The story, for anyone who has never seen the film, is pretty basic: the McCallister family is preparing to fly to Paris to spend Christmas with relatives who live there and have gathered at Peter and Kate's large Chicago home the night before the flight leaves. Eight-year old Kevin, one of the youngest kids in the family, is constantly picked on by his older siblings and the majority of his cousins and he's not fairing too well with his parents either, who feel he's needlessly causing trouble. After an argument with his bullying older brother, Buzz, causes a chain reaction of havoc, Kevin is sent upstairs to sleep by himself, prompting him to angrily wish that his family would disappear forever. That night, a power outage causes the family to oversleep and, in the rush to catch the soon-to-leave plane, they end up leaving Kevin behind. When he awakes to find the house empty, he thinks that he got his wish and is initially overjoyed at it. Soon, his family realizes what they've done and his mother does whatever she can to get back home to her son. At the same time, Kevin begins to miss his family and, to make matters worse, he also has to deal with two burglars who see his large house as a goldmine and will do anything to strip it clean of its valuables.
The film was written by popular filmmaker John Hughes, who directed a lot of successful teenage comedies and dramas in the 80's like The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, as well as produced a number of popular comedies like National Lampoon's Vacation, The Great Outdoors, and Mr. Mom. I didn't watch any of those movies when I was younger, as I'm not a child of the 80's and also because none of them ere really kids' films, and when I became a teenager, I wasn't interested in them either, so I can't say I'm the biggest of Hughes' work. Still, I will give him credit on this flick, as he seemed to know how to capture a child's imagination and that immature way of viewing life and family, as well as the importance of love and togetherness around Christmastime. I know that one of the criticisms made towards the film around the time of its release was that it felt like Hughes is merely pulling you around on strings and doesn't seem to know how to do anything else but I honestly don't see what's wrong with a film this well made that does that. And while I don't agree with everything that Hughes wrote into the script (which I'll get to presently), I think all the people who described the film as a "sadistic festival of adult-bashing" (Owen Gleiberman from Entertainment Weekly) and such are vastly missing the point. Director-wise, you, of course, have Chris Columbus, who was a young, up-and-coming writer/director at the time, having already had some success by writing Gremlins and The Goonies and directing Adventures in Babysitting; this, however, was the movie that truly put him on the map as a director, which he needed since his previous film, Heartbreak Hotel, had died at the box-office. Like Hughes, I've always felt that Columbus was very successful in capturing a childlike innocence with both this film and its first sequel. Some may feel that Mrs. Doubtfire is his best film but, as much as I do love that movie too, I will always see this as his best because I grew up with it, I've loved it ever since I was a kid, and, in it is, my opinion, a contemporary Christmas classic.
Kevin is your typical eight-year old kid and, like most kids his age who are part of big families, he's either ignored or picked on by his older siblings and cousins. Granted, he is a kind of pain, like when he messes up his dad's new fishhooks and bugs his mom when she's trying to talk on the phone but he's not so hateful and annoying that you can't stand him (in fact, I think his family is made up of a lot of assholes but we'll get to that). I also think that most kids his age would be able to identify with how he feels, that you get overlooked by your parents and family and you sometimes wish they would all just go away so you could do whatever you want. Speaking of that child mindset that I feel John Hughes and Chris Columbus put into the film, there are some parts of it that I didn't even fully understand when I was a kid. For instance, I never picked up on the fact that he thinks that his family is gone because he wished them away; when he says, "I made my family disappear," I always thought he meant that they left him behind on purpose because he wished them to, that they decided to take off without him. That's also why I didn't understand why, when he wakes up on Christmas morning, he immediately thinks that his family is back; again, not grasping that he wished for Santa Claus to bring them back. I even thought that the furnace down in the basement inexplicably coming to life and growling at him was real, not understanding that it was just his imagination! In any case, I know that some people find the idea of a little kid knowing how to go shopping for groceries, wash clothes, and fool adults into thinking he's not all alone, as well as be brave enough to defend his home from burglars, difficult to swallow but I think Culkin pulled it off with enough of a sincere intelligence and wit to where you can suspend your disbelief. As an adult, I now find the scenes where he begins to miss his family and realize that it's no fun being alone at Christmastime to be very well-acted and touching, and I also find it interesting that when he and his mother meet up again at the end, he doesn't forgive her right away, as he remembers how much she hurt him. But, of course, he eventually does forgive her and everything's then all right, leading to a very heartwarming embrace between them. I'm kind of rambling on here but what I'm getting at is that I thought Culkin was very good at coming across as a believable eight-year old who's also brave enough to defend his home from burglars and smart enough to learn the importance of family.
As for Kevin's parents, Kate and Peter (Catherine O'Hara and John Heard), I have mixed feelings about them. It's obvious that they do love their son and, like any parents, are horrified when they discover that their young child is at home all by himself, the way they act at the beginning has always kind of bothered me. While it's mainly Kate (to be honest, Peter is one of the more forgettable characters here), both of them act rather insensitive towards Kevin. I'm talking about when he's bugging them when they're trying to get things organized, as I can understand those reactions, but rather when all Kevin does is push Buzz, for good reason, and they blame him for the chain reaction of havoc it causes. Do they not realize what a jerk Buzz was being to him and that he ate his pizza? Also, when Kate drags Kevin upstairs, saying stuff like, "Maybe you should ask Santa for a new family," and when Kevin says he wishes he didn't have a family and she says, "Well, say it again. Maybe it'll happen," I can't help but go, "Whoa! That's kind of harsh." I know she was mad at him but, geez. I also can't blame Kevin for saying that he feels like everyone in the family hates him because it sure does look like it and what she said probably confirmed it in his mind. Yes, she does feel very guilty when she realizes that they left him behind and shows her love by going to great lengths to get home to him but, still, what she said was rather cringe-inducing to hear from a mother. I guess in a way, that adds to why I like the moment I mentioned earlier, where Kevin doesn't forgive her right away and their following reconciliation, so much. It feels like the point it's trying to get across is that all families fight and hurt each other but, at the end of the day, they're still a family. Although, there's one thing I have to mention about that last scene: Kate goes through all that trouble to get home to Kevin and then, literally a few minutes later, the rest of the family just shows up no problem. That kind of diminishes her long struggle to get home a little, don't you think?
As much as I criticize the parents, they're not the real problem: it's the rest of the family, who are my only major gripe with both this movie and the sequel. They're a bunch of douchebags. As I said earlier, when Kevin says that everybody in the family hates him, it's not that hard to believe because it sure looks like it and there are two characters in particular whom I really can't stand. One is Devin Ratray as Kevin's older brother, Buzz. I know older brothers can be jerks to the younger ones but, my God, this guy is absolutely loathsome! The first scene with him and Kevin has him calling Kevin a phlegm-wad and telling him that he wouldn't let him sleep in his room if he were growing out of his ass (there was even a deleted section where, after they look out the window at Old Man Marley, Buzz basically threatens to beat Kevin up if he doesn't get out of his room). Also, like I said, Buzz starts the argument between him and Kevin that leads to Kevin getting sent upstairs for the night. Does nobody else realize what a jerk Buzz is being to him? But the final nail in the coffin for me is when they're in Paris and, not only is Buzz not at all concerned about Kevin, he even says he knows nothing will happen to him because, among other reasons, "I'm not that lucky." What a horrible brother! He actually pisses me off even more in the sequel but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Other than Kevin, Harry, and Marv, my favorite character in the film is the one who I find to be the most interesting: Old Man Marley, played by Roberts Blossom. At first, he's a rather terrifying figure, walking up and down the street, salting the sidewalk, wearing raggedy clothes and dark rubber boots, and with bandaged hands. Kevin is initially terrified of him and he has good reason to be: there's a rumor that he murdered his entire family and used the salt to mummify their bodies. But, he eventually learns that those rumors aren't true and that Marley is actually a very kind man. Blossom is so great at being initially creepy (although, you wonder why Marley acted so menacing towards Kevin beforehand when he could have easily calmed the kid down by speaking to him) but later coming off as kind and even heroic, saving Kevin from Harry and Marv, that it's unreal and is why I love this character. In fact, my two favorite scenes in the movie involve Marley. The first is the great one between him and Kevin in the church where they're watching his granddaughter sing in the choir. As they talk, you find out that Marley had a nasty falling out with his son years ago and they haven't spoken since. It's something a mirror image of what happened with Kevin and his family because he said he didn't want to see them ever again, which is what Marley and his son said to each other and why Marley is able to identify with what Kevin is saying about his family. Marley has regretted it for a long time now and wishes he could made amends with his son but is afraid that if he tries to call him, he won't talk to him. I like how Kevin advises Marley to try to reconcile with his son and you get the feeling that this leads Kevin to forgive his own family, even when he hesitates initially with his mom. My other favorite scene is at the end of the film, when Kevin looks out the window and sees that Marley has reconciled with his son and is hugging his granddaughter. Even as a little kid, I understood what that meant and, to this day, I always get tears in my eyes at that moment. I think that image ultimately sums up what the movie is about: family members fight and say bad things but they're still a family and, like Kevin and Marley, nobody should have to spend Christmas home alone.
It's probably every kid's dream to have the entire house to his or herself for a while, especially if they're part of a big family (I've always lived in a relatively small house with just my mom and dad, so I never felt that way but I can understand how kids in big families would probably want a break from it) and Kevin is no exception. Once he realizes his family is gone, he has his way with the house: jumping on his parents' bed while eating popcorn, shooting his little toy soldiers down the laundry chute, making a mess of the kitchen, eating a bunch of junk while watching movies intended for adults, sledding down the stairs to the outside of the house, and ordering a pizza all for himself. My favorite part of it is when he's going through Buzz's stuff, finding a Playboy (which he finds disgusting) and firecrackers, before coming across a picture of his girlfriend, who's making a bizarre face, and he says, "Buzz, your girlfriend! Woof!" Another memorable part is when he's getting ready to go out and he's in front of the bathroom mirror, putting on stuff like deodorant and aftershave, the latter of which burns his face, leading to the film's most iconic image. This connects back to a part that proves that, as mature and smart as he thinks he is now, he's still a little kid. When Harry and Marv first try to break into the house and he manages to scare them away, Kevin hides under the bed in fear but, after a while, he comes out from under it and decides that he shouldn't be hiding since, as he says, "I'm the man of the house." He then walks outside, loudly proclaiming he's not afraid anymore... and then, he runs into Marley, screams his head off, runs back into the house, and hides under the bed's covers. Some man of the house.
After a while, Kevin actually becomes quite responsible, doing the laundry, washing the dishes, and even going out for groceries. I know that it is really unbelievable to see this little eight year-old kid buying a bunch of groceries and the checkout lady, even though she quizzes him, doesn't do more to find out if this kid is telling the truth but, you have to admit that Kevin is quite smart and witty, coming up with fairly believable excuses for why he's apparently in the store by himself (but, again, you'd think they would have done more to make sure he's telling the truth).By the way: all of those groceries combined cost $19.83? Don't you miss those days? However, he's not so smart in the scene before that where he gets scared of Marley at a store and ends up running off without paying for the toothbrush he picked. He must've been so scared that he forgot he was holding it but he should have just dropped the stupid thing and ran off.
Let's face it, if you watched this movie a lot when you were a little kid, you liked it for one reason: the hilariously painful stuff Kevin puts Harry and Marv through. It starts right off the bat with a funny one, with Kevin shooting Harry right in the crotch with a pellet gun and he lets out this hilarious, high-pitched scream of pain. Marv getting pelleted in the forehead is pretty funny too but that moment before it was funny as hell. (You also got to love Pesci cursing under his breath, no doubt in his attempts not to actually say it out-loud.) I also just love watching Harry slip on the icy front steps, although apparently he's too dumb to realize that he could just climb around them, and the noise Marv makes when he slips down the steps to the basement door is really funny too, as it is when Marv is trying to get a solid step on the icy bottom and later when he leaves the basement and actually slips again. The one that's genuinely painful rather than funny to me is when Harry grabs the knob to the front door, unaware that Kevin put a hot branding iron on the other side. The way he screams sounds like he's in real agony and the image of the "M" on the knob branded onto his hand is cringe-inducing as well. Another one that's also painful but I actually laugh at is when Marv takes his shoes and socks off to get up the sticky basement stairs and he steps on a nail. The way he yells and falls backwards when he sees it kills me. (I know I didn't mention the moment when he gets an iron in the face but what else can you say about it and the literal impression it leaves on him?) However, I can't help but cringe when Harry gets a blowtorch to the head and has to go stick it in the snow (again, the aftermath looks legitimately painful).
I never thought Harry getting chicken feathers stuck all over him was that funny but I do like the dialogue exchange between him and Marv when they see each other: "Why the hell did you take your shoes off?" "Why the hell are you dressed like a chicken?" And I always break up when Marv climbs in through the window and steps right onto some ornaments with his bare feet. God, that had to suck, and you can understand why he screams, "I'm gonna kill that kid!" When they slip on Kevin's Micro-Machines in front of the stairs, the way Marv yells is what makes me laugh then, and, of course, Kevin bombs them right in the face with paint cans, causing Harry to lose his gold tooth. By this point, they don't care about robbing the house; they just want to kill Kevin (especially Harry, when he realizes he lost his gold tooth). The absolute funniest gag is when Marv grabs hold of Kevin's leg and Kevin, desperate to get away, puts Buzz's pet tarantula right on his face, after which Marv proceeds to let out the most high-pitched, girly scream I've ever heard a man make. I crack up every single time. The moment afterward where Marv accidentally throws the spider onto Harry, who fell over a trip-wire Kevin set up, and proceeds to whack him right in the stomach with a crowbar is also really funny, especially when Harry angrily beats Marv with the crowbar, yelling, "Here, how do you like it, huh?! You jerk!" One funny line from Marv is when they get to the attic and there's no sign of Kevin. When Harry asks where he went, Marv says, "Maybe he committed suicide." They proceed to climb along the rope to Kevin's treehouse but Kevin cuts it with some hedge-trimmers, leading to a painful fall for the two of them. They eventually do catch Kevin when he hides in a house they hit earlier and are about to actually kill him, when Marley, conveniently, comes in behind them and clobbers them both with his shovel. The nice final touch is when the two of them are arrested later that night and when Harry looks out the window of the police car, Kevin smiles and waves at him. Not only is it a great final note to end the subplot with the crooks but it's a nice set up for the sequel, as Harry clearly wants revenge when he looks at Kevin.
One of the most memorable aspects of the film is the fake gangster movie that Kevin watches called Angels with Filthy Souls, which, for the longest time, I was sure was a real movie and I think many people to this day still wonder if it's real. You can assume it was the movie that Kevin complained that Uncle Frank wouldn't let him watch with the other kids, even though it's not rated R, and once he does watch it, he immediately regrets it because of how violent it is when Johnny pumps Snakes' guts full of lead. The film itself is actually used by Kevin twice in the story. First, he orders a pizza and uses dialogue from the film to make the delivery boy think that there's a grown man in the house (but then, he goes overboard with it and scares the poor kid to death by playing the shooting part when he calls the person he thinks is inside the house a cheapskate). Later, when Marv is snooping around the house, Kevin uses it make him think there are armed men inside and someone just got murdered. It really has no significance in the grand scheme of things in the movie but it's just so odd and memorable that I couldn't do this review without at least mentioning it. (Like many other aspects, it would be repackaged and used again for the sequel.) What else can I say but, "Keep the change, ya filthy animal."
Music plays a big part here, as it does in every Christmastime-related movie. First off, the actual soundtrack has a lot of classic Christmas songs that I think are placed in exactly the right places that they need. Stuff like Please Come Home for Christmas, White Christmas (the scene of him singing along with that tune in front of the bathroom mirror is just classic), and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas especially, the latter of which I think works well for the moment where Harry and Marv have been taken away by the police and Kevin sets up milk and cookies in the living room, hoping he'll see his family again by the morning, etc., isn't just randomly placed in the movie but actually serve a purpose, whether it's to be it funny, melancholy, or what have you. As for the actual music score by John Williams, I have to say that it's one of the most beautiful scores I think I have ever heard in my life. It's whimsical during the appropriate sections, funny during the comedic moments, and mischievously bad rather than overtly sinister when it comes to the leitmotif for Harry and Marv (I hope that makes sense). But the most recognizable tune is the main theme and song, Somewhere in My Memory, which is the backbone of the film's score, heard many times throughout in both its full length and in sections, as well as in different tones like heartwarming, sad, and mischievous. You first hear the actual song in a touching moment on Christmas Eve, where Kevin sees a big family getting together for the holiday and it fully hits him how much he loves and misses his family, and you hear the full-blown instrumental version of it in the ending scene where Kevin sees that Marley has been reunited with his family, making it all the more touching. I've just always found both the song and the instrumental version of it to be very beautiful and touching and I almost always tear up when I hear it. It was so beautiful that it deservedly got nominated for an Oscar (it should've won but still, at least the Academy did recognize what great music it is).
One of the most iconic christmas movies ever made considering that it was Macaulay Culkin's breakout role! Add to the fact that it was written by John Hughes makes this an even more iconic and unforgettable christmas movie!
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