movie review for home alone

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Common sense media reviewers.

Family comedy has slapstick violence and language.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Family is important, though relationships can be c

Kevin is brave and resourceful, demonstrating cour

Frequent slapstick violence, especially toward the

Adult characters kiss on the lips. Kevin finds an

Language includes "s--t," "crap," "horse's ass," "

Brands shown and mentioned include Pepsi, American

Brief shots of minor characters (adults) drinking

Parents need to know that Home Alone is a hit 1990 John Hughes-directed holiday comedy in which a young boy named Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) is left to fend for himself when his harried parents mistakenly leave him behind during a family trip. Expect disrespect between kids and adults and sibling name-calling…

Positive Messages

Family is important, though relationships can be complicated. Love and forgiveness outweigh petty arguments. Initial judgments of others can be misleading. Believing in yourself can help conquer fears and meet challenges. Crime doesn't pay. But the movie also suggests that violence toward others is acceptable in certain circumstances.

Positive Role Models

Kevin is brave and resourceful, demonstrating courage and perseverance. He also learns to be more thoughtful and kind toward others. But he's pretty vicious in his attacks on the burglars and puts himself in dangerous situations. He also talks back to his parents and family members. Adult characters are questionable role models: Kevin's mother speaks quite harshly to him at one point, though later she shows genuine worry and remorse, going to great lengths to get to him as quickly as possible. The two burglars are greedy, threatening, show no concern for others; they're portrayed as arrogant and easily fooled. A neighbor shows unexpected kindness and insight, even though he is harshly judged by the film's kids. Overwhelmed adults and bratty kids are painted in a harsh light -- the name-calling and arguing is nonstop. Gender stereotypes are reinforced via children's toys and language from teens, such as "babes."

Violence & Scariness

Frequent slapstick violence, especially toward the end. Bullying among siblings, particularly from Kevin's older brother, Buzz. Adults fall down stairs, get hit with blunt objects, step on nails and glass, get burned, have a tarantula placed on their face, and are knocked unconscious with a snow shovel. Injury detail is shown, including burns to hand and head. The lead character, a young boy, shoots a thief in the groin area with a BB gun, which he carries around for a prolonged period and shoots at other objects. He watches a mafia-themed movie in which a character kills another with a machine gun while laughing maniacally, with the body seen convulsing on the floor riddled with bullets. An imaginary scene shows a furnace growling and talking in a threatening way. Passing mentions of murder, corpses, death by suicide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Adult characters kiss on the lips. Kevin finds an old Playboy magazine but isn't very interested in it. Teens make reference to "nude beaches" and whether French "babes" shave their armpits.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Language includes "s--t," "crap," "horse's ass," "keister," "butt," "shoot," "bitch," "damn," and "hell." Siblings pick on their little brother, calling him a "disease" and "puke." Other name-calling includes "idiot," "jerk," "dope," "brat," "creep," "moron," and "phlegm wad."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Brands shown and mentioned include Pepsi, American Airlines, Micro Machines, Junior Mints, Twinkies, Tic Tac mints, Toyota, Crunch Tators, Hershey's Syrup, Tropicana, Tide, and Dodge.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Brief shots of minor characters (adults) drinking and smoking, including a man dressed as Santa smoking a cigarette. Champagne drinking on a plane.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Home Alone is a hit 1990 John Hughes -directed holiday comedy in which a young boy named Kevin ( Macaulay Culkin ) is left to fend for himself when his harried parents mistakenly leave him behind during a family trip. Expect disrespect between kids and adults and sibling name-calling early in the movie: Kevin is called a "disease" and "puke" by his older siblings and even a "little jerk" by his uncle, while Kevin talks back to his mother. There's no diversity (all characters are White and mostly male), and there's a ton of slapstick violence: Kevin trips would-be burglars down a flight of stairs, burns them, hits them with heavy objects, places sharp items on the ground for them to step on, and shoots them with a BB gun. Dangerous behavior with no real consequences includes Kevin sledding down the stairs and out the front door or going out shopping and walking alone after dark. Kevin also is shown watching a violent gangster movie that involves a character being repeatedly shot with a machine gun. He finds an issue of Playboy in a secret stash in his older brother's room but doesn't express much interest in it. Profanity includes "ass," "bitch," "damn," "hell," and "s--t." Overall, the movie is fun for kids and adults, but the violence and language make it inappropriate for younger children. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (78)
• Kids say (267)

Based on 78 parent reviews

Adult subject matter disguised a kids' flick

Intense but funny christmas movie, what's the story.

HOME ALONE is the story of 8-year-old Kevin ( Macaulay Culkin ), a mischievous kid who feels largely ignored by his large extended family. While everyone is preparing for a Christmas vacation in Paris, Kevin gets in trouble, is banished to the attic overnight, and wishes his family would just disappear. He gets his wish the next morning when they mistakenly leave him behind. At first Kevin is elated -- but pretty soon he realizes that being home alone isn't all it's cracked up to be. He misses his mom (who tries any and every means of getting home to her son) and even his brother, who bullies him. With all of the block's other families also away, Kevin has no one to turn to. Meanwhile, a pair of bumbling burglars played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern take advantage of the situation by pillaging the neighborhood. It's up to Kevin to defend his home, using every prank in his well-stocked arsenal. A bevy of violent, slapstick, wince-inducing episodes ensues as Kevin fights to foil the burglars' plans.

Is It Any Good?

This is a good-natured, albeit unrealistic, family film that both kids and adults will enjoy if they're OK with the violence, profanity, and disrespectful behavior. Its endearing story and a charming performance by Culkin make Home Alone a standout among the usual holiday movie fare. Without resorting to the all-too-adult double entendres that dominate many family films, this one focuses more on slapstick humor and innocence to convey its story. That said, that very reliance on slapstick does mean it's chock-full of wince-inducing violence. It's not for the weak-stomached and definitely requires some major suspension of disbelief.

Home Alone 's runaway success upon release was due largely to its players, most notably Culkin. Previously cast in supporting roles in movies such as Rocket Gibraltar and Uncle Buck , Culkin is Home Alone 's main attraction. Appearing in nearly every scene, he maintains a level of consistency that's a testament to both his talent and that of director Chris Columbus ( Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone , Mrs. Doubtfire ). Catherine O'Hara ( Best in Show , SCTV) does a fine job as Kevin's overwrought, guilt-ridden mom, and Pesci and Stern have great chemistry and handle the physical comedy with aplomb. Another performance of note is John Candy 's cameo as Polka Band Shuttle Chief Gus Polanski. Although his role is brief, he nearly steals the show.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about whether they think the slapstick violence in Home Alone is funny. How do you feel about laughing when someone gets hurt? Is it ever appropriate?

With younger kids, parents may want to discuss the steps they should take in the event they ever do get left alone, especially if they sense they're in danger.

In the film, Kevin decides to take on the burglars and wins. Instead of attempting to stop them on his own, how could he have sought help?

How does Kevin demonstrate perseverance and courage in Home Alone ? Why are these important character strengths ?

Movie Details

• In theaters : November 10, 1990
• On DVD or streaming : October 5, 1999
• Cast : Daniel Stern , Joe Pesci , Macaulay Culkin
• Director : Chris Columbus
• Studio : Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
• Genre : Family and Kids
• Topics : Holidays
• Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance
• Run time : 103 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• MPAA explanation : Se insta a los padres a dar "orientación paterna". Puede contener algún material que no guste a los padres para sus hijos pequeños.
• Award : Kids' Choice Award
• Last updated : May 5, 2024

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‘home alone’: thr’s 1990 review.

On Nov. 16, 1990, 20th Century Fox unveiled the John Hughes-produced film in theaters, where it would go on to gross $285 million.

By Duane Bygre

Duane Bygre

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On Nov. 16, 1990, 20th Century Fox unveiled Home Alone in theaters, where it would go on to gross $285 million and launch a franchise for the studio. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review is below:

Writer-producer John Hughes’ first offering since he scurried back to his beloved Illinois, Home Alone is a polished comic celebration of Middle America with Hughes once again tapping the prosperous plains of his North Shore neighborhood for comic inspiration.

Related Stories

'deadwood': thr's 2004 review, 'family guy': thr's 1999 review.

It’s particularly overwhelming for 8-year-old Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) who, amid all the departure craziness, gets left behind. When he wakes up the next morning, he finds his big white house, overstuffed with family and relatives the night before, now eerily empty.

In this crazy but credible scenario, writer Hughes blends two of children’s tender spots: separation anxiety and its flip side, kids’ need to stretch their wings. During his stint as “man of the house,” young Kevin experiences both fear and elation. While there is no one to tuck him in or make him breakfast, there is also no one around to boss him around or to bully him.

Cross-cutting between the concerned parents’ Planes, Trains & Automobiles -type attempts to reach Kevin, and the young boy’s escapades, director Chris Columbus keeps the festivities lively and at a crackling, cheery tempo as the bright boy defends his hearth and home against the onslaughts of two cat burglars. This running battle between the boy and the two adults is the film’s comic highlight — one that kids will eat up — and Columbus pitches it to slapstick perfection.

In his performance as the home alone kid, Culkin carries the brunt of the production on his little shoulders spectacularly. —  Duane Byrge, originally published in “Reviews In Review” column on Nov. 13, 1990.

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• DVD & Streaming
• Comedy , Kids

Content Caution

In Theaters

• November 16, 1990
• Macaulay Culkin as Kevin; Joe Pesci as Harry; Daniel Stern as Marv; Catherine O’Hara as Kate; John Heard as Peter; Roberts Blossom as Marley; Devin Ratray as Buzz; Angela Goethals as Linnie; Gerry Bamman as Uncle Frank; Hillary Wolf as Megan; John Candy as Gus Polinski; Michael C. Maronna as Jeff; Kristin Minter as Heather; Kieran Culkin as Fuller

Home Release Date

• November 13, 2020
• Chris Columbus

Distributor

• 20th Century Fox

Movie Review

“Kevin, you’re such a disease .”

“You’re what the French call ‘ les incompetents ’.”

“Kevin, I’m going to feed you to my tarantula.”

That’s just a snippet of what 8-year-old Kevin McCallister has heard all day from his brothers, sisters and cousins as they prepare for their next-day flight to Paris to celebrate Christmas. It’s like the whole family collectively decided to make the boy their verbal punching bag. And sure , maybe Kevin was getting on everyone’s nerves the whole day. But in his mind, he’s completely innocent.

During dinner, though, Kevin’s oldest brother, Buzz, goes one taunt too far. Kevin’s had it. He slams himself into his brother, knocking over the milk and soaking the plane tickets. In the chaos, Kevin’s father doesn’t notice when he accidentally throws one of the tickets into the trash as Kevin’s mother, Kate, marches the boy to his room, leaving Buzz unpunished and Kevin fuming.

“I don’t want to see you again for the rest of my whole life !” Kevin shouts at his family.

“I hope you don’t mean that,” Kate responds. “You’d feel pretty sad if you woke up tomorrow morning, and you didn’t have a family.”

Well, when Kevin wakes up, his whole family is gone. A storm in the night knocked out the power, so they all overslept and had to rush to the airport to make the flight. And in a series of unfortunate events, they accidentally forgot Kevin, leaving him home alone.

Kevin learns that his mother was wrong. He’s happy they’re gone … at least, for a little while. But soon, he starts to miss them—and more than anything, he’d like to have all of them—even Buzz —back.

Especially when some opportunistic burglars think his house is empty and decide to break in.

Positive Elements

Lots of things go wrong in order for Kevin to be accidentally left behind while the rest of the family flies to Paris. Midway through the flight, however, Kate realizes the horrible mistake and, for the rest of the film, fights to get home as quickly as possible. To that end, she’s helped by quite a few people who are willing to go out of their way to get her there.

Meanwhile, Kevin’s actually doing pretty well for himself. He learns how to take care of himself, going to the grocery store and doing his laundry, even overcoming his fear of the basement furnace.

However, though Kevin learns a bit of responsibility, he ultimately misses his family dearly—even family members he sometimes argues with. He asks a man if Santa could bring his family back; and he realizes that he has said and done things that were selfish and rude, wishing he could make up with them.

Due to a fictional story by Buzz, Kevin is afraid of his neighbor, Mr. Marley. But when the two eventually talk, he realizes that Mr. Marley is a kind man. The two are able to give each other advice and encourage one another to reconnect with their respective families.

Spiritual Elements

Kevin spends some time in a church, where a choir sings “O Holy Night.” While there, he runs into Mr. Marley, who tells him that church is “the place to be if you’re feeling bad about yourself.” The church contains a nativity scene where Kevin hides at one point. Later, Kevin prays and crosses himself.

Kate tells a man that she’ll make it home to Kevin even if she has to sell her soul to the devil to do so. A fictional movie is titled “Angels with Filthy Souls.”

Sexual Content

Kevin finds a Playboy magazine in Buzz’s room before tossing it over his shoulder. Buzz likewise has posters of women in bikinis hanging up in his room. Buzz asks his cousin if French women shave their armpits, and he asks about nude beaches.

Violent Content

The two burglars, Harry and Marv, storm the McCallister house, and Kevin sets up many traps to slow their assault. Some of these traps are minor, with one covering Harry in feathers.

But others, were this not a movie, could be lethal, such as when Harry is treated to a blowtorch to the head. The burglars are shot in the forehead and crotch with a BB gun; fall onto hard concrete after slipping on ice; get hit in the head with an iron and paint cans; step on a nail and broken Christmas ornaments; and other painful pratfalls. Harry brands his hand on a heated metal doorknob. Marv smacks Harry in the chest with a crowbar in trying to kill a spider. At one point, the two get knocked out.

All of these injuries enrage the two would-be thieves, causing them to utter death threats about Kevin, including how they’ll bite off his fingers or do especially bad things to his male anatomy. And when they cannot figure out where Kevin escaped to, Marv casually wonders if Kevin committed suicide. A man’s bandaged hand shows a little blood from an injury.

Buzz tells Kevin a rumor about how Mr. Marley killed his family, as well as half the people on his old neighborhood block, with a snow shovel. Kevin attacks Buzz. In an old black-and-white movie which Kevin frequently plays, a man shoots another with a gun.

Crude or Profane Language

The s-word is used once. “H—” is uttered six times. We also hear “a–,” “d–n” and “crap.” God’s name is misused once. Additionally, we hear childish insults such as “idiot” and “puke-breath.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

A man smokes. Someone drinks champagne. A TV show portrays an intoxicated Santa.

Other Negative Elements

Some of Kevin’s relatives say pretty cruel things to him, and Kevin treats them poorly, too.

Kevin steals an item while trying to flee a man, and he runs from a pursuing police officer.

“I made my family disappear,” Kevin McCallister says with a smirk.

Perhaps you’ve had moments in your life when understood exactly how Kevin felt. Something like this: Finally. No more family drama, cruel words or overbearing rules.

But if there’s one thing this 1990 classic teaches us, it’s that families are critically important—no matter how much we might disagree with that sentiment in those moments of anger and strife. Even though having annoying relatives might require enduring such moments, Home Alone ultimately shows how a family truly rooted in love will forgive and endure all things.

Much of what you’ll need to endure in Home Alone , however, is all that comedic violence. At times, the painful shenanigans we witness can feel cringe-inducing. Still, I wonder if the deepest wounds Marv and Harry will carry after their failed siege of Kevin’s house are the bruises to their egos.

On top of that, you’ll hear some mild profanity, too. Still, if you are in the mood for a Joe Pesci film, Home Alone is the tamest you’ll find.

Kennedy Unthank

Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”

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Home Alone Reviews

This film truly captures something enduring about what it's like to be a kid, and it continues to speak to that child in all of us.

Full Review | Dec 14, 2023

Without being the least bit schmaltzy or cloying, Home Alone manages to impart the holiday spirit. Its saving grace is an unexpected vein of irreverent humor that verges on the black.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Nov 30, 2023

This is going to be a big hit with the kids. Word will get out in the schoolyard that Home Alone is really funny. Just don’t let the kids near the iron after they’ve seen it.

Full Review | Nov 30, 2023

Home Alone will send most moviegoers home with the warm glow of a story well told.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 29, 2023

Hughes wrote and produced Home Alone, leaving hapless Chris Columbus to direct this boorish, ham-fisted, sloppy screen comedy.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Nov 29, 2023

Culkin is the perfect tufted tow-headed tyke; the human equivalent of the Roadrunner, his face twisting and eyes brightening with every revelation and idea. Pesci and Stern, accordingly, are cast as Wiley Coyotes.

Home Alone is a cheerful, happy-minded comedy with clever casting and the kind of repetitious slapstick action to thrill the kids.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Nov 29, 2023

Home Alone isn't high art, but it's a swell gift to movie-going families.

Full Review | Nov 29, 2023

Once Culkin is left to hos own devices, the film takes off. The last 45 minutes are achingly funny -- the perfect pre-Christmas present. Enjoy the laughs and don't leave anyone home alone. This is a picture the whole family can ejoy.

For a dumb movie, Home Alone gets pretty smart pretty fast... just like little Kevin.

The exception to the predictability is Kevin's plotted revenge against two extremely goofy criminals, played by the brilliant Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Nov 29, 2023

The film bombards us with gag and gimmicks. It's fun escapism, but not emotionally engaging.

Using split-second editing, playfully choreographed violence and exaggerated responses such as the bug-eyed double take, director Chris Columbus has created a live action comedy in the style of a Warner Bros cartoon.

Home Alone works -- it's funny, stupid, affably sentimental, and on occasion, even inspired.

You may not buy the contrived plot, but this giddy, warm-hearted comedy will have both children and grownups giggling in the aisles.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Nov 29, 2023

The movie is quite enjoyable as long as it explores the fantasy of a neglected little boy having an entire house of his own to explore and play in, and it still manages to be fun when he exhibits superhuman ingenuity and resourcefulness.

Kevin learns some lessons, too. Families aren't bad after all. Families are nice. Being Home Alone isn't much fun. He's right.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Nov 29, 2023

Writer/producer Hughes and director Chris Columbus have assembled a likeable cast led by Macaulay Culkin who plays Kevin and can make an impressive screaming face.

In the spirit of the coming season, you forgive this movie and cheerfully accept its gifts -- a few big laughs, several unforced chuckles, and a touching moment or two.

Home Alone is a lot like most Christmas gifts -- nicely packaged and fun to open, but not very useful or tasteful.

Home Alone Review

01 Jan 1990

103 minutes

It’s easy to see how this cute high-concept comedy, from the fertile pen of John Hughes who adds kids to his cross section of mild middle-class American tribulation, became a minor phenomenon.  Its oh-so simple set-up — misunderstood sprog is forgotten in the family scrum to leave for a vacation, leaving him entirely to his own devices  — hits a gold seam of childhood fantasy, the wonderful collection of what-ifs of a world stripped of parental monitoring.

That it is set at Christmas adds an inspired whisp of Dickensian hardship. And that young Kevin, played with spark and comic timing by the impossibly cute Macaulay Culkin, must face off against two useless housebreakers grants the opportunity for a succession of Chuck Jones inspired hi-jinkery, giving the film a madcap energy lest it sink too deep into sentiment.

Spawning three sequels and numerous rip-offs, you could classify Home Alone as a seminal moment, but for all its naughty mania and wish fulfilment you can feel the rough gear-changes of processed scriptwriting hard-wired for effect. How we are meant to grin with infantile glee at Kevin’s unsupervised indulgences in adult videos, ice cream sundaes and interior sled-rides. And how we must chuckle and raise a cheer over his victoriously cunning booby traps, spread across his vast wood-panelled house, that leave long-suffering Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern permanently on their backsides.

It’s an ineffective cartoon form of violence where nothing, especially not criminal hide, is truly harmed. Which lands the film with an irritating but, perhaps, inevitable conceit — that it has one baby foot in the real world and one in purest fantasy. Kevin’s peril never really hits home, he just lives in a movie pitch. Otherwise, God knows the therapy he’ll need in adult life.

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Metacritic reviews

• 80 The New York Times The New York Times Kevin has the potential to be the mawkish child or the obnoxious little adult so common on screen, but he is neither. Played with great glee by Macaulay Culkin, he is a totally endearing, up-to-the-minute little boy.
• 80 Washington Post Washington Post This holiday contender from John Hughes is too crass, too loud and too violent to be added blithely to Christmas viewing traditions. But it is funny.
• 70 Washington Post Hal Hinson Washington Post Hal Hinson The movie has a big payoff; it's the setup that's the drag. But Kevin's antics will touch the budding subversive in every kid. My advice? Hide the car keys.
• 67 Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov Home Alone is the apex, the pinnacle, the culmination of every bad bit Hughes has ever written or directed. It overflows with primitive, disastrously unfunny sight gags and neo-hateful familial humor.
• 67 The A.V. Club Noel Murray The A.V. Club Noel Murray Even though Macaulay Culkin's alternately muggy and inexpressive lead performance hasn't worn well, the supporting turns by Catherine O'Hara and John Candy are especially crackerjack, as is John Williams' buoyantly cartoony score.
• 63 Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert All plausibility is gone, we sit back, detached, to watch stunt men and special effects guys take over a movie that promised to be the kind of story audiences could identify with.
• 63 TV Guide Magazine TV Guide Magazine The first half of Home Alone features the sugar-coated sentimentality that can usually be found in a Hughes film, while the second half is full of unanticipated sadism.
• 60 Empire Empire So it may not be Citizen Kane, but it is a hilarious comedy (although not a very believable one — there can be no eight-year-olds this ingenious) that kids will love and adults won’t mind sitting through either.
• 50 Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum The movie is quite enjoyable as long as it explores the fantasy of a neglected little boy having an entire house of his own to explore and play in, but the physical cruelty that dominates the last act leaves a sour taste, and the multiple continuity errors strain one's suspension of disbelief to near the breaking point.
• See all 9 reviews on Metacritic.com
• See all external reviews for Home Alone

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Home Alone review – 1990 Christmas cracker resurfaces

Macaulay Culkin is nearly incandescent with confidence in the yuletide rerelease of Chris Columbus’ box-office smash

T he well-known 1990 Christmas romp from screenwriter John Hughes and director Chris Columbus gets a yuletide rerelease. For me, it is a cutesiness overload, but it was a phenomenal box-office smash and made a megastar of angelic 10-year-old Macaulay Culkin doing his famous “Aaaaaaaah!” face as he slapped his palms to his cheeks. His face was, in fact, stinging with the cologne he was putting on, a symbol of his unwonted grownup audacity and jeopardy.

A harassed extended family head off for France to celebrate Christmas , and in all the mad rush, impish little Kevin (Culkin) gets left behind. At first he thinks it’s a magical fulfilment of his wish that his annoying folks would disappear, but then a couple of burglars try to invade his house. Kevin ingeniously repels boarders, and he also finds time to provide a Christmas-miracle redemption for a local old guy with the Dickensian name of Mr Marley.

The two crooks are played by Daniel Stern and, startlingly, Joe Pesci – a light comedy role that was atypical for him, doing a big “pain” face as he gets shot by a small child in the balls. Culkin’s acting style is a bit broad and mannered, especially in the wacky speeded-up scenes where he whooshes madly about the house, but there’s no doubting the confidence with which the doe-eyed moppet carries this film. Nine years later, in M Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense , Haley Joel Osment pioneered a very different kind of child acting and child stardom: understated, with a tiny, thoughtful little voice. Well, that wouldn’t have worked for Home Alone. Perhaps it is impossible to see this film without thinking of Culkin’s melancholy adult career, but he is a vivid screen presence, almost incandescent with confidence.

• Family films
• Macaulay Culkin
• Comedy films

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Film Review: ‘Home Alone’

The family of poor little dumped-upon Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) has rushed off to catch their holiday plane and accidentally left him behind. Now they're in Paris, frantically trying to reach him, and he's home alone, where a storm has knocked out the telephones, the neighbors are away for the holiday and the houses on the street are being systematically cleaned out by a team of burglars.

By Variety Staff

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The family of poor little dumped-upon Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) has rushed off to catch their holiday plane and accidentally left him behind. Now they’re in Paris, frantically trying to reach him, and he’s home alone , where a storm has knocked out the telephones, the neighbors are away for the holiday and the houses on the street are being systematically cleaned out by a team of burglars.

Generally perceived by his family as a helpless, hopeless little geek, Kevin is at first delighted to be rid of them, gorging on forbidden pleasures like junk food and violent videos, but when the bandits ( Joe Pesci , Daniel Stern ) begin circling his house, he realizes he’s on his own to defend the place.

Kevin proves he’s not such a loser by defending the fort with wits and daring and by the time Mom (Catherine O’Hara) comes rushing back from Europe, everything’s in order.

A firstrate production in which every element contributes to the overall smartly realized tone, pic boasts wonderful casting, with Culkin a delight as funny, resilient Kevin, and O’Hara bringing a snappy, zesty energy to the role of mom. Pesci is aces in the role of slippery housebreaker Harry, who does a Two Stooges routine with lanky side-kick Stern.

1990: Nominations: Best Original Score, Song (‘Somewhere in My Memory’)

Popular on Variety

• Production: 20th Century-Fox. Dir Chris Columbus; Producer John Hughes; Screenplay John Hughes; Camera Julio Macat; Editor Raja Gosnell; Music John Williams Art Dir John Muto
• Crew: (Color) Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1990. Running time: 102 MIN.
• With: Macaulay Culkin Joe Pesci Daniel Stern Catherine O'Hara John Heard John Candy

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REVIEW/FILM

REVIEW/FILM; Holiday Black Comedy For Modern Children

By Caryn James

• Nov. 16, 1990

Ask any 8-year-old what a sugarplum is and you'll get a blank stare. Kids today have tougher questions to deal with. As a little girl asks in "Home Alone," "Does Santa Claus have to go through customs?" That's the holiday spirit behind this surprisingly charming film, which may be the first Christmas black comedy for children.

Forget old-fashioned sweetness and light. Here is the story of a large suburban family that accidentally leaves its youngest child behind when it flies off to Paris for Christmas. Kevin is a wide-eyed, savvy child who responds to being the picked-on youngest of five by asking wistfully, "Why do I always get treated like scum?" One morning he wakes up alone in the slightly creepy, too-quiet house to discover his fondest wish has come true. Looking straight into the camera, he smiles and gloats, "I made my family disappear!" Kevin has the potential to be the mawkish child or the obnoxious little adult so common on screen, but he is neither. Played with great glee by Macaulay Culkin, he is a totally endearing, up-to-the-minute little boy.

Kevin's believable, smart-kid attitude is typical of the film's creators, who in the past have mined this suburban turf with mixed results. The film was written and produced by John Hughes (who made Molly Ringwald a teen-age idol in films like "16 Candles" and turned family life into a bad joke in "Uncle Buck"), and was directed by Chris Columbus ("Adventures in Baby-Sitting").

The first half of "Home Alone" is as flat and unsurprising as its cute little premise suggests. Left on his own, with the phone out of order and the neighbors away, Kevin eats junk food and accidentally sets his brother's pet spider loose -- predictable comic touches. It doesn't pay to wonder how he orders pizza without a phone. And there are lengthy, tangled scenes showing how loving parents (John Heard is Dad and Catherine O'Hara is Mom) misplace their son during a frantic race to the airport.

But in the second half, the plot becomes more outlandish, the boy a resourceful daredevil and the comedy wilder. Kevin's house is targeted by two determined but dimwitted burglars, so he sabotages the entrances, with outrageous slapstick results.

Every now and then we see his parents desperately trying to arrange a return flight. On the final leg back, Mom hitches a ride with a polka band led by John Candy, a sure sign of maternal devotion bordering on martyrdom. But Kevin is taking care of himself like a human ninja turtle, indulging in every child's fantasy of taking over the house and becoming the hero of his own adventure.

He uses gunshots on a videotape as threatening sound effects and scatters the floor with toy trucks for the robbers to trip on. He boobytraps the front stairs with ice and the back stairs with tar. As the burglars, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern (and their stunt doubles) respond exactly like cartoons. They do not just slip on the ice, they somersault over it. When Mr. Pesci's hair gets singed off the top of his scalp, he dips his head in the snow for relief. All that's missing from these cartoon scenes are stars flashing around the crooks' dazed heads.

Even so carefree and wry a comedy needs its redeeming lesson, though. For Kevin, it comes when he runs from the robbers and hides in a church, where carolers sing and where he encounters the gruff-looking old man next door -- the man seen earlier shoveling his walk and called by Kevin's older brother "The South Bend Shovel Slayer." Of course he turns out to be kinder than Santa. He and Kevin teach each other the true importance of family. Yet even this scene, the most sentimental, is not overplayed. Neither is the ending, when Kevin gets his new fondest wish -- his family reappears.

"Home Alone" does, after all, have its sweet side. But it's a side best appreciated by the kind of ultra-modern kids who might wonder about Santa's passport.

"Home Alone" is rated PG (Parental guidance suggested). There is a bit of harsh language, and some physical stunts no child should emulate.

Home Alone Directed by Chris Columbus; written and produced by John Hughes; director of photography, Julio Macat; edited by Raja Gosnell; music by John Williams; producion designer, John Muto; released by 20th Century Fox. Running time: 98 minutes. This film is rated PG. Kevin . . . Macaulay Culkin Harry . . . Joe Pesci Marv . . . Daniel Stern Peter . . . John Heard Marley . . . Roberts Blossom Kate . . . Catherine O'Hara Gus Polinski . . . John Candy Linnie . . . Angela Goethals

Less than 5 obscenities, 1 or 2 profanities, slapstick violence, and breaking and entering.

More Detail:

“Wow! I made my family disappear!” exclaims 8-year-old Kevin upon awakening a few days before Christmas and discovering his family gone. Precocious and energetic, Kevin exults over his family’s disappearance, since each one berated him the night before by calling him a “jerk.” For once, Kevin can be in charge and not have to answer to anyone but himself.

Kevin’s family has, in fact, gone to Paris for a Christmas holiday and, upon arriving, discovers Kevin missing. His Mom tries frantically to change her airline ticket, but all flights are full. After a day or so, however, she is able to get passage to Scranton, Pennsylvania. Later, she enjoys a hilarious U-Haul truck ride back home with a polka band.

In the meanwhile, Kevin is relishing his new-found freedom. Finding his brother’s hidden money, he promptly goes shopping, stocking up on microwave dinners, junk food and laundry detergent. Back home, he does the laundry, says “grace” and then eats a macaroni and cheese dinner by candlelight. Later, he loads up on junk food watching TV.

When he overhears burglars planning to break into what they think is an empty house on Christmas Eve, Kevin states matter-of-factly to himself: “I’m the man of this house and I’ll defend my house!” Thus, he plans his battle strategy and prepares with such things as pouring water on the side walks so they’ll freeze over, wiring the front door knob so it will be red-hot and setting up an array of tiny, metal soldiers on the floor to trip the burglars.

Everything in place, Kevin goes to a carol service at a nearby church, then returns home before nine o’clock, the scheduled time of the break-in, and checks his fortifications. When the burglars arrive, Kevin is ready and goes into action: they slip and fall, one burns his hands, the other loses his shoes, and, shortly, because of the mayhem, they both have second thoughts about the robbery.

HOME ALONE is a delightful movie with good acting, an intriguing plot and a generous supply of humor. There is a minimum of bad language and a very slight sexual innuendo. However, some people will be upset at the slapstick violence and the cartoonish pain inflicted on the bad guys as Kevin defends his home.

On the other hand, HOME ALONE has a strong message of reconciliation and portrays a fairly close-knit family. Furthermore, Kevin appears to be in the habit of attending church. Best of all, Kevin learns from his experience. He learns not to be afraid and to be thankful for his family.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please address your comments to:

Mr. Barry Diller

20th Century Fox

P.O. Box 900

Beverly Hills, CA 90213

(213) 277-2211

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REVIEW: ‘Home Alone’ remains a holiday classic

Courtesty 20th Century Studios

Staff Writer Hannah O’Grady writes that “Home Alone” remains a holiday classic, even 30 years after its release.

Hannah O’Grady , Staff Writer December 22, 2021

With humor, heart and a killer score, the 1990 classic “Home Alone” is a fantastic Christmas film.

The film, written by John Hughes (best known for “The Breakfast Club” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”) and directed by Chris Colombus, is set in Chicago and follows eight-year old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin), who is accidentally left home alone, as he fights to protect his house from two determined, albeit not very clever, burglars. The adventure is full of slapstick humor and clever lines, and the movie’s ability to not take itself too seriously is its greatest strength.

The movie opens in the McCallister household, as the family prepares to leave for a Christmas vacation in Paris. Following an argument between Kevin and his mother Kate (Catherine O’Hara) and a neighborhood-wide power outage, the family oversleeps and forgets to wake up Kevin in their hurry to the airport. 

Initially ecstatic to have the house to himself, Kevin takes advantage of his newfound freedom, before something throws a wrench in his plan: burglars Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) are planning to rob the McCallister home. The movie follows Kevin’s attempts to protect himself and his house and his family’s efforts to reunite with him.

Humor is by far the most endearing element of this film. Kevin’s antics, which include sledding indoors and eating junk food, are a joy to watch, largely because of the youthful energy that Culkin brings to his role. Meanwhile, Pesci and Stern are also successful in generating laughs. The grouchy, irritable aura of Pesci’s character paired with the simple-mindedness of Stern’s create a hilarious, if sometimes over the top, dynamic. The scenes in which the two bandits face off against young, inventive Kevin are highlights of the movie, allowing all three performers to shine in moments of witty banter and pure slapstick comedy.

The thing that ties everything together is John Williams’s brilliant score.

Some of the characters are a bit too much at times, most notably Kevin’s older brother Buzz (Devin Ratray) and Uncle Frank (Gerry Bamman), who are an over-the-top kind of mean. However, the actors intentionally lean into the over-the-top nature, and their characters come across as more comical than harshly intimidating. 

The thing that ties everything together is John Williams’s brilliant score. His orchestration creates a distinctly holiday sound with the bells and the celeste—instruments that are linked to other iconic holiday scores such as Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker.” Williams’s themes elevate both the story and the characters. Harry and Marv’s theme in particular—a low, bouncy motif played on the bass clarinet and bassoon—is memorable because it matches the comical energy of the duo. The icing on the cake is an original carol titled “Somewhere in My Memory,” which paints a beautiful picture of the importance of connection during the holidays. 

“Home Alone” has stood the test of time, and remains a fun, humorous watch. This lighthearted adventure is sure to leave viewers of all ages with a smile on their faces, whether they are watching it for the first time, or have made it a holiday tradition. The movie can be streamed on Disney+.

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Call me hard-hearted, call me cynical, but please don't call me if they make “Home Alone 3.” These words, from my review of “Home Alone 2,” now have to be eaten. To my astonishment, I liked the third “ Home Alone ” movie better than the first two; I'm even going so far as to recommend it, although not to grownups unless they are having a very silly day. This movie follows the exact formula of the first two, but is funnier and gentler, has a real charmer for a hero, and provides splendid wish fulfillment and escapism for kids in, say, the lower grades.

There is even a better rationale for why the hero is left home alone. Played by a winning newcomer named Alex D. Linz , who seems almost too small for a middle initial, the kid gets the chicken pox. His dad is out of town on business, his mom has an emergency at the office, and his brother and sister are at school. So he's left home alone, with a beeper number, a fax number, a cell phone number, the number of Mrs. Hess across the street and dialing 911 as a fallback position.

The subplot has already been set into motion. A spy ring has stolen a computer chip, and because of an exchange of identical bags at the San Francisco airport, the toy truck containing the chip has ended up at Mrs. Hess' house. Four spies fly to Chicago on the same plane with Mrs. Hess and have four hours on board to search for the bag, but somehow they fail to find it and end up deciding to burglarize every house on little Alex's block.

This is going to a lot of extra trouble, in my opinion. They use walkie-talkies, computer programs, surveillance vans, a fake baby buggy and other props in order to be as inefficient and conspicuous as possible, and of course Alex, using his telescope from an attic window, spots them. (Why they never spot Alex up there is the kind of question you're not supposed to ask.) After he calls the cops twice but no burglars are found, Alex realizes it's up to him. He rigs elaborate booby traps, just like in the first two movies, and the last 45 minutes consist of nonstop pratfalls as the bad guys fall for every last trap. As I observed in my review of “Home Alone,” these are the kinds of traps that any 8-year-old could devise, if he had a budget of tens of thousands of dollars and the assistance of a crew of movie special-effects people.

So, OK. I know the formula, and so does the movie (written, like the first two, by John Hughes ). Forewarned and forearmed as I was, why did I actually like “Home Alone 3”? It was partly because of little Alex Linz, who has a genuinely sweet smile on his face as he watches his traps demolish the bad guys. I don't know if he'll have a career like his predecessor, Macaulay Culkin (for his sake I sort of hope not), but he has the same glint in his eye.

And the booby traps, while painful, are funnier this time. Sure, people fall down dumbwaiters and through floors, and get hit on the head with dumbbells and flower pots, and end up in the frozen swimming pool, but Raja Gosnell's direction sidesteps the painfulness and makes it OK. The stunts at the end are more slapstick and less special effects. And the result is either more entertaining than in the first two films, or I was having a very silly day.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

Home Alone 3 (1997)

Rated PG For Slapstick Violence, Language and Mild Sensuality

102 minutes

Olek Krupa as Beaupre

Rya Kihlstedt as Alice

Lenny Von as Jernigan

Alex D. Linz as Alex

Kevin Kilner as Jack

Marian Selder as Mrs. Hess

David Thornton as Dohlen Unger

Haviland Morris as Karen

Directed by

• Raja Gosnell
• John Hughes

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