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What is it about this Home Alone (1990) that continues to bring cheer and joy to audiences, young and old, every December? Even after thirty years, there are many things to love about this holiday classic. There are gifts for everyone under this movie tree, from John Williams’ magical musical score to the incorrigible Wet Bandits. So, grab a lovely cheese pizza, just for you, and find out why Home Alone has become a permanent piece of so many Yuletide traditions.
The Magic Of Christmas Music
The music in Home Alone can kindle feelings of cheer and joy all on its own. It might be the festive film’s most endearing feature.
John Williams faced the challenge to capture the sound of Christmas, one of the season’s most significant characteristics. He rose to it, creating one of the most beloved Christmas themes of all time. Furthermore, within Williams’ score, we are gifted with many holiday songs we all know and love. Home Alone strikes the perfect balance between traditional Christmas songs and an original score that works cohesively to create a merry and magical ambiance.
John Williams’ Score
John Williams composed a beautiful, fun, and sometimes haunting score that elicits Christmas’s essence without ever sounding unoriginal. In fact, three decades later, the Home Alone “Main Title (“Somewhere in my Memory”)” has become a seasonal favorite embedded in our pop culture in much the same way that the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s “Christmas Time is Here” established itself separately from the holiday special, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965).
Though both features are treasured to this day, their respective title themes evolved into annual Christmas melodies that are recognizable even to those totally unaware of the movies. Drawing on classic sounds of the season, such as jingle bells and an angelic sounding choir, Williams created one of the most important parts of an iconic Christmas movie: a stand-out soundtrack.
Sounds Of The Season
A few carefully selected Christmas classics are sprinkled in at the perfect moments to complement the enchanting score. Kevin’s lip-syncing of “White Christmas” by The Drifters captures a childish joy of the holiday while at the same time expressing that youthful desire to be a “grown-up.” Still, even after Kevin has thwarted the burglars, he is waiting for his true Christmas miracle.
As Mel Torme’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” plays, Kevin makes sure to partake in all his family’s Christmas Eve traditions. He sets out cookies and milk for Santa, he puts the wrapped presents under the tree, and he hangs the stockings by the chimney with care. But instead of Saint Nick, it’s in hopes that his family will soon be there. Torme’s velvet voice serenading Kevin in his big, empty living room is a touching scene and a wonderful symbiosis of image and song.
The Underrated Talent
It is easy to think of Home Alone as just another family-friendly movie centered around a lovable child actor. Macaulay Culkin fits the bill magnificently as Kevin McCallister. However, the director, Chris Columbus, and his crew surreptitiously assembled a strong and experienced supporting cast to surround the budding Uncle Buck (1989) star with.
Supporting Players
Catherine O’Hara as Kate McCallister may be just as important to Home Alone’s popularity as Culkin. She is the determined mother trying to get home to her eight-year-old son. She is especially desperate because the last words that she and Kevin exchanged were argumentative. It was one of those fights where both parties regret what they said as soon as they said it. She is clearly willing to go down a dark path, even, to achieve this, stating:
“I don’t care if I have to get out on your runway and hitchhike! If it costs me everything I own, if I have to sell my soul to the devil himself, I am going to get home to my son.”
(( Kate McCallister – Home Alone (1990) ))
Complimenting O’Hara is John Heard as Peter McCallister. An accomplished character actor since the mid-1970s, Heard came on to Home Alone, having recently had a large role in the 1988 hit, Big, alongside Tom Hanks. As the calmer of the two parents, Peter is the perfect balance for Kate’s panic attack.
His demeanor facilitates a natural and empathetic comedy out of Kate, who extends every bit of emotional and physical strength she has trying to finagle a way home to her son. Don’t mistake his cool head for indifference towards his son’s dire situation. He lets his emotions get the better of him once during a phone call. After giving up on trying to speak broken French, he screams, “I’m looking for my son, do you know where he is?!” (( Peter McCallister – Home Alone (1990) ))
Every character can’t be given their proper due in this confined space, but the chemistry on the set comes through on film. Devin Ratray’s Buzz is the big brother, so many of us had. He wasn’t always the nicest, but he was still your big brother, even if he wouldn’t let you sleep in his room if you “were growing on his ass.” (( Buzz McCallister – Home Alone (1990) )) Uncle Frank, well, was sort of a jerk every chance he got. Funny enough, he is remembered mostly for his unforgettable line, “Look what you did, you little jerk.” (( Uncle Frank – Home Alone (1990) ))
The Hero And The Villains
As great as the supporting cast is, the action of the film takes place between Kevin and two burglars, who are planning to rob the McCallister mansion.
The scenes between these three make for some of the biggest laughs in the movie. Home Alone would not be the cherished classic it is without the Wet Bandits, Harry and Marv. Their interactions can be silly at times, such as Kevin taunting, “Down here, you big horse’s ass. Come and get me before I call the police” (( Kevin McCallister – Home Alone (1990). )).
But, if you listen, some of their exchanges get quite grim. For instance, when the bandits approach the back door of the McCallister house and tell Kevin, “Merry Christmas, little fella. We know that you’re in there and that you’re all alone” (( Harry Lime – Home Alone (1990). )). Pretty creepy, Harry. You deserve the paint cans coming your way! Although the idea of an eight-year-old taking on two full-grown adults is ridiculous, Home Alone works because of the charming, mature-for-his-age performance of Culkin and the willingness of two great actors, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, to buy into the absurdly fun idea.
One Legendary Cameo
One of Home Alone’s legends is that John Candy’s amazing cameo as Gus Polinski (of the Kenosha Kickers, the “polka kings of the Midwest”) was almost totally improvised. Not only did director Chris Columbus recently confirm this, but he also explained that Candy, a massive movie star at the time, was paid less than five-hundred dollars for his one day on set (( Lauren Novak, “John Candy Made Less Than $500 For His Beloved ‘Home Alone’ Cameo.” https://doyouremember.com/130037/john-candy-home-alone-cameo, 2020. )).
Though Columbus did admit that Candy was not incredibly pleased with his compensation, the Spaceballs (1987) star still delivered an incredible improvised scene, telling the story of leaving his own son at a funeral parlor for hours on end, just to comfort the worried Kate McCallister.
The Story’s Appeal
A talented cast and great musical accompaniment will only get a movie so far. In order to remain beloved for thirty years, you need both of the former and an excellent story. Home Alone presents a fun fantasy in addition to a touching story about familial love, wrapped in the season of Christmas.
Endless Quotabilities
As you might have gathered reading this article, Home Alone is overflowing with memorable quotes like a stocking is with goodies on Christmas morning. Aside from the great lines from Kevin or the Wet Bandits, there is a movie within the movie (fabricated for Home Alone, it’s black and white gangster flick called Angels with Filthy Souls) that is nearly as quotable as the rest of the film. Despite the seasonal theme of the movie, the quotes can be heard year-round from avid fans. It’s never out of season to tell your friend to “Keep the change, you filthy animal.” (( Angels with Filthy Souls – Home Alone (1990) ))
For my money, Home Alone has some of the best movie screams of the past thirty years. The goofier of the Wet Bandits, Marv (Stern), belts out an unforgettable screech when Kevin drops a tarantula on him. No matter how I am feeling, that five-second moment will always make me smile. Not to mention Kevin’s shriek of shock when he tries aftershave for the first time. Or who can forget O’Hara’s single proclamation upon her horrible realization, “Kevin!”
It’s always a gas to rehash lines from Home Alone, but the movie also has some exceptional writing that evokes the meaning of Christmas. When Kevin goes to “Santa” for help, he doesn’t ask for protection from burglars or any material item. Instead, he only asks for one thing, his family back. Moreover, after finally getting over his fear of Old Man Marley and talking to him about it in a church, Marley states, “You can be too old for a lot of things, but you’re never too old to be afraid.” (( Old Man Marley – Home Alone (1990) )) That may sound cliché or obvious now, but hearing that as a kid meant something, especially when you see Kevin back it up with a house full of ingenious traps.
This Is My House, I Have To Defend It: A Fantasy
It can be argued that millions of kids in the 1990s and beyond grew up thinking that, if it came to it, they could fend off adult criminals breaking into their house. This is because of Kevin’s “battle plan” in Home Alone, which includes anything from a falling iron to the face to a door rigged with a powerful blowtorch.
Simple setups for an eight-year-old, right? Well, maybe not, but the movie sure made it feel that way. The progression of Kevin being a scared kid at first to a more mature child who goes to the store for milk, eggs, and fabric softener provides enough of a basis to make Kevin’s final transformation into a defender somewhat believable. And, boy, is it fun to watch him terrorize the Wet Bandits.
The Meaning Of Christmas, Present But Never Forced
Home Alone never hides from the fact that it’s a Christmas movie. But the meaning of the holiday, such as selflessness and peace and goodwill to all, is not imposed on us. Rather, there are pieces of seasonal tropes subtly throughout the movie, such as Kevin’s short interaction with “Santa” or his discussion with Marley in the church as the choir sings “O Holy Night.”
The true magic of Christmas, though, comes at the end in the form of two “miracles.” No, not Kevin’s mom getting home on Christmas morning; we all knew that would happen. First, it is when the rest of the family blasts through the door, still arguing, as families often do while traveling. The holiday would not have been the same without the entire family, even Buzz.
The second miraculous moment comes when we see Marley across the street from the McCallister house. He is hugging his granddaughter for the first time. He must’ve taken Kevin’s advice to call his son and reconcile after years of estrangement. Now that is the magic of the season.
You Guys Give Up, Or Are You Thirsty For More?
After thirty years, people are still thirsty for more Home Alone. With each passing season, this classic embeds itself deeper into our holiday tradition.
From the monumental music to Kevin’s traps to the superbly subtle evocation of the Christmas spirit, I don’t think the thirst for this Yuletide gem will ever be quenched so as long as movies are a part of our culture. Merry Christmas, you filthy animals.