a violent gangster movie that involves a character being repeatedly shot with a machine gun. He finds an issue of Playboy in a secret stash in his older brother's room but doesn't express much interest in it. Profanity includes "ass," "bitch," "damn," "hell," and "s--t." Overall, the movie is fun for kids and adults, but the violence and language make it inappropriate for younger children. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (76)
• Kids say (267)

Based on 76 parent reviews

Adult subject matter disguised a kids' flick

Intense but funny christmas movie, what's the story.

HOME ALONE is the story of 8-year-old Kevin ( Macaulay Culkin ), a mischievous kid who feels largely ignored by his large extended family. While everyone is preparing for a Christmas vacation in Paris, Kevin gets in trouble, is banished to the attic overnight, and wishes his family would just disappear. He gets his wish the next morning when they mistakenly leave him behind. At first Kevin is elated -- but pretty soon he realizes that being home alone isn't all it's cracked up to be. He misses his mom (who tries any and every means of getting home to her son) and even his brother, who bullies him. With all of the block's other families also away, Kevin has no one to turn to. Meanwhile, a pair of bumbling burglars played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern take advantage of the situation by pillaging the neighborhood. It's up to Kevin to defend his home, using every prank in his well-stocked arsenal. A bevy of violent, slapstick, wince-inducing episodes ensues as Kevin fights to foil the burglars' plans.

Is It Any Good?

This is a good-natured, albeit unrealistic, family film that both kids and adults will enjoy if they're OK with the violence, profanity, and disrespectful behavior. Its endearing story and a charming performance by Culkin make Home Alone a standout among the usual holiday movie fare. Without resorting to the all-too-adult double entendres that dominate many family films, this one focuses more on slapstick humor and innocence to convey its story. That said, that very reliance on slapstick does mean it's chock-full of wince-inducing violence. It's not for the weak-stomached and definitely requires some major suspension of disbelief.

Home Alone 's runaway success upon release was due largely to its players, most notably Culkin. Previously cast in supporting roles in movies such as Rocket Gibraltar and Uncle Buck , Culkin is Home Alone 's main attraction. Appearing in nearly every scene, he maintains a level of consistency that's a testament to both his talent and that of director Chris Columbus ( Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone , Mrs. Doubtfire ). Catherine O'Hara ( Best in Show , SCTV) does a fine job as Kevin's overwrought, guilt-ridden mom, and Pesci and Stern have great chemistry and handle the physical comedy with aplomb. Another performance of note is John Candy 's cameo as Polka Band Shuttle Chief Gus Polanski. Although his role is brief, he nearly steals the show.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about whether they think the slapstick violence in Home Alone is funny. How do you feel about laughing when someone gets hurt? Is it ever appropriate?

With younger kids, parents may want to discuss the steps they should take in the event they ever do get left alone, especially if they sense they're in danger.

In the film, Kevin decides to take on the burglars and wins. Instead of attempting to stop them on his own, how could he have sought help?

How does Kevin demonstrate perseverance and courage in Home Alone ? Why are these important character strengths ?

Movie Details

• In theaters : November 10, 1990
• On DVD or streaming : October 5, 1999
• Cast : Daniel Stern , Joe Pesci , Macaulay Culkin
• Director : Chris Columbus
• Studio : Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
• Genre : Family and Kids
• Topics : Holidays
• Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance
• Run time : 103 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• MPAA explanation : Se insta a los padres a dar "orientación paterna". Puede contener algún material que no guste a los padres para sus hijos pequeños.
• Last updated : February 20, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

A Christmas Story

Best holiday movies for kids, best holiday tv specials, related topics.

• Perseverance

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

• DVD & Streaming
• Comedy , Kids

Content Caution

In Theaters

• November 16, 1990
• Macaulay Culkin as Kevin; Joe Pesci as Harry; Daniel Stern as Marv; Catherine O’Hara as Kate; John Heard as Peter; Roberts Blossom as Marley; Devin Ratray as Buzz; Angela Goethals as Linnie; Gerry Bamman as Uncle Frank; Hillary Wolf as Megan; John Candy as Gus Polinski; Michael C. Maronna as Jeff; Kristin Minter as Heather; Kieran Culkin as Fuller

Home Release Date

• November 13, 2020
• Chris Columbus

Distributor

• 20th Century Fox

Movie Review

“Kevin, you’re such a disease .”

“You’re what the French call ‘ les incompetents ’.”

“Kevin, I’m going to feed you to my tarantula.”

That’s just a snippet of what 8-year-old Kevin McCallister has heard all day from his brothers, sisters and cousins as they prepare for their next-day flight to Paris to celebrate Christmas. It’s like the whole family collectively decided to make the boy their verbal punching bag. And sure , maybe Kevin was getting on everyone’s nerves the whole day. But in his mind, he’s completely innocent.

During dinner, though, Kevin’s oldest brother, Buzz, goes one taunt too far. Kevin’s had it. He slams himself into his brother, knocking over the milk and soaking the plane tickets. In the chaos, Kevin’s father doesn’t notice when he accidentally throws one of the tickets into the trash as Kevin’s mother, Kate, marches the boy to his room, leaving Buzz unpunished and Kevin fuming.

“I don’t want to see you again for the rest of my whole life !” Kevin shouts at his family.

“I hope you don’t mean that,” Kate responds. “You’d feel pretty sad if you woke up tomorrow morning, and you didn’t have a family.”

Well, when Kevin wakes up, his whole family is gone. A storm in the night knocked out the power, so they all overslept and had to rush to the airport to make the flight. And in a series of unfortunate events, they accidentally forgot Kevin, leaving him home alone.

Kevin learns that his mother was wrong. He’s happy they’re gone … at least, for a little while. But soon, he starts to miss them—and more than anything, he’d like to have all of them—even Buzz —back.

Especially when some opportunistic burglars think his house is empty and decide to break in.

Positive Elements

Lots of things go wrong in order for Kevin to be accidentally left behind while the rest of the family flies to Paris. Midway through the flight, however, Kate realizes the horrible mistake and, for the rest of the film, fights to get home as quickly as possible. To that end, she’s helped by quite a few people who are willing to go out of their way to get her there.

Meanwhile, Kevin’s actually doing pretty well for himself. He learns how to take care of himself, going to the grocery store and doing his laundry, even overcoming his fear of the basement furnace.

However, though Kevin learns a bit of responsibility, he ultimately misses his family dearly—even family members he sometimes argues with. He asks a man if Santa could bring his family back; and he realizes that he has said and done things that were selfish and rude, wishing he could make up with them.

Due to a fictional story by Buzz, Kevin is afraid of his neighbor, Mr. Marley. But when the two eventually talk, he realizes that Mr. Marley is a kind man. The two are able to give each other advice and encourage one another to reconnect with their respective families.

Spiritual Elements

Kevin spends some time in a church, where a choir sings “O Holy Night.” While there, he runs into Mr. Marley, who tells him that church is “the place to be if you’re feeling bad about yourself.” The church contains a nativity scene where Kevin hides at one point. Later, Kevin prays and crosses himself.

Kate tells a man that she’ll make it home to Kevin even if she has to sell her soul to the devil to do so. A fictional movie is titled “Angels with Filthy Souls.”

Sexual Content

Kevin finds a Playboy magazine in Buzz’s room before tossing it over his shoulder. Buzz likewise has posters of women in bikinis hanging up in his room. Buzz asks his cousin if French women shave their armpits, and he asks about nude beaches.

Violent Content

The two burglars, Harry and Marv, storm the McCallister house, and Kevin sets up many traps to slow their assault. Some of these traps are minor, with one covering Harry in feathers.

But others, were this not a movie, could be lethal, such as when Harry is treated to a blowtorch to the head. The burglars are shot in the forehead and crotch with a BB gun; fall onto hard concrete after slipping on ice; get hit in the head with an iron and paint cans; step on a nail and broken Christmas ornaments; and other painful pratfalls. Harry brands his hand on a heated metal doorknob. Marv smacks Harry in the chest with a crowbar in trying to kill a spider. At one point, the two get knocked out.

All of these injuries enrage the two would-be thieves, causing them to utter death threats about Kevin, including how they’ll bite off his fingers or do especially bad things to his male anatomy. And when they cannot figure out where Kevin escaped to, Marv casually wonders if Kevin committed suicide. A man’s bandaged hand shows a little blood from an injury.

Buzz tells Kevin a rumor about how Mr. Marley killed his family, as well as half the people on his old neighborhood block, with a snow shovel. Kevin attacks Buzz. In an old black-and-white movie which Kevin frequently plays, a man shoots another with a gun.

Crude or Profane Language

The s-word is used once. “H—” is uttered six times. We also hear “a–,” “d–n” and “crap.” God’s name is misused once. Additionally, we hear childish insults such as “idiot” and “puke-breath.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

A man smokes. Someone drinks champagne. A TV show portrays an intoxicated Santa.

Other Negative Elements

Some of Kevin’s relatives say pretty cruel things to him, and Kevin treats them poorly, too.

Kevin steals an item while trying to flee a man, and he runs from a pursuing police officer.

“I made my family disappear,” Kevin McCallister says with a smirk.

Perhaps you’ve had moments in your life when understood exactly how Kevin felt. Something like this: Finally. No more family drama, cruel words or overbearing rules.

But if there’s one thing this 1990 classic teaches us, it’s that families are critically important—no matter how much we might disagree with that sentiment in those moments of anger and strife. Even though having annoying relatives might require enduring such moments, Home Alone ultimately shows how a family truly rooted in love will forgive and endure all things.

Much of what you’ll need to endure in Home Alone , however, is all that comedic violence. At times, the painful shenanigans we witness can feel cringe-inducing. Still, I wonder if the deepest wounds Marv and Harry will carry after their failed siege of Kevin’s house are the bruises to their egos.

On top of that, you’ll hear some mild profanity, too. Still, if you are in the mood for a Joe Pesci film, Home Alone is the tamest you’ll find.

Kennedy Unthank

Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He doesn’t think the ending of Lost was “that bad.”

Latest Reviews

Wicked Little Letters

Someone Like You

Weekly reviews straight to your inbox.

Pioneering the Future of AI-Enhanced Storytelling

Revisiting a Christmas classic.

So, it's that time again.

Inspired by a text from Dramatica Story Expert Mike Wollaeger and the work I'm doing writing a family holiday feature, I recently revisited the storyform for Home Alone .

We analyzed the film as a collective group two years ago. Throughout several hundred posts, we eventually came to classify conflict in the Objective Story Throughline in the Mind Domain. In other words, we defined Home Alone as a story about prejudice—not a kid left by himself to defend his home over the holidays.

Story experts? Not quite.

The Growth of a Theory

So much is different with the Dramatica theory of story than where it was only a year ago. The Genre/Subgenre concept featured in Subtxt earlier this Spring identified close to one-hundred separate "Personalities" of story. The Relationship Story Throughline is now about a relationship —any relationship—regardless of whether or not it includes both Main and Obstacle Character.

Both advancements impact the initial analysis of this film .

The Personality of Story Structure

Home Alone's personality is Holiday Comedy. Put that into Subtxt, and you find the The Simpson's Christmas Special and The Santa Clause alongside Home Alone.

Neither finds the Objective Story Throughline in Mind. Neither features a Main Character Approach of Be-er.

In fact, if you asked me off the top of my head the storyform for an idea like Home Alone , I would quickly respond with the Objective Story in Universe and the Main Character in Physics —from a Genre context. This is where one finds the personality of the story structure. "Home alone" screams Universe, and Kevin slapping his face and learning to shop for himself begs for a Main Character Concern of Learning (itself found under the Domain of Physics).

This approach of looking to the personality first when defining structure is essential. Genre is not talked about much when it comes to analysis and Dramatica, and it should—the Domains literally set the stage for everything else that follows.

Using the Right Lens

So much of what we identify as problematic is at the base level of character. Motivational elements like Pursuit and Avoid, Faith, and Disbelief—these forces drive a narrative from the ground up.

But if you look closer at that bottom level, you will find fixed attitude-like elements in every domain: even the external ones like Universe.

And this was the source of our first misattribution error.

Scope and resolution are of the utmost importance when looking to identify the source of imbalance in a narrative. Knowledge, Thought, Ability, and Desire exist at every level. The question is: what exactly are you looking for when you look to what is problematic? Are you looking at the overall personality of the piece? Or are you seeing something much more granular?

Nasty fixed attitudes like those found in Home Alone could be classified under the Mind Domain— if you're looking at Genre. Doubt or 12 Angry Men possess that kind of structural identity. Likewise, an issue of Appraisal could easily be indicative of a problematic point-of-view—as could an issue of Analysis, which exists under the Physics Domain.

Read the definition of Analysis , Appraisal , or even Evaluation , and you would be hard-pressed to find a difference—unless you knew what you were looking for.

I've seen this come up numerous times in my work with hundreds of writers over the past four years. They ratchet it on one particular element or understanding, without taking into account the entire storyform and all its Storypoints.

More importantly, they don't take into account what all those Storypoints mean when placed together within the singular context of the story.

And I've seen it in myself as well.

That initial analysis led many astray when it came to understanding Dramatica—and getting it right is my sole purpose with both Narrative First and Subtxt.

All is not lost.

We were just focused on the particulars, rather than the Storymind as a whole.

Seeing the Right Source of Conflict

All the examples stated in the original analysis for why we thought the story was in the Mind Domain could just be as quickly defined as an Objective Story Problem of Evaluation —

—as seen within the Domain of Universe under an Issue of Attempt.

Calling Kevin out, mean and hurtful judgments, underestimating a child—those work better as instances of character motivation, not overall personality. Holiday Comedies are almost always about someone out of place with the seasonal spirit. Home Alone is no exception.

Our initial analysis found the Objective Story in Mind and the Main Character in Psychology. That's Hamlet territory. That's Amadeus and A Separation and When Marnie Was There . Not Home Alone.

Genre and Subgenre and Personality needs to be a part of the conversation during any analysis because sometimes we can get caught up seeing the forest for the trees. Yes, fixed attitudes could be driving conflict in a story—but is that really a Genre-level concern? Or is it something more fundamental to the drive of the story?

When the Pieces Fall into Place

Balancing Genre with this distinct narrative Element of Evaluation, we find Obstacle Character "Old Man" Marley in Conceiving . With Deficiency as an Issue. And Reduction as his Source of Drive .

What better way to describe an enigma now defined as a scary story—rather than a father estranged from his son? What better way to influence a child who focuses on the lack of what is there than an example of someone who suffers from the same?

The most important revelation of this new take, however, is the relationship between mother and the son—the real heart of Home Alone.

Getting to the Heart of a Story

With the previous assumption that the Relationship Story Throughline was always the "emotional battleground" between Main and Obstacle Character, we were forced to find some way to shoehorn a "neighbors" relationship between Kevin and Marley into the narrative structure.

Now, with the Relationship focused more accurately on the development and growth of an intimate bond between two, we quickly see the exploration of an inequitable bond in the mother/son relationship.

We see stubbornness in Mind . We see inconsiderate words in terms of Conscious. And we see Doubt in light of their bond ever heading in the right direction.

More importantly, we see Problem and Solution in the actual dialogue of the film:

I hope that you don't mean that. You'd feel pretty sad if you woke up tomorrow morning and you didn't have a family." "No I wouldn't" answers Kevin. "Then say it again. Maybe it will happen."

That's a Relationship Story Problem of Probability . Mother and son don't see eye-to-eye on what is most likely to happen.

Kevin is in his parent's bed under the red covers with his green robe lying across the bed. He awakes and sees that it is snowing. It's Christmas morning. "Mom!" shouts Kevin. Kevin runs down stairs calling for his mother, but she's not there. He is alone in the big empty house, and he is disappointed. He opens the front door and looks outside at the snow. He closes the door and goes back inside of the house.

That's a Relationship Story Solution of Possibility in the relationship.

And it's solidified when Mom impossibly shows up a few minutes later.

Major Plot Points and Context

Another thing not quite in sync with this new understanding is the Story Driver of Home Alone. Commonly referred to as the major Plot Points of a story, the Story Drivers signal a shift in concern to the Audience. Whether Actions driving decisions, or Decisions leading actions, these dynamic events mark new territory within a narrative.

Story Drivers and the Objective Story Throughline are tied together. When you switch the context from an internal fixed Domain (Mind) to an external fixed Domain (Universe), the context for why the Transits move from one concern to another switches as well. What worked in one context, no longer holds up under the new.

In addition, the Story Drivers drive the order of concerns within a narrative. A story driven by Actions will naturally follow a different path than that same story driven by Decisions.

With the Objective Story Throughline now in Universe, the Act order for the Relationship Story Throughline plays out like this when driven by Decisions:

• Act One: Memory
• Act Two: Preconscious
• Act Three: Subconscious
• Act Four: Conscious

Doesn’t quite feel right for the growth of the maternal relationship in Home Alone.

That same story now driven by Actions instead of Decisions:

• 1: Conscious
• 3: Preconscious
• 4: Subconscious

From we can’t stand each other (Conscious) to we love each other dearly (Subconscious), the Story Driver of Action simply makes more sense for Home Alone .

Emotional sense.

An Accurate Understanding of Narrative

As mentioned in my recent post about the living and breathing nature of what we do here is our own ability to Re-evaluate as story experts. Like Kevin, when we see things in a different light and are willing to re-appraise, we Learn differently.

That's why I suggest shifting to this new storyform , and recommend that both Genre and Subgenre become an essential part of any future analysis.

There is a precedent for this kind of thing. The official storyform for Terminator changed. As did The Sixth Sense . And Reservoir Dogs ). And Toy Story ).

The new official storyform for Home Alone corrects these original mistakes:

::premise Abandon listening to criticism and you can put someone's house in order. ::

Special Note: In the post above, I acted as if the Relationship Story Problem of Probability and the Relationship Story Solution of Possibility were absolute confirmation that this new Storyform was the real Storyform.

Making the changes into Subtxt , I discovered that the old storyform contained the same exact Problem and Solution for the Relationship Story Throughline.

Interesting that, intuitively, we felt those were the correct Elements in the initial analysis—we just assigned them to the wrong relationship. And even more strange that altering the classification of the Domains kept the same Elements.

Regardless, the more we understand what is going on, the more accurately we can assign these storyforms and apply the Dramatica theory of story.

This isn't dogma—we're not stuck in some dramatic Mind fixed attitude. We're on a fun adventure of discovery and enlightenment. We're learning how to approach narrative in a way that has never been done before throughout all of human history.

And that's pretty damn exciting.

Download the FREE e-book Never Trust a Hero

Don't miss out on the latest in narrative theory and storytelling with artificial intelligence. Subscribe to the Narrative First newsletter below and receive a link to download the 20-page e-book, Never Trust a Hero .

THE ALGONQUIN HARBINGER

• Movies & TV

REVIEW: ‘Home Alone’ remains a holiday classic

Courtesty 20th Century Studios

Staff Writer Hannah O’Grady writes that “Home Alone” remains a holiday classic, even 30 years after its release.

Hannah O’Grady , Staff Writer December 22, 2021

With humor, heart and a killer score, the 1990 classic “Home Alone” is a fantastic Christmas film.

The film, written by John Hughes (best known for “The Breakfast Club” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”) and directed by Chris Colombus, is set in Chicago and follows eight-year old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin), who is accidentally left home alone, as he fights to protect his house from two determined, albeit not very clever, burglars. The adventure is full of slapstick humor and clever lines, and the movie’s ability to not take itself too seriously is its greatest strength.

The movie opens in the McCallister household, as the family prepares to leave for a Christmas vacation in Paris. Following an argument between Kevin and his mother Kate (Catherine O’Hara) and a neighborhood-wide power outage, the family oversleeps and forgets to wake up Kevin in their hurry to the airport. 

Initially ecstatic to have the house to himself, Kevin takes advantage of his newfound freedom, before something throws a wrench in his plan: burglars Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) are planning to rob the McCallister home. The movie follows Kevin’s attempts to protect himself and his house and his family’s efforts to reunite with him.

Humor is by far the most endearing element of this film. Kevin’s antics, which include sledding indoors and eating junk food, are a joy to watch, largely because of the youthful energy that Culkin brings to his role. Meanwhile, Pesci and Stern are also successful in generating laughs. The grouchy, irritable aura of Pesci’s character paired with the simple-mindedness of Stern’s create a hilarious, if sometimes over the top, dynamic. The scenes in which the two bandits face off against young, inventive Kevin are highlights of the movie, allowing all three performers to shine in moments of witty banter and pure slapstick comedy.

The thing that ties everything together is John Williams’s brilliant score.

Some of the characters are a bit too much at times, most notably Kevin’s older brother Buzz (Devin Ratray) and Uncle Frank (Gerry Bamman), who are an over-the-top kind of mean. However, the actors intentionally lean into the over-the-top nature, and their characters come across as more comical than harshly intimidating. 

The thing that ties everything together is John Williams’s brilliant score. His orchestration creates a distinctly holiday sound with the bells and the celeste—instruments that are linked to other iconic holiday scores such as Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker.” Williams’s themes elevate both the story and the characters. Harry and Marv’s theme in particular—a low, bouncy motif played on the bass clarinet and bassoon—is memorable because it matches the comical energy of the duo. The icing on the cake is an original carol titled “Somewhere in My Memory,” which paints a beautiful picture of the importance of connection during the holidays. 

“Home Alone” has stood the test of time, and remains a fun, humorous watch. This lighthearted adventure is sure to leave viewers of all ages with a smile on their faces, whether they are watching it for the first time, or have made it a holiday tradition. The movie can be streamed on Disney+.

More Holiday Movie Reviews

REVIEW: 'Die Hard,' the most unorthodox Christmas movie

REVIEW: 'Christmas Vacation' brings holiday cheer through over-the-top humor

The Holiday (2006)

Holiday binging: Top five films for the holidays

REVIEW: ‘Die Hard,’ the most unorthodox Christmas movie

REVIEW: ‘Christmas Vacation’ brings holiday cheer through over-the-top humor

A donation of $40 or more includes a subscription to the 2023-24 print issues of The Harbinger. We will mail a copy of our fall, winter, spring and graduation issues to the recipient of your choice. Your donation supports the student journalists of Algonquin Regional High School and allows our extracurricular publication to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

• The Great Debate: Should modern literature replace the classics in English class?
• Limitations are necessary for freedom of speech
• Mocking accents spreads unjust, offensive stereotypes
• Oscars 2024 Nominations And Predictions
• Excessive homework negatively impacts mental health, causes unnecessary stress
• The Ultimate Girl Scout Cookie Guide

What is the best part of spring?

• Sun and warmer weather
• Flowers and nature blooming
• Spring sports
• School is almost over!

View Results

• Polls Archive

SLIDESHOW: Music and Cultural Festival showcases a world of talent

The Racer Ru-view: Week Ten

The Racer Ru-view: Week Nine

REVIEW: ‘Better Call Saul’ delivers excellence for compelling narrative

Senior performs as part of band ‘Volcano Girls’

Annual Music and Cultural Festival brings unity, pride to celebrate diverse cultures

Honoring the Arts

REVIEW: Level 99 provides unlimited fun for anyone

SLIDESHOW: Students take center stage at Algonquin’s Got Talent

The Racer Ru-view: Week Eight

The official student news site of Algonquin Regional High School in Northborough, MA

• Corrections

Comments (0)

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• The Great Debate
• Senior Issue
• Video Games
• Pro & College
• Cafe Takeaways
• Chicken Sandwich Chasers
• Club Detectors
• Hidden Gems
• The Racer Ru-view
• Print Issues

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

• An eight-year-old troublemaker, mistakenly left home alone, must defend his home against a pair of burglars on Christmas Eve.
• It is Christmas time and the McCallister family is preparing for a vacation in Paris, France. But the youngest in the family, Kevin (Macaulay Culkin), got into a scuffle with his older brother Buzz (Devin Ratray) and was sent to his room, which is on the third floor of his house. Then, the next morning, while the rest of the family was in a rush to make it to the airport on time, they completely forgot about Kevin, who now has the house all to himself. Being home alone was fun for Kevin, having a pizza all to himself, jumping on his parents' bed, and making a mess. Then, Kevin discovers about two burglars, Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), about to rob his house on Christmas Eve. Kevin acts quickly by wiring his own house with makeshift booby traps to stop the burglars and to bring them to justice. — John Wiggins
• It's Christmas time and the McCallister family is preparing to head to Paris for vacation. Eight-year-old Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) is the black sheep of the house, who is regularly picked on by his siblings and cousins, and his parents are annoyed by his antics. Kevin finds himself forced to sleep on the third floor of the house. The next day, the McCallisters accidentally sleep in and barely make it to their flight, but when airborne they realize they forgot Kevin. As his family desperately tries to book a flight back to Chicago, Kevin is thrilled to have the house to himself. However, a pair of burglars named Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) have robbed several houses in the neighborhood and now have their sights on the McCallister house. It's up to Kevin to thwart them. — Sam
• At fever pitch for the long-awaited Christmas vacation in picturesque Paris, the McCallister family inadvertently leave behind their eight-year-old son, Kevin, while rushing off to catch their plane. With his parents already in France, much to his delight, young Kevin can finally indulge himself in all the guilty pleasures he was denied, unbeknownst to him that a criminal duo of not-so-capable burglars is preying on the neighbourhood's vacant houses. Of course, the McCallisters' residence is no exception, and before long, the dauntless robbers will visit Kevin, keen on cleaning out his seemingly uninhabited home. Is Kevin, the man of the house, prepared to defend his castle? — Nick Riganas
• Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) is an arrogant eight-year-old boy who hates the fact that he lives in a family who constantly bullies him. While his family leaves for their Paris Christmas vacation, they leave him behind by accident. Despite this, Kevin makes the best of this situation, as he finally earns the freedom he's always wished for by jumping on beds, eating ice cream, watching gangster movies, and doing whatever he pleases. However, two robbers, the ever so stupid Marv (Daniel Stern) and his right-hand man, the highly intelligent Harry (Joe Pesci) invade his neighborhood by stealing precious valuables of his neighbors. Now, it's up to Kevin to save the day. He must save his house from being robbed before it's too late with a series of traps. Will he win? Will he get his family back? — Carl Cornell
• The McCallister family is preparing to spend Christmas in Paris, gathering at Peter (John Heard) and Kate's home (Catherine O'Hara) in a Chicago suburb on the night before their departure. Peter and Kate's youngest son, Kevin (Macaulay Culkin), is the subject of ridicule by his older siblings. Later, Kevin accidentally ruins the family dinner (when he attacks Buzz for eating his plain cheese pizza) and their flight tickets to Paris (the scuffle pours Pepsi all over the tickets and the passport) after a scuffle with his older brother Buzz (Devin Ratray), resulting in him getting sent to the attic of the house as a punishment, where he berates Kate and wishes that his family would disappear. Family includes Kevin's older sister Linnie (Angela Goethals), Jeff (Michael C. Maronna), Kevin's older brother and oldest sister Megan (Hillary Wolf). Uncle Frank (Gerry Bamman), Peter's rude older brother and Aunt Leslie (Terrie Snell). Heather (Kristin Minter), Kevin's oldest cousin. Sondra (Daiana Campeanu), Kevin's older cousin. Rod (Jedidiah Cohen), Kevin's older cousin. Fuller (Kieran Culkin), Kevin's youngest cousin. Tracy (Senta Moses), Kevin's older cousin. Brook (Anna Slotky), Kevin's younger cousin. Steffan (Matt Doherty), Kevin's older cousin. Uncle Rob (Ray Toler), Kevin's uncle, younger brother of Peter and Uncle Frank, and father of Heather and Steffan. Georgette (Virginia Smith), Kevin's aunt. During the night, heavy winds damage the power lines, which causes a power outage and resets the alarm clocks, causing the family to oversleep. In the confusion and rush to get to the airport, Kevin is accidentally left behind (Mitch Murphy (Jeffrey Wiseman), an eight-year-old neighbor of the McCallisters whom Heather mistakes for Kevin during the headcount). Kevin wakes to find the house empty and, thinking that his wish has come true, is overjoyed with his newfound freedom (Jumping on parent's bed, buzz's playboys, watching R rated movies, destroys Buzz's shelf and releases his tarantula). However, he soon becomes frightened by his next door neighbor, Old Man Marley (Roberts Blossom), who is rumored to be a serial killer who murdered his own family in 1958, as well as the "Wet Bandits", Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), a pair of burglars who have been breaking into other vacant houses in the neighborhood and have targeted the McCallisters' house (They cased it the night before they left (posing as cops) and figured the entire family is gone for the holidays to France). Kevin tricks them into thinking that his family is still home, forcing them to put their plans on hold (the first night Kevin turns the basement light on). Kate realizes mid-flight that Kevin was left behind, and upon arrival in Paris, the family discovers that all flights for the next two days are booked. Kate tries to call home, but the phone lines are down. She calls the police, who send an officer home, but Kevin thinks it's the robbers again and hides under the bed. The police think no-one is home. Peter and the rest of the family stay in his brother's apartment in Paris, while Kate manages to get a flight back to the United States (Dallas), but only gets as far as Scranton, Pennsylvania. She attempts to book a flight to Chicago, but again, everything is booked. Unable to accept this, Kate is overheard by Gus Polinski (John Candy), the lead member of a traveling polka band, who offers to let her travel with them to Chicago on their way to Milwaukee in a moving van, which she gratefully accepts. Meanwhile, Harry and Marv finally realize that Kevin is home alone (Harry and Marv hear Peter's message on the answering machine in the house next door they are robbing and are again convinced that Kevin's house is empty. That day Harry and Marv run into Kevin while he is shopping and follow him. Kevin hides in a church and that night preps cardboard cutouts in his house that give the impression (from the window) that there is a big party on inside), and on Christmas Eve, Kevin overhears them discussing plans to break into his house that night (harry and Marv had stayed outside the house all night and founds no one came or went, except Kevin in the morning). Kevin starts to miss his family and asks the local Santa Claus impersonator if he could bring his family back for Christmas. He goes to church and watches a choir perform, then meets Old Man Marley, who dispels the rumors about him. He points out his granddaughter in the choir, whom he never gets to meet, as he and his son are estranged; Kevin suggests that he should reconcile with his son. Kevin returns home and rigs the house with booby traps to take on the burglars. Harry and Marv break in at 9 pm, spring the traps, and suffer various injuries. Harry and Marv try the back door, where Kevin shoots them through the kitty door in the Nards and angers them off. Harry attacks the front door and Marv the basement. Kevin had iced the front porch and hung a heater around the doorknob, blow torch that ignites when the door is opened, glue and feathers rigged to a fan, with Buzz's toy cars at the entrance. Kevin has also iced the basement entrance, hot iron rigged to a light bulb switch, big nails on tar on the basement steps. Marv tries to enter via a window and steps on Christmas ornaments. Full paint cans a lead pipe on the staircase. The tarantula plays its part, by scaring Marv and getting him to hit Harry with a pipe (while he was trying get the spider). While the duo pursues Kevin around the house, he calls the police and flees, then lures Harry and Marv into a neighboring home which they previously broke into. They ambush him and prepare to get their revenge, but Marley intervenes and knocks them unconscious with his snow shovel. The police arrive and arrest Harry and Marv, having identified all the houses that they broke into due to Marv's destructive characteristic of flooding them. On Christmas Day, Kevin is disappointed to find that his family is still gone. He then hears Kate enter the house and call for him; they reconcile and are soon joined by Peter, Buzz, Jeff, Megan, and Linnie, who waited in Paris until they could obtain a direct flight to Chicago. Kevin keeps silent about his encounter with Harry and Marv, although Peter finds Harry's knocked-out gold tooth. Kevin then observes Marley reuniting with his son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter. Marley notices Kevin, and the pair wave to each other.

Contribute to this page

• IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
• Learn more about contributing

More from this title

More to explore.

Recently viewed

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

REVIEW/FILM

REVIEW/FILM; Holiday Black Comedy For Modern Children

By Caryn James

• Nov. 16, 1990

Ask any 8-year-old what a sugarplum is and you'll get a blank stare. Kids today have tougher questions to deal with. As a little girl asks in "Home Alone," "Does Santa Claus have to go through customs?" That's the holiday spirit behind this surprisingly charming film, which may be the first Christmas black comedy for children.

Forget old-fashioned sweetness and light. Here is the story of a large suburban family that accidentally leaves its youngest child behind when it flies off to Paris for Christmas. Kevin is a wide-eyed, savvy child who responds to being the picked-on youngest of five by asking wistfully, "Why do I always get treated like scum?" One morning he wakes up alone in the slightly creepy, too-quiet house to discover his fondest wish has come true. Looking straight into the camera, he smiles and gloats, "I made my family disappear!" Kevin has the potential to be the mawkish child or the obnoxious little adult so common on screen, but he is neither. Played with great glee by Macaulay Culkin, he is a totally endearing, up-to-the-minute little boy.

Kevin's believable, smart-kid attitude is typical of the film's creators, who in the past have mined this suburban turf with mixed results. The film was written and produced by John Hughes (who made Molly Ringwald a teen-age idol in films like "16 Candles" and turned family life into a bad joke in "Uncle Buck"), and was directed by Chris Columbus ("Adventures in Baby-Sitting").

The first half of "Home Alone" is as flat and unsurprising as its cute little premise suggests. Left on his own, with the phone out of order and the neighbors away, Kevin eats junk food and accidentally sets his brother's pet spider loose -- predictable comic touches. It doesn't pay to wonder how he orders pizza without a phone. And there are lengthy, tangled scenes showing how loving parents (John Heard is Dad and Catherine O'Hara is Mom) misplace their son during a frantic race to the airport.

But in the second half, the plot becomes more outlandish, the boy a resourceful daredevil and the comedy wilder. Kevin's house is targeted by two determined but dimwitted burglars, so he sabotages the entrances, with outrageous slapstick results.

Every now and then we see his parents desperately trying to arrange a return flight. On the final leg back, Mom hitches a ride with a polka band led by John Candy, a sure sign of maternal devotion bordering on martyrdom. But Kevin is taking care of himself like a human ninja turtle, indulging in every child's fantasy of taking over the house and becoming the hero of his own adventure.

He uses gunshots on a videotape as threatening sound effects and scatters the floor with toy trucks for the robbers to trip on. He boobytraps the front stairs with ice and the back stairs with tar. As the burglars, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern (and their stunt doubles) respond exactly like cartoons. They do not just slip on the ice, they somersault over it. When Mr. Pesci's hair gets singed off the top of his scalp, he dips his head in the snow for relief. All that's missing from these cartoon scenes are stars flashing around the crooks' dazed heads.

Even so carefree and wry a comedy needs its redeeming lesson, though. For Kevin, it comes when he runs from the robbers and hides in a church, where carolers sing and where he encounters the gruff-looking old man next door -- the man seen earlier shoveling his walk and called by Kevin's older brother "The South Bend Shovel Slayer." Of course he turns out to be kinder than Santa. He and Kevin teach each other the true importance of family. Yet even this scene, the most sentimental, is not overplayed. Neither is the ending, when Kevin gets his new fondest wish -- his family reappears.

"Home Alone" does, after all, have its sweet side. But it's a side best appreciated by the kind of ultra-modern kids who might wonder about Santa's passport.

"Home Alone" is rated PG (Parental guidance suggested). There is a bit of harsh language, and some physical stunts no child should emulate.

Home Alone Directed by Chris Columbus; written and produced by John Hughes; director of photography, Julio Macat; edited by Raja Gosnell; music by John Williams; producion designer, John Muto; released by 20th Century Fox. Running time: 98 minutes. This film is rated PG. Kevin . . . Macaulay Culkin Harry . . . Joe Pesci Marv . . . Daniel Stern Peter . . . John Heard Marley . . . Roberts Blossom Kate . . . Catherine O'Hara Gus Polinski . . . John Candy Linnie . . . Angela Goethals

Home Alone Essay Questions

By chris columbus, essay questions.

These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own.

Written by Polly Barbour

What does this film teach us about the importance of family?

When Kevin first wakes up on Christmas Eve, and finds himself alone in the house, he is overjoyed, because the night before he was sent to his room, he feels, quite unjustly, since both his brother and his cousins were baiting and teasing him, but he was the one blamed for the argument because of his retaliation. He feels resentful of his family and so is happy to find that he is on his own and can do whatever he likes.

However, after he finds Old Man Marley at church, watching his granddaughter sing in the choir, he begins to realize how important his family is to him because he sees the old man's loneliness and realizes that what he and the community had considered to be a sinister persona was in fact overwhelming sadness. He finds himself telling the old man to reconcile with his son because the father son relationship is so important. This makes Kevin realize that his bond with his father, and his family, is important as well.

Kevin begins to miss his family when he wakes up on Christmas morning, and is disappointed when he wakes up and is still alone; his joy when he hears his mother come through the doorway downstairs is unconfined. When the rest of his family arrive home their reunion is happy, and even Kevin and Buzz are happy to see each other because they realize that although their predominant role in life is to annoy each other, it comes from a place of love. When Kevin sees Marley and his son greeting each other outside of the old man's house, it again emphasizes that of all of the gifts exchanged during the Christmas season, the greatest is that of love and family.

Why are the burglars called the Wet Bandits? Why is this name so important to Marv?

The burglars are nicknamed the Wet Bandits by the media because they leave the water running in the homes that they burgle. This was, of course, a complete accident, as neither Hal nor Marv would have the forethought to actually create a persona intentionally, but now that an unwitting act of forgetfulness has spawned a nickname, Marv is proud and anxious to continue creating their public profile. To this end, he is beginning to be a liability as far as breaking into homes goes; he is far more preoccupied with finding a sink that he can overflow than he is with finding the good stuff to steal, or making a quick getaway. His public identity is becoming more important to Marv than his career as a criminal, because he can see fame and possible fortune, which is extremely attractive to him.

Update this section!

You can help us out by revising, improving and updating this section.

After you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback.

Home Alone Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Home Alone is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Names of the characters.

The names of the characters who "go" on the trip include Peter McAllister (father), Kate McAllister (mother), Linnie, Buzz, and Megan.

Names of Kevin’s siblings

Essay Writing

I'm sorry, this is a short-answer literature forun designed for text specific questions. We are unable to assist students with writing assignments or essays.

Study Guide for Home Alone

Home Alone study guide contains a biography of Chris Columbus, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Home Alone
• Home Alone Summary
• Character List
• Director's Influence

Wikipedia Entries for Home Alone

• Introduction

• Social Sciences

Home Alone: The Movie Review

Format: APA

Academic level: College

Paper type: Movie Review

Words: 1111

Downloads: 0

The storyline is centered on a boy called Kevin McCallister who is mistakenly left behind by his parents who fly to Paris for their Christmas holidays. Kevin at first welcomes the idea of having to stay back home alone but soon is he subjected to content with two burglars. The prospect of staying alone in the home was fun for Kevin as he could eat the pizza all by himself, make a mess of the house, and even jump on his parents' bed. The two burglars in the name of Harry and Marv were on a mission of robbing the house during the Christmas Eve. Kevin, therefore, has to do all he can to ensure that the burglars do not break into the house. He, therefore, hatches a plan to trick the two thieves that the whole family is around. He wires the house with temporary booby traps to stop the burglars and possibly bring them to justice. When Harry and Marv break into the house, they are trapped and suffer multiple injuries in the process ( Pierson, 2017). 

Meanwhile, Kevin decides to call the police who arrive in time to arrest the burglars and in turn identified all the houses that they have ever robbed. Kate, his mother, on the other hand, is on a flight back after realizing midflight that Kevin was had not traveled with the rest of the family. Her mother arrives back home finding him alone and makes arrangements to rejoin the rest of the family members. The main character in the movie is Kevin, and he is the main contributor to the conflict in the movie. After an altercation with his elder brother, he moves to a different room where the rest of the family forgets about him while rushing to catch a plane to Paris. 

Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.

Aggression 

In psychology, aggression means any behavior that might harm an individual who did not intend to be harmed. According to Krahé (2013), the characteristics of aggression include the fact that they are intentional and are meant to harm an individual and secondly, they act to violate the rules and norms of a certain society. Aggressions are also responsible for impairing one's social, academic, and the workplace life. Mummendey (2012) pointed out that aggression can be physical, verbal, mental, and emotional. Reasons that can be used to justify aggression include expression of anger, asserting dominance, responding to pain, and competing with others among a host of other reasons. There are two types of aggressions namely impulsive and instrumental aggression. Impulsive aggression is characterized by strong emotions with anger being the most dominant. Smith et al. asserted that Instrumental aggression, on the other hand, includes behaviors that are intended to achieve a bigger goal. It is normally planned and therefore has a means to an end. 

In the movie ‘’Home Alone,’’ both the two types of aggressions manifest. Kevin, the main character of the movie is eight years old and is normally picked on by his cousins and siblings. His parents are also not pleased with his antics. All these make him sleep on the third floor of the house. It is a scuffle with his older brother that sent him to hide in his room on the third floor and thereby subsequently missing on the journey to Paris. This is an example of impulsive aggression that is directly meted against Kevin especially by his cousin. The two burglars depicted an instrumental aggression against Kevin through their planned burglary on their house after finding out that the boy is home all alone. The goal of the aggressors in this case the burglars were to take advantage of the larger family's absence to obtain material wealth from the house. 

Parenting Style 

In psychology, the major parenting styles include authoritative, permissive, neglectful, and authoritarian. Each style possesses a different characteristic and brings varied reaction on the child which it is used on. Larzelere et al . (2013) asserted that the most beneficial and effecting parenting style is regarded to be the authoritative style. The parents express high expectations for their children. On the other hand, the most harmful parenting style that can be used on the child is the neglectful style. Such a parenting mechanism is characterized by an unhealthy relationship between the parent and the child. According to Heine (2015), permissive parents are overly lenient and in most cases avoid confrontation while the authoritarian parents are usually strict, demanding, but hardly responsive. Kevin's parents as shown in the movie has blatantly demonstrated how neglecting they can be to their youngest child. During their departure, both of the parents could not notice that one of their children was missing until midflight in their journey. Therefore, the two parents without any doubt have shown to adopt the neglecting style of parenting which seems to work well with Kevin who relished the freedom that he gets while at home alone. He uses the opportunity to eat pizza all on his own and also to play on his parent’s bed. 

Resilience 

In psychology, resilience is the ability to adapt despite the presence of adversity, tragedy, trauma, stress, and threats ( Fletcher & Sarkar, 2013). It involves bouncing back from a hard experience. It involves thoughts, behaviors, and actions that an individual can develop in dealing with hard times. Masten (2014) pointed out that resilience is characterized by making realistic plans and undertaking them, positive view of oneself and confidence in their abilities and strengths, and various problem-solving skills. It also involves good communication and managing impulses and other strong feelings. Kevin is an example of an individual who was resilient in the face of adversaries created by his parent's departure. The two burglars had hatched a plan on how they would rob their house on the realization that he was all by himself. Instead, he adapted and hatched a plan where he installed makeshift booby traps that helped in injuring the thieves and subsequently went ahead to call the police. One of the ways in building resilience is through making connections. Kevin created connections with Old Man Marley who helped him immensely in tracking down the burglars. Other ways of building resilience include taking decisive decisions, looking for opportunities, and nurturing positivity in oneself. 

The movie is very successful in depicting the concepts of resilience, aggression, and parenting style. All these are manifested via the main character Kevin who is abandoned by his parents who take off to Paris leaving him with no option but to adapt to what comes his way. However, certain changes could be made on the film to make it conform more to the concept and the empirical understanding of development. The plot of the movie could have included more insights on the relationship between Kevin and his parents in assisting the audience to develop a conclusive parenting style that was exhibited by the parents. The movie could also highlight more on the relationship between Kevin and his siblings hence depicting more on the nature of aggressiveness. I am not left with any questions concerning the concepts described because their explanation is clear and the movie has played a critical role in giving a real-life perspective of their application. 

References  

Fletcher, D., & Sarkar, M. (2013). Psychological resilience. European Psychologist . 

Heine, S. J. (2015). Cultural Psychology: Third International Student Edition . WW Norton & Company. 

Krahé, B. (2013). The social psychology of aggression . Psychology Press. 

Larzelere, R. E., Morris, A. S. E., & Harrist, A. W. (2013). Authoritative parenting: Synthesizing nurturance and discipline for optimal child development . American Psychological Association. 

Masten, A. S. (2014). Global perspectives on resilience in children and youth. Child development , 85 (1), 6-20. 

Mummendey, A. (Ed.). (2012). The social psychology of aggression: From individual behavior to social interaction . Springer Science & Business Media. 

Pierson, C. A. (2017). Home Alone–It's not a movie, its reality. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners , 29 (11), 643-643. 

Smith, E. R., Mackie, D. M., & Claypool, H. M. (2014). Social psychology . Psychology Press. 

• Grow Up? Not So Fast - Article Review
• Inside Interrogation: The Lie, The Bluff, and False Confessions Jennifer T. Perillo and Saul M. Kassin

Select style:

StudyBounty. (2023, September 17). Home Alone: The Movie Review . https://studybounty.com/home-alone-the-movie-review

Hire an expert to write you a 100% unique paper aligned to your needs.

Related essays

We post free essay examples for college on a regular basis. Stay in the know!

How to Do a SWOT Analysis for Your Business

Letter of consent for research study, mental representations and the mind-brain relationship.

Words: 1796

Building a Healthy Marriage

Words: 1266

Devastating Impacts of Domestic Violence

Words: 2437

How Emotions Affect Marketing and Sales

Words: 1113

Running out of time ?

Entrust your assignment to proficient writers and receive TOP-quality paper before the deadline is over.

• Free Samples
• Premium Essays
• Editing Services Editing Proofreading Rewriting
• Extra Tools Essay Topic Generator Thesis Generator Citation Generator GPA Calculator Study Guides Donate Paper
• Essay Writing Help
• About Us About Us Testimonials FAQ
• Studentshare
• Visual Arts & Film Studies
• Evaluation of Movie Home Alone

Evaluation of Home Alone - Movie Review Example

• Subject: Visual Arts & Film Studies
• Type: Movie Review
• Level: Ph.D.
• Pages: 4 (1000 words)
• Downloads: 5
• Author: beahantrycia

Extract of sample "Evaluation of Home Alone"

• Cited: 2 times
• Copy Citation Citation is copied Copy Citation Citation is copied Copy Citation Citation is copied

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Evaluation of Movie Home Alone

War between the confederation and the union, cry freedom and issues of human rights, twelve angry men: factors in decision, the long walk home, my best friend's wedding directed by p j hogan, a critical evaluation of a screening event - the kurdish winter, blackfish: myth and reality, born in flames.

• TERMS & CONDITIONS
• PRIVACY POLICY
• COOKIES POLICY

Home Alone 1: Film Review

• Movie Review

The movie “Home Alone” written and produced by John Hughes is one of the best Christmas movies that were made by the film industry in the last two decades. Comedy is a mixture of humor and pain, human instincts and emotions. “Home Alone” is a great establishment of Christmas tradition, which brings its spirit to every home.

I’m new here 15% OFF

Kevin McCallister, the main hero of the story, is featured by Macaulay Culkin. This average American child resides with a large family, which becomes approximately four times bigger during Christmas time. Many children of the relatives who come to visit the family of McCallisters always tease little Kevin, so he wishes that one day all his family have disappeared.

The aforementioned one day has come, and one morning Kevin wakes up to find out that his parents and all of the relatives have disappeared. Having faced such a situation, a little child starts doing everything that was not allowed to do when his parents were at home. Kevin starts having ice cream for breakfast, jumping on the bed, managing his brother’s room, watching various violent films, etc. As it comes obviously further in the movie, his parents have not disappeared but left him at home accidentally before going for Christmas to Paris.

You may find this article Write My Movie Review useful.

Besides Kevin’s every-day household activities like going shopping, doing laundry, and keeping the house, a little child has to deal with two burglars who decided about the McCallister’s residence to be their next place of theft. They did not realize that little Kevin is more than prepared for their arrival. He prepared a real plan with all of the strategic steps in case something will go wrong and is ready to protect his house as a real American.

Struggling with your essay?

Ask professionals to help you!

As for the acting, all of the crew were chosen with a great sense of the right actor for every role. Despite the fact that many can argue whether Macaulay Culkin was at his best in this movie, he is the one who made the film the most memorable and provokes the desire to watch it over and over again.

The characters of Kevin’s family are chosen perfectly. His parents are total opposites in characters: Kevin’s father is very laid back and calm, whereas his mother is quite nervous almost throughout the whole movie. Like all mothers, she worries a lot about Kevin as it is her natural instinct to care for the child. Other family members demonstrate the typical American family representatives. They are all very different and special, which makes the whole film also special. Thus, this is the movie that brings relaxation and a good mood, which means that it is worth watching from time to time despite it is a more than twenty years old film.

• Annotated Bibliography
• Art, Literature
• Article Critique/Review
• Blog Post/Article
• Book Review
• Business and Economics
• Capstone Project
• Classification Essay
• Compare and Contrast Essay
• Definition Essay
• Discussion Board Post
• Dissertation
• Grant Proposal
• History and Politics
• Interesting Facts
• Literature Review
• Motivation Letter
• Poem Review
• Reflective Essay
• Research Paper

Medication Paper on Duzallo

Reduction of Carbon Footprint

The Gender Differences in Risk-Taking

• Close Menu Search
• Entertainment

‘Home Alone’ movie review

Photo Courtesy to Creative Commons/Canva

Adriana Duhanaj , Staff Writer November 30, 2021

What would you do if you were home alone as a young kid? Eight year old Macaulay Culkin plays the lead role of Kevin McCallister in the award-winning movie, “Home Alone.” The film follows the story of a boy named Kevin who is accidentally left behind while his family goes on a trip to Paris. Many outrageous events happen to Kevin while he is without his family, the main one being him being caught up in the middle of a burglary. Although Kevin is a young boy, he did everything in his power to defend his house while anticipating the arrival of his family to come get him.

Filmed in 1990, “Home Alone” was directed by Chris Colombus and written by John Hughes. According to an article in The Spokesman-Review, “Home Alone is still the highest-grossing comedy in movie history.”

When first released, “Home Alone” became one of the most popular movies across the United States. Hughes’ film won many awards in its time and continues to dominate millions of views around the holiday season.

Many believe that Macaulay Culkin was the perfect main character for this movie, and no one else could have fit this role as good as he did. In an interview with People magazine, John Hughes mentioned he wrote this role specifically for Culkin after seeing his performance in Uncle Buck, and fell in love with how natural he played his character, despite being so young. Hughes hoped that Culkin would bring the same energy in “Home Alone”.

The main character, Kevin McCallister, goes through many events when he wakes up to his whole family being gone. At first he was ecstatic that his family “disappeared” but events soon turned for the worst. Kevin has to fend for him self while two burglars, Harry and Marv break in. Kevin, being so young, was frightened at what he should do with no family around to help. In attempt to protect his house, he starts setting up booby traps to delay the mischief the two con-men are seeking. One of his classic traps loved by many movie critics was the hot iron to Marv’s face. Along with that trap, Kevin set up the paint can to the face, blowtorch to the head, a hot door handle, and slipping down the icy stairs. As the burglars struggled to make their next moves, Kevin was not too far back hysterically watching the way he dominated them. Many would think Harry and Marv would give up at some point, however they were so determined to not lose to an 8 year old kid. And if you’ve never seen the full movie, you’ll have to watch the ending to find out how the story concludes.

“Home Alone” is a magnificent, nostalgia-filled holiday classic that will never be forgotten. Every holiday season we are reminded of the originality of “Home Alone” and its timelessness. After watching the movie, generations of kids are left wondering what they would do if they were left home alone.

• Polls Archive

Grace Colucci , Staff Writer

February 22, 2024 • No Comments

When a conflict is brought to attention, society has two responses to it. People choose to ignore, or investigate the problem further. People that choose to analyze conflicts...

The Childhood of a Falcon

February 22, 2024

Fourth Wing Book Review *NO SPOILER*

January 12, 2024

The Importance of Taking a Foreign Language: A Look into the Language Department at RHS

Tours of the Summer

Booktok Strikes Again!

The Best Movies for Fall

The Magic of Movies

Queen Charlotte

Snapchat AI

The 2023 Grammys

RHS Favorite TV Shows

Avatar: The Way of Water

RATS: “Anything Goes” Fall Musical

The student news site of Rochester High School

• The Talon’s policies
• Advertisers

Comments (0)

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *