Posted on: December 3, 2020 Posted by: Glacier Staff Comments: 0

Happy holidays to all as we transition from the horror season to the holiday family films that we love to see! The holiday season does tend to breed a slew of cheesy Hallmark movies on TV every year, but there are some utter classics that live in this genre. Today, we are going to start out with one of the best Christmas movies ever made, “Home Alone.”

Andrew Pahl

Movie Reviewer

Rating: 5 out of 5.

“Home Alone” was directed by Chris Columbus and stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, Joe Pesci as Harry, and Daniel Stern as Marv. This film is about Kevin McCallister who gets left behind as his family travels to Paris for Christmas. While he is alone at home, a duo of bandits start robbing houses down his block but are suddenly duped by a young kid.

This, by far, is one of the best scripts I have ever seen brought to the big screen. There is not a single scene that is not given forethought or does not reward the audience for paying attention. Everything is foreshadowed in a good way to help establish the plot of this movie. This movie is also hilarious. So many one-liners and moments that show how dumb Marv is provide comedy we just don’t see. Physical comedy seems like a lost art at this point. Not many films and actors can pull this off well, but Marv and Harry pull this off beautifully in the micromachines scene. 

This movie also knows how to develop character. When we look at Kevin, he is an annoying young boy who expects everyone to do everything for him. But he is also really smart, as shown when he is shopping for groceries. By the end, he can handle himself pretty well, enough to protect his home against the Wet Bandits.

We also need to talk about how perfect the casting is in the movie. The actors who play Marv and Harry are irreplaceable. For the short time he is on the screen, Buzz is great in the mean big brother role. This film really helps establish the conflict Kevin has with his family, making it seem like everyone is out to get him. And the development of Marley, the old man that salts the streets, is also done very well.  

The film is masterfully helmed; the camerawork, editing, score are all top-notch. There are so many great shots sprinkled throughout the movie, such as the closeups of the bandits when breaking into the house. John Williams proves once again that he is one of the best composers for film in history. Music establishes the threats of each villain and also brings a marvelous Christmas magic feel during the opening credits. The editing highlights the comedy by having a scene with Marv ponder hard about a simple question that is fantastic to see. The many shots of Marv and Harry being caught in Kevin’s traps are masterful.

There really is nothing wrong with this movie. While it didn’t necessarily need a sequel a few years later, this is by far one of the best holiday movies ever seen. “Home Alone” deserves 5 out of 5 stars.

Moraine Valley