‘Home Alone’: 1 Perfect Detail From the Christmas Movie Many Never Noticed
There are many popular holiday movies to watch at Christmastime. Among those on nearly every family’s list is the ’90s classic Home Alone. Though it’s been out for decades, some viewers are still learning new things about the Christmas comedy in 2020. Discover one moment from Home Alone you may have missed.
‘Home Alone’ turned 30 years old in 2020
It’s been more than 30 years since Home Alone premiered in theaters on Nov. 10, 1990. The film helped launch young star Macaulay Culkin, who portrays Kevin McAllister, to fame. The movie begins with Kevin and his family preparing to spend Christmas in Paris. But after landing, his mom realizes they left Kevin in Chicago.
The young boy is shocked to wake up and find that his family abandoned him. However, he soon realizes his Christmas wish has come true. He enjoys his freedom — that is until a pair of thieves turn up. Kevin delights in taking them down, and by the time his family arrives back in Chicago, he’s a hero.
Though made on a relatively low budget, Home Alone was a box office sensation. The film not only catapulted Culkin’s career but spawned a direct sequel — plus three more featuring new actors, and an upcoming Disney+ remake. It’s highly regarded as one of the best Christmas movies of all time.
The film’s plot isn’t as unbelievable as some may think
While it may seem impossible for something like this to occur, writer John Hughes and director Chris Columbus paid close attention to every detail. Seemingly innocuous comments and set design came into play later in the film, as pointed out by a fellow writer: Wynonna Earp creator Emily Andras.
“The story structure in Home Alone is impeccable,” she tweeted. “All the reasons the family forgets Kevin – the power outage that means they’re late to the airport/frazzled; the downed phone lines? Not to mention the red/ green Christmas aesthetic of the house/his wardrobe?”
Andras continued. “The annoying neighbour kid wandering over to grill the cab drivers, so he accidentally gets ‘counted’? The double vans, so the family/Catherine O’Hara could assume Kevin was in the ‘other’ one? The first class adults vs. economy kids on the plane? SORKIN COULD NEVER,” she finished, a dig at The West Wing creator.
It’s these tiny details that set it apart
Andras caught a lot of notable plot details. But there was one that even she missed. “Don’t forget his passport being ruined by the spilled milk & thrown out,” replied one Twitter user, citing a scene from the night before the flight that gets Kevin in trouble. “Didn’t even catch that! BRILLIANT,” tweeted Andras.
Of course, no movie is perfect. There is at least one plot home in Home Alone: What happened to Kevin’s Christmas dinner? “I have no idea,” Columbus told Insider in 2020. “If memory serves me, he set up this dinner and the guys show up? That is a mystery to me. Maybe something was cut, but that footage is long gone. I have no idea why that happened.”
