Macaulay Culkin is of course the star of the film, playing our little lead hero. Its funny to see how more annoying and less dimensional Culkin and the characters he played would become the more films he starred in after this. And while he can get annoying in this film, it plays to the advantage of the film. It's just the right kind of annoying, the type of annoying that most real kids are. And we can relate to Kevin because at some point in our childhood we were that kid. He reminds us about who we used to be and that can strike a strong chord to us. And it is a no brainer that this is Culkin's best performance as he was just acting like the kid he was, and kids, going without saying, can play kids GOOD, if given the proper direction. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are especially funny and make up for a lot of the comedy in the film. Their chemistry and comedic timing are great, and the way they comedically work off of things and situations are just pitch perfect. And surprisingly at times they can be intimidating, despite how mostly goofy and funny they can be. Again this film is very good and taking the audience back into the mindset of a child and help remind us about the things we would be afraid of when we were young, which includes bad strangers wanting to hurt us. Kevin's mom, played by Catherine O'Hara, is probably the most prominent of the family members as she does have the closest relationship with the main lead. At first when the two do not seem to get along together, you do not quite know whose side you are on. You get where both sides are coming from but at the same time you disagree with both of them. Even as a kid, I knew that the mom was unfair but at the same time I knew Kevin was a pain in the butt. But as soon as she realizes that Kevin is missing during the vacation, instantly those motherly instincts kick in and right away the audience can tell that she really does deeply care for her child. It makes the character look a lot more dimensional as well as seem more like a real mother. The rest of the family, are pretty much like the one featured in Christmas Vacation. They are standard and represent the common stereotypical everyday relatives. But again, they are not bad or offensive stereotypes, they are the good type that keeps reminding us why we like to be around these kind of people all the time. A lot of good Christmas films are good at doing that and this one is no exception. John Candy also has a small role in this, and with Candy you know they have to make GREAT use with this late great talent. And they do.
This film does a very good job of mixing the comedy elements with the wholesome family drama-like elements. The comedy is mostly slapstick. But it is very funny slapstick. Again Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern is what makes these scenes funny. Their timing and expressions are perfect whenever they are reacting to many of Kevin's torturous traps. The drama is not typically the melodramatic types, but more of the wholesome heartwarming types that really do work. For example the scene in which Kevin is talking to the fake Santa in wanting his family back, when he is in the church talking to the "supposed" creepy guy who turns out is just a warm lonely soul who is alway alone on Christmas similar to Kevin's situation, and when he finally reunites with his family on Christmas. I really like those scenes because it gives me that wholesome Christmas type feeling and that Christmas is and will always be about the love you share to the people and just anybody you call family. Though it is a standard family film type of plot, with the silly slapstick you would expect, I think Home Alone does offer a good amount of more. Which is why everybody else, including myself, considers this a Christmas must.
GRADE: P+
SANTA'S LIST: NICE
0 Comments