REVIEW: Home Alone

By Emily H.

As the Christmas season approaches, many people like to watch Christmas movies at home with their families. Even at school, many teachers love to show seasonal favorites around the holidays.  One good movie to watch is Home Alone. The movie, released in 1990, is about a young boy named Kevin who lives with his big family. Kevin’s family is going on vacation to France and the night before gets into a big argument with them all. He says he wishes that his family would disappear. The next day Kevin wakes up to an empty house and his family "disappeared" after accidentally forgetting him at home. Kevin stays home alone for the next few days and realizes all his family does for him and wishes they would come back. At the end of the movie, his family comes back and apologizes for leaving him and he apologizes for being rude and disrespectful and they have Christmas together as a happy family. In my opinion, Home Alone is the best Christmas movie and is still very popular today over thirty years later.  

The first reason Home Alone is the best Christmas movie is because it teaches children the importance of family. When Kevin gets left at home all by himself after arguing with his family, he realizes how much they do for him and that he really misses them. The theme of the movie is to love your family and to be careful what you wish for because it’s not always better like you think it will be. 

The second reason Home Alone stands out is because of how well the actors played their roles. For example Kevin’s mother Mrs. McCallister panicked when she realized that she forgot Kevin and wanted to get home to him as fast as possible. She acted like any other mother would and made sure that her son was safe until she made it home. Another example of a character that acted well was Old Man Marley. He was the scary neighbor of the McCallisters who was rumored to be a serial killer but turned out to be a friendly, lonely man who helped Kevin while his family was away. He and Kevin’s acting was good because it demonstrated how little kids will believe anything and how they overreact to things that aren’t actually scary. 

The third reason I love this movie is because it is very funny. The directors really captured how a little kid left home alone for days at a time would behave. With no parents and no rules, Kevin got to do whatever he wanted for three days. While it was fun for him at first, he eventually decided he would rather have his family home with their rules than stay by himself all day.One particularly funny moment in the movie is when Kevin sets up traps all over the house to stop the burglars, Harry and Marv, from breaking in. It was funny because the traps were so creative and over the top like when Marv steps on toy cars and slips, or when Harry gets hit in the face with an iron. Kevin’s clever tricks made the robbers look silly, and it was entertaining to see how a little kid could outsmart two grown men. 

Many people still agree that Home Alone is a Christmas classic. Chloe G., my friend who watched Home Alone for the first time last year (I know! How has she not seen it before!?), shared her thoughts, saying, “I thought it was really good since it was my first time watching the movie last year. It lived up to the hype in my opinion, and I wish I had seen it sooner. I also liked all the pranks Kevin played on the burglars. It was kind of crazy that his whole family forgot about him though. Overall I really liked the movie.” Chloe’s reaction shows that even people watching Home Alone for the first time today can enjoy it just as much as audiences did when it first came out more than thirty years ago. 

Coach Metts, a teacher here at Airport, said, “In the movie Home Alone, the plot is pretty interesting as the main character, Kevin, is left behind when his entire family leaves town for a vacation. He faces quite a few obstacles during the movie, particularly from two burglars who are trying to break into the house. After battling them, and winning, Kevin's parents return home and vouch to never leave him behind again.” Coach Metts sums up the movie pretty well and proves that even adults think the movie is good, not just teenagers. 

According to the review on Rotten Tomatoes, Home Alone has a 66% rating from critics.  The critical consensus said: “Home Alone’s uneven but frequently funny premise, stretched unreasonably thin, is buoyed by Macaulay Culkin’s cute performance and strong supporting stars.” This quote is saying that while the movie may not be completely realistic and some of the scenes are an exaggerated stretch, its humor and performances still carry it. For many viewers, it’s the mixture of heart and over-the-top comedy that keeps the movie fresh and enjoyable, even over thirty years later. 

Overall, I would give Home Alone an 8/10.It’s a movie that always puts me in a good mood, no matter how many times I’ve watched it. It reminds you to appreciate your family but also lets you laugh at all the silly moments along the way. It’s one of those Christmas movies that just feels right to watch every year, and it never loses its charm.