A John Hughes/Chris Columbus Masterpiece!

Rating: 9/10 (14 December 2014)

The basic story seems so simple. Little 8-yr. old Kevin is accidentally left behind when his family jets off to Paris for Christmas. So it's "riddled" with continuity errors and plot holes. The garage has a separate entrance but is somehow connected to the main house? (Who cares.) There are so many things going on here. It's an incredibly complex screenplay, which pays homage to so many other movies: The burned brass hand-scar ("Raiders of the Lost Ark") The Three Stooges (impossible stunts and injuries that would have killed any mortal man.) "Angels with Filthy Souls" is a parody of "Angels with Dirty Faces". Clips from several Christmas movies. Sure it's totally implausible that an 8-year-old boy could actually execute such complicated stunts, but the "Micro-Machines" (actually candy) are genius, as is the zip line to the treehouse. It's Maculay Culkin's best performance. John Candy plays a great cameo as the Polka King and the sub-plot of "Old Man Marley" and his grandchild add much "heart" to the film. There are so many scenes that I love, but the toboggan out the front door and the stinging after shave lotion are the best. I love Buzz's tarantula and the blood-curdling scream (dubbed) from Daniel Stern! (The tarantula on Marv's face is considerably smaller than the one used in other scenes?) A great score by John Williams with some dusty 1950's carols thrown in for good measure. Of course this whole thing could never really happen. The whole movie is a fantasy, but the dream house that the McCallister's "live" in is real! Also, magically, most of the mess of the house is cleaned up by the time mom is finally united with Kevin, who is no longer home alone.