Catherine Luzzi ’26
Home Alone movies are always staples around Christmas time. Kevin running around trying to protect his house is a story that’s been told over and over again since 1990 with the first Home Alone movie. The movie starring Macaulay Culkin as Kevin, made an astounding $476.7 million in the box office. The cast and characters were the same for the second Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, released in 1992 and grossing $359 million. This time, the family did not leave Kevin behind and he made it to the airport, but they were separated, and he got on the wrong plane. Kevin arrives in New York City, while his family gets off their plane in Miami. The series took a five year break before returning in 1997, making many wonder if it would be profitable. The movie made $30 million: a far cry from previous box office numbers. The story was yet again set in the Chicago suburbs, and starred a young boy named Alex whose parents are at work while he’s at home sick. It was the last of the films in the series to be released in movie theaters.
The series yet again took a 5 year break, before releasing the 4th movie. Home Alone 4: Taking Back The House. The cast from the third movie was not carried over, but the name Kevin McCallister made its return. The plot centered around Kevin’s parents getting divorced and him spending Christmas at his new stepmother’s mansion. Since the movie was not released in theaters, its profits were not made public, but by looking at the money made by each movie we can infer that it was less profitable then the one before.
Home Alone: The Holiday Heist is the last in the series to come out. Released in 2012, the film revolves around the Baxter family. Finn is 10 years old, and recently moved to Maine from California. His parents are caught in the mountains during a snowstorm while at a party. Finn and his sister Alexis are stuck at home together, and they find a secret room in their house. Alexis gets trapped in it. Unknown to them, there is an extremely valuable painting in the room where Alexis is stuck. Art thieves attack the house trying to retrieve the painting, and Finn tries to save his sister. This film was released on the ABC network.
Home Sweet Home Alone is the newest movie to come out. Released on Disney Plus on November 12, 2021, the film has been highly criticised. Critics argue that the film was “not necessary” and “a weak rehash of the original.” The new movie has ten year old Max Mercer recently moving from London, England to Winnetka, Illinois with his family. His entire family is at his house before their trip to Tokyo, Japan. After a mishap with their plane tickets, the family is on two separate planes. After needing a break from his family, Max goes into the garage and falls asleep in the car. His family think he’s on the other plane and he ends up getting left behind. Interestingly, Max ends up with a doll worth a lot of money, and a struggling family attempts to retrieve the doll from Max.
When I watched the latest film I disagreed with the criticism. Although it was not my favorite in the series, I didn’t think it was bad. The movie paid homage to the first two movies, as the older brother of Kevin McCallister played a police officer, and Max’s home was under the protection of “McCallister Security Services.” The film was an enjoyable experience and a good laugh. No matter which Home Alone movie is your favorite, there is always one to watch. So this Christmas, enjoy a holiday classic and turn on Home Alone.
Border by Katie Nguyen ’23