Home Alone: 30 Years Later

If you grew up in the 80s, chances are you saw a movie or two from writer John Hughes. His teen comedies are still remembered. The Vacation films that were based on stories he wrote at National Lampoon have aged well. He knew how to write fantastic characters. His output was about two films a year from 1983 through the end of the decade. But his biggest film came in November 1990 when Home Alone came out. This was one of the more dominant films, staying number one for almost three months and the highest grossing domestic film of that year. What was so special about it that made people ignore the mixed/kind of negative reviews?

Its a very simple premise. Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) is tired of his family treating him like crap. A scramble to the airport following leaves him all alone at his home while they head for Paris and figure out mid-flight he's not around. He enjoys having some fun, but must fend for himself. The Wet Bandits, Harry and Marv (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) are robbing the neighborhood and only the eight year old can save his home from being flooded.

Pretty basic. I think what helps is that it wasn't geared greatly towards adults. It wasn't exactly fantasy driven, though the slapstick is like The Three Stooges and a more successful Wile E. Coyote. This was a pure comedy. Nothing scary like Gremlins. Nothing to drive it towards a PG-13 rating. For the most part, a cleaner (though there is cursing and the slapstick violence) driven movie that knew when to be funny and when to have serious parts. Reminds me a bit of Hughes' Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Very down to earth.

As the film goes on, Kevin realizes how much family does mean to people. Has a friendship with a neighbor who he thought killed people and reveals to him his own family problems. You add in John Williams' score, and it's widely regarded by people as one of the great holiday classics. The house used is one of the more iconic ones in film. I think what most miss when trying to imitate is the kind of heart that it had. The selling point is the slapstick and traps, but its also that Christmas feeling. We all have our flaws, but there can still be good that can come out of it. That's how I look at why it was a huge blockbuster. It's also not heavily dated, but the concept has, and that shouldn't be a knock if one were to review it today.

Home Alone hit all the right buttons for most movie goers and families. Give at least the first two films a chance. Hughes knew what he wanted and succeeded on what was needed for a family film.