Home Alone (1990)

Director:

Chris Columbus

Writer (WGA):

John Hughes (written by)

Release Date:

16 November 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Family

Tagline:

A Family Comedy Without The Family.

Plot:

An eight year-old, who is accidentally left behind while his family flies to France for Christmas, has to defend his home against idiotic burglars.

Plot Keywords:

House | Christmas | Vacation | Holiday | Booby Trap

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Macaulay Culkin	...	Kevin McCallister
Joe Pesci	...	Harry
Daniel Stern	...	Marv
John Heard	...	Peter McCallister
Roberts Blossom	...	Marley
Catherine O'Hara	...	Kate McCallister
Angela Goethals	...	Linnie
Devin Ratray	...	Buzz
Gerry Bamman	...	Uncle Frank
Hillary Wolf	...	Megan
John Candy	...	Gus Polinski
Larry Hankin	...	Officer Balzak
Michael C. Maronna	...	Jeff (as Michael C. Maronna)
Kristin Minter	...	Heather
Daiana Campeanu	...	Sondra

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Brazil:Livre | Iceland:L | Australia:PG | South Korea:All | Portugal:M/6 | New Zealand:PG | Netherlands:AL (original rating) | Netherlands:6 (re-rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Canada:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Germany:12 | Norway:10 | Peru:PT | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

656 Lincoln Avenue, Winnetka, Illinois, USA

Company:

Hughes Entertainment

Trivia:

From 1993 to 1997, NBC aired 'Home Alone' during the 8/7c time slot on Thanksgiving evening as part of their holiday promotion.

Goofs:

Continuity: The plane that takes off from Chicago is a DC-10, but the plane that touches down in Paris is a Boeing 757. Likewise, the plane that lifts off from Paris is an MD-80 (of which the range is inadequate for a flight from CDG to any US airport), while the one that lands back in the United States is a DC-10.

Quotes:

Kate McCallister: Kevin, get upstairs right now.
Kevin McCallister: Why?
Jeff McCallister: Kevin, you're such a disease.
Kevin McCallister: Shut up.
Peter McCallister: Kevin, upstairs.
Kate McCallister: Say good night, Kevin.
Kevin McCallister: "Good night, Kevin."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Bo! in the USA: (#1.2)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Star Of Bethlehem

Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal!

In the Eighties, John Hughes churned out a handful of movies and scored many, many hits. Quite rightly, as most of them were seriously funny - I'm DEFINITELY not referring to Curly Sue, so relax! In one particular scene from Uncle Buck, Macaulay Culkin interrogates a babysitter through the letterbox to make sure she's not a baddie. This inspired Hughes to write a whole new movie. Who would have known that this and its sequel would go on to become two of the biggest hits of all time? Both Hughes and Chris Columbus seem to prefer setting their movies during the holiday season (Gremlins, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Christmas Vacation) and manage to pull them off without too much sentiment, or sickening amounts of gooey love.

There are two reasons why Home Alone was such a big success. The first is that it's about a kid who outsmarts grown-ups, something that happens every day, only there's a worldwide conspiracy of silence. This movie yells it out loud and clear. The second is John Williams's magical score, which elevates the movie way above slapstick family fare to something more serious and regarded. It was nominated for an Academy Award, along with the Christmas carol Somewhere In My Memory, but lost to John Barry's Dances with Wolves. Damn! In a mad rush to the airport one morning, the MacCallister family forget one little thing...Kevin (Culkin). He is an eight-year-old kid who wants nothing better than a peaceful Christmas and some time to himself. It's hard for him to get this when living in a house with seven other people(the exact same house from Planes, Trains And Automobiles, don't you know0. With the rest of the MacCallisters in Paris, Kevin runs wild doing whatever he wants, eating whatever he wants and watching whatever TV show he wants.

But there's one major problem. The Wet Bandits, Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), are on the prowl and have knocked off every other house in Kevin's street. His is next. And seeing that he's man-of-the-house now, he HAS to defend it.

Using whatever tools are at his disposal (rusty nails, blow torches, Micro Machines) he sets up a labyrinth of booby traps, so that the Wets can't break in. Their idiot-proof determination proves to be their downfall, as they are tortured and torn-up upon entering Kevin's domain.

Although this is not the only point of the film, there is an important message that family is what really matters to a child, or to anyone, and having them home for the holidays is better than wandering a huge house all by yourself.

There are some movies that work best at Christmas and this is one of them. I'm not saying that in a couple of decades it will be the new It's A Wonderful Life, but it will be remembered fondly at the very least.

Don't be a Scrooge. It's Christmastime. Go rush to check out Home Alone.