Some of the best childhood escapism ever put on film

Rating: 8/10 (17 November 2011)

Home Alone is often compared to something it was never trying to be; plausible. It is a very fictitious film. One only a child might like. Parents will be divided. I can see some laughing, some cringing, and some sleeping. Young children will appreciate it, the current generation of teens might, and those who grew up with it will continue to watch the constant reruns on Television during the Christmas season.
While the concept is implausible, the story is simple. Eight year old Kevin McCallister (Culkin) is accidentally left home alone by his forgetful family during a hectic morning rush to get to the airport for their family vacation. Kevin enjoys having the house to himself after wishing he didn't have a family the night before. But then, he becomes the target for two bumbling criminals named Harry and Marv (Pesci and Stern).
Kevin creates many booby traps throughout the whole film. He uses them to his advantage so that the criminals can suffer many, many obnoxious blows to the head. Some funny, some not. It's all up to the film's way of timing it. Some traps can be hysterical, while others become very redundant. I can see how plausibility clouds the viewers' enjoyment to the film because you know that no eight year old would be able to concoct if he was fed cough syrup to help him stay asleep during a cold.
But Home Alone ultimately accomplishes one crucial element; giving cute and inspired scenes for the purpose of childhood escapism. Children love watching unrealistic things happening on screen. Especially when the protagonist is right around their age. This film is ideal for children of that age because it will tickle them that someone of their age can create such things like that. Then they will try and find one of their friends at school who can do the same sort of thing.
It's delightful and cheery, but very dopey and slapsticky. I mentioned the jokes don't always work, but many times they certainly do. After all, there is something that tickles my happy place when I see someone of such a young age outsmart two criminals. There's something lying in that premise that brings out the child in me.
This was of course produced by the teenager-whisper John Hughes himself. It seems after a very successful run of high school films he wanted to calm his brain and do one about a child. It's strange to watch a John Hughes film that occupies little to no coming of age elements, but still, Kevin is a bit too young to be truly finding his self-worth and purpose on Earth.
Macaulay Culkin is a delightful young actor, but sadly hasn't gone on to do very many things in recent years unlike his two brothers Kieran and Rory, respectively. Culkin did however play a paraplegic in the Christian-satire Saved! which I instantly fell in love with. Here he's a lot younger and livelier, and you just knew he would go on to play the cute, "innocent" young boy in many other films while he was still a cute, "innocent" young boy.
Home Alone will also resurrect memories from your youth when you were left home alone for the very first time. The house seems so much bigger, emptier, and more silent than it ever has before. It's the strangest feeling that only weakens over time.
Like I said before, a person's generation and age will factor in greatly when judging if they like or dislike this film. Personally, it still holds up today. It's fresh, entertaining, and satisfying, but can be redundant at points. Home Alone was a cute concept, but the sequel treatment was anything but left alone. Still, as long as there are still devoted supporters of this cherished film, I can say that the repeated airings on popular cable networks will not cease in the immediate future.
Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern. Directed by: Chris Columbus.