Home Alone (1990)
Home Alone follows Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin), an energetic and often mischievous eight-year-old boy who lives with his large, chaotic family in Chicago. As Christmas approaches, the McCallisters prepare for a holiday trip to Paris. The night before the flight, Kevin argues with his older brother Buzz and gets sent to the attic as punishment. Angry and frustrated, Kevin wishes his family would simply disappear.
A powerful overnight storm knocks out the electricity, causing the family to oversleep. In the frantic rush to get to the airport, they accidentally leave Kevin behind, unaware that he is still sleeping upstairs. When Kevin wakes and discovers the house empty, he mistakenly believes his wish has magically come true. At first, he enjoys his newfound freedom—jumping on beds, watching movies he normally cannot, eating junk food, and exploring the house without rules.
Meanwhile, a pair of bumbling burglars—Harry and Marv, also known as the “Wet Bandits”—are targeting empty houses in the neighborhood during the holidays. They assume Kevin’s home, a large and beautiful property, will be empty for days. Kevin, however, quickly realizes that the two criminals intend to break in. After spotting suspicious behavior and overhearing their plans, he decides to protect his home by himself.
Kevin begins plotting a series of elaborate, creative, and often painful traps throughout the house. These booby traps include icy stairs, heated doorknobs, swinging paint cans, blowtorches, glue-covered surfaces, and sharp obstacles. When Harry and Marv finally enter the house, they are met with Kevin’s full arsenal of tricks, leading to a cascade of comedic and chaotic mishaps. Despite being outnumbered and much smaller, Kevin outsmarts the two burglars at every turn.
During this time, Kevin also confronts his fears—most notably his elderly neighbor, Old Man Marley, whom neighborhood kids believe to be dangerous. Kevin eventually learns Marley is kind and lonely, and Marley later saves Kevin by knocking out the burglars just as they corner him.
Meanwhile, Kevin’s mother realizes he was left behind and desperately tries to return home. After a long journey involving canceled flights and rides with a traveling polka band led by Gus Polinski, she reunites with Kevin on Christmas morning. Soon after, the rest of the family arrives as well.
The film ends with Kevin silently enjoying his reunited family while Marley reconciles with his own estranged son—showing that forgiveness, courage, and love are at the heart of the holiday season.
