Home Alone (1990)
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A young boy must defend his home from a pair of burglars after being accidentally left behind by his family during their Christmas vacation.
The story
The McCallister family prepares for a Christmas trip to Paris. During the chaotic preparations, their youngest son, Kevin, is accidentally left behind in their suburban Chicago home. Upon realizing he is alone, Kevin initially enjoys his freedom but soon becomes alarmed when he learns of the 'Wet Bandits,' a pair of burglars targeting the neighborhood. To protect himself, Kevin must outsmart the intruders while his family remains unaware of his situation in America. The film follows Kevin's attempts to create a sense of occupancy and defend his home against the looming threat of the burglars.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The McCallister family prepares for a trip to Paris. Due to a series of mishaps, eight-year-old Kevin is left behind in their Chicago home. While his family is in Paris, Kevin discovers he is alone and initially enjoys the freedom. However, he learns of two burglars, Harry and Marv, who are planning to rob the house. Kevin sets various booby traps to defend his home. Meanwhile, his mother, Kate, realizes Kevin is missing and travels through various locations to reach him. Kevin also encounters his neighbor, Old Man Marley, who helps him realize the truth about local rumors. When the burglars break in, they are caught in Kevin's traps. Marley intervenes to knock them out before the police arrive. On Christmas morning, the family reunites with Kevin, who keeps his heroic defense a secret from his parents.
- First release year
- 1990
- Runtime (minutes)
- 103
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Chris Columbus
- Writers
- John Hughes · writer
- Cast and characters
- Macaulay Culkin · Kevin McCallister; Joe Pesci · Harry; Daniel Stern · Marv; John Heard · Marv; Catherine O'Hara · Kate
- Genres
- comedy; Christmas; crime
- Themes
- independence; family; bravery
- Tone and mood
- slapstick; humorous
- Premise and plot tags
- home invasion; holiday; child protagonist
- Franchise connections
- Home Alone
- Reception
- The film received mixed-to-positive reviews and became a popular Christmas classic, noted for its comedy and its lead performance.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 66% · scale: percentage · review count: 116; Metacritic · score: 63 · scale: 100
- Awards and nominations
- Best Original Score · Academy Awards · nomination; Best Original Song · Academy Awards · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was originally intended to be financed and distributed by Warner Bros.; The character of Old Man Marley was created by director Chris Columbus.; The tarantula that walks on Stern's face was real.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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