1990s Christmas: Home Alone

This movie was the highest grossing film of 1990 and first debuted on TV in 1993.  In this comedy feature film, the McCallister family rushes off to the airport to spend Christmas in Paris, only to find that they have accidentally left 8 year-old Kevin at home, alone.  Young Kevin celebrates his new found independence until he comes to miss his older siblings and parents.  Before his mother can find an available airplane seat back home, Kevin has to defend his home from a couple of professional thieves,  known as the Wet Bandits, looking for their next big score. 

What's your favorite scene? Is it John Candy as the Polka King offering Mrs. McCallister a ride home; Kevin lip syncing in the mirror to The Drifters’ “White Christmas” during his morning grooming; the emotional discussion about the importance of family Kevin has with his elderly next door neighbor in church on Christmas Eve? Or, when Santa Claus offers Kevin green Tic Tacs instead of the usual candy cane?

If you look closely, you may recognize Fuller, Kevin’s bed-wetting cousin as Macaulay Culkin’s real-life brother/actor, Kieran Culkin.  And, Kevin's brother Jeff is played by Michael C. Maronna who went on to play Big Pete on the Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete and Pete.

This movie was such a success, it spawned three more: 1992's Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, 1997's Home Alone 3, and 2002's Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House.  The second movie in the franchise sees Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister alone in New York City and once again taking on the Wet Bandits.  Home Alone 3 sees another 8 year-old, Alex Pruitt, home alone with the chicken pox defending his home against four international thieves.  (This movie also includes a very young Scarlett Johansson!) And, the TV movie Home Alone 4 returns with the characters of Kevin McCallister and the thief Marv now involved in a kidnapping plot.  However, the familiar characters are re-cast. Marv, twice played by Daniel Stern, is now unbelievably played by French Stewart.