As a kid, I loved ‘Home Alone.’ As an adult, I believe it embodies the true spirit of Christmas.
How much would $20 worth of ‘Home Alone’ groceries cost today?
In “Home Alone,” Kevin McCallister was able to go grocery shopping for less than $20 in 1990. Find out how much that same haul would cost him today.
- “Home Alone” turns 35! The holiday classic arrived in movie theaters on Nov. 16, 1990.
- The beloved Christmas movie stars Macaulay Culkin as a kid who defends his home against bumbling burglars played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern.
- For the film’s most devoted fans, the movie captures the spirit of Christmas.
Get ready to do your best Kevin McCallister scream: “Home Alone” debuted in theaters 35 years ago.
On Nov. 16, 1990, the world was introduced to Kevin (the MacGyver of kids) McCallister (Macaulay Culkin), an 8-year-old who musters the courage to defend his house against bumbling burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) after his family accidentally takes off for a Parisian Christmas without him. C’est la vie!
I was 3 years old when director Chris Columbus’ cinematic masterpiece came out, and I don’t remember the first time I saw it. But I know I’ve watched it dozens of times over the years, multiple times each season next to our glowing Christmas tree. The movie has a hold on my heart as firm as the Sticky Bandits’ grasp on loose change.
As a Catholic, I don’t make it a habit of arguing with the Pope. “It’s a Wonderful Life” can sit among his Top 4 films. But I personally find nothing holly or jolly about George Bailey (James Stewart) being subjected to a depressing alternate reality in which he never existed. And you can shove “A Christmas Story” in a stocking, too. What’s cozy about Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) being kicked down a slide by a terrifying Santa, with a pair of crotchety elves sneering on?
As far as I’m concerned, Christmas is for slowing down, finding a second to catch your breath, and crawling under a warm blanket. It’s about buying or making a gift, big or small, or writing a card to show someone you care. It’s a time when, like the Grinch, your heart can grow three sizes because there’s a magic in the air. It’s about the balm of togetherness that Kevin yearns for after he thinks he’s made his family disappear — and holding a loved one tightly, the way Kevin and his mom, Kate (Catherine O’Hara), embrace when they’re finally reunited on a snowy Christmas morning.
As a kid, I admired Kevin’s ability to confront his fears, to face down his once-scary basement furnace; his brilliant inventiveness, boobytrapping McCallister Manor with toy cars, nails, feathers, a blowtorch, and a scalding iron; his touching kindness to a lonely neighbor dubbed the South Bend Shovel Slayer (Roberts Blossom).
As an adult, I realize the movie embodies what I believe to be the spirit of Christmas: being with those you love. Kevin’s mom says it best. Frustrated (and terrified) that she hasn’t been able to reunite with her young son for days, she pleads with an airline employee. “This is Christmas, the season of perpetual hope!” Kate says. “And I don’t care if I have to get out on your runway and hitchhike, if it costs me everything I own, if I have to sell my soul to the devil himself, I am going to get home to my son!” It feels like anything, both logistical disasters and miracles, can happen at Christmas. And we fight snowstorm or canceled flight or whatever shape of obstacle to be with family and friends.
What’s more, “Home Alone” is a quote machine, and the witty, pitch-perfect screenplay (written by John Hughes) abounds with inspiring adages and sassy quips perfect to drop any time of year. Unsure of what to pack for a trip? Rely on the advice of Kevin’s older brother Jeff (Michael C. Maronna): “Toilet paper and water.” Tipping a server in a cheeky way? “Keep the change, ya filthy animal.” While out with friends, remind everyone to “go easy on the Pepsi.” And if anyone ever wrongs you, burn them with the seven cruelest words known to Uncle Frank: “Look what you did, you little jerk!”
“Home Alone” also taught us the importance of using a toothbrush approved by the American Dental Association and planted the seed for the self-care movement of the 21st century. “I took a shower, washing every body part with actual soap, including all of my major crevices,” Kevin says, “including in between my toes and in my belly button, which I never did before, but sort of enjoyed.”
It’s the perfect movie, my answer for “Which film would you bring to a desert island, if you could only bring one?” My love for it is why I dressed my nieces – one blonde and one brunette – as Kevin and Fuller (Kieran Culkin) in 2022. (And their mother’s love for me is why she let me.) It’s why I purchased a vintage Pepsi can on eBay for the photoshoot. (It arrived after the shoot and now just sits in my office.)
If you like Christmas, and you love your family, how can “Home Alone” not be the top? As Harry and Marv assessed the McCallister mansion to be the best of the block, this movie, to me, is “the silver tuna” of them all.
