Day 20: Home Alone (1990)
Kevin: Can I metformin hcl 1 000 mg sleep in your room? I don’t want to sleep on the hide-a bed with Fuller. If he has something to drink, he’ll wet the bed.
Buzz: I wouldn’ t let metformin side effects acne you sleep in my room if you were growing on my ass.
Here’s a fun fact: if Home Alone wasn’t a part of your childhood, and you were born after 1980, then you didn’t have a childhood. Sorry. It’s a fact.
This might as well be a double feature because it’s hard to separate the greatness of these two films. Not only do we bask in the family madness of Christmas, but we get a hysterical story about what would happen if a child was left behind when their family went on vacation for the holidays. And of course, in the sequel, it becomes an unfortunate McCallister family tradition.
Led by iconic child-actor Macaulay Culkin, and as much of high-concept fun the premise is, Home Alone is relatable to every kid growing up who inevitably feels like their family and the entire world is against them. No one listens to you. No one cares what you want. You’re not smart enough yet to know how to lie to your parents like your older siblings may be. You’re just a kid.
We could expect no less in a story from the genius of John Hughes near the end of his decade plus run as a dominant creative force in Hollywood. With Home Alone, Hughes tapped into the psyche of what it’s like to be a kid and what it’s like to feel alone. He tapped into everything we wish we could do, whether it’s sit around and watch movies all day or eat ice cream until we throw up. He tapped into that mythical place (one that I remember Rugrats always treading) all kids dream about — a world without grownups.
Eventually that world comes crashing down and you realize that you need grownups and you need your family. Kevin went through this transformation and thankfully was clever enough to devise a plan kids could only dream of to fight the bad guys and save the day. Said bad guys were Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), the “wet bandits”:
Harry: What’s so funny? What are you laughing at? You did it again didn’t you? You left the water running. What’s wrong with you? Why do you do that? I told you not to do it.
Marv: Harry, it’s our calling card!
Harry: Calling card.
Marv: All the great ones leave their mark. We’re the wet bandits!
Harry and Marv are legendary idiots in the history of cinema. Home Alone is timeless, slapstick humor at it’s best. And with the familial heart of John Hughes. Can’t get any better than that.
Check out the rest of our holiday marathon 25 Days of Christmas.
