Home Alone (1990)

Home Alone (1990)

This is a belated holiday flick I meant to review before my holiday hiatus but didn't have a chance to. So here's the quick recap of Home Alone.

What can I say? I'm a sucker for films that quite often are the source of ridicule to others. I know many adults around my age that would have been the target audience when this film came out, who swear they dislike the film. For that I have to call BS, as for me, every year around Christmas this is one of the magical films that immediately transport me back to being a 9 year old kid again.

It hearkens back to a time when directors still put in effort for what is admittedly a tough genre to tackle. You've seen me gripe about uninspired holiday flicks looking to make a quick buck and serve little more than to induce sleep, but once upon a time directors actually cared. Chris Columbus is thankfully one of those directors. I often wonder how films like this get pitched or become a labour of love based on the premise alone. I always imagine the conversations that must have taken place, "So I have this great idea. An 8 year old kid is forgotten at home by his family at Christmas, a couple of burglars try and rob the place and shenanigans ensue." "SOLD!" *throws money at the director* Truthfully though, I imagine John Hughes attachment to the project may have had something to do with that.

Still, I am glad they did sell the premise. The film isn't perfect, nor should it be. You know the plot, it's geared towards kids, and yet thankfully I don't care. I unabashedly love this flick. Definitely a must watch every season.

The good: The cast. Everyone has their place and have become as familiar as the movie itself. Catherine O'Hara is especially good and Macaulay Culkin is enjoyable as well. I was talking with my wife about how it really was a testament to his charisma as a child to hold the film essentially by himself and not become irritating beyond merely precocious. John Candy always breaks my heart a little bit to know he's gone. Seeing him in this with Catherine O'Hara always makes me remember their SCTV days. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are also enjoyable as well, playing the bumbling crooks with enough heart and maliciousness to be great villians (unlike that previous flick I reviewed with Chris Kattan and some obese man-child).

The bad: Once again the portrayal of law enforcement. EGADS. I shouldn't care but seriously they are the epitome of every bad stereotype in this film. Fat, lazy, donut eating fools. And we are supposed to believe that a phone call from a frantic mother wouldn't have elicited a bigger response other than the presumption that it was a hoax. Sheesh people.

Final Thoughts: Don't let naysayers and cynical holiday grinchs keep you from enjoying this holiday classic. Up there with Scrooged, Muppet Christmas Carol, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, and others, this is one film that should be enjoyed every year.

Add to the Vault: If it wasn't pretty much guaranteed to be on TV every year, I would probably own it already. I will definitely mark it as "To be added to the vault" but so long as they keep playing it I will likely hold tight. Next year I will endeavour to review the second installment, which I remember to be decent but honestly I haven't watched in probably over 10 years.

This concludes the holiday stretch of movies, and I apologize in advance for the next review.

Before that though, enjoy the trailer for Home Alone: