海角大神

Since its release in 1990, the movie 鈥�Home Alone,鈥� starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern, has become a holiday staple.

The movie follows Kevin McCallister (Culkin), a young boy who is accidentally left behind when his family leaves on vacation. After he discovers that inept burglars are trying to get inside his house, he decides to do anything he can to foil them.

So right now you鈥檙e picturing Harry (Pesci) getting covered in feathers and Marv (Stern) having a tarantula dropped on him, aren鈥檛 you? The last section of the movie, in which the two criminals must make their way through the house and contend with the various traps Kevin has created for them (don鈥檛 set up a blowtorch at home, kids), is what most people remember about the movie. I鈥檓 certainly not against it 鈥� I laugh as hard as anyone when Stern slips on the ice. Again.

However, the reason 鈥淗ome Alone鈥� makes perfect viewing for the holidays is a subplot in the script written by John Hughes, he who directed and wrote such endlessly quotable 鈥�80s movies as 鈥淭he Breakfast Club鈥� and 鈥淔erris Bueller鈥檚 Day Off.鈥� As with another holiday classic, 1989鈥檚 鈥淐hristmas Vacation,鈥� Hughes wrote but did not direct 鈥淗ome.鈥� (The director is Chris Columbus of "Mrs. Doubtfire" and 鈥淗arry Potter and the Sorcerer鈥檚 Stone.鈥�) In addition to Kevin鈥檚 hijinks with the bumbling thieves, he runs into a neighbor, named only by Kevin鈥檚 brother Buzz (Devin Ratray) as 鈥淥ld Man Marley鈥� (Roberts Blossom). Buzz scares his younger brother with stories about the elderly man being a murderer, causing Kevin to flee from his neighbor whenever he encounters him. But when Kevin meets Marley at church, Marley reveals he鈥檚 not a bad guy, and is in fact going through some problems of his own. He is estranged from his son but longs to see his him and his wife and daughter. He tells Kevin he would call but fears his son will refuse to talk to him.聽

鈥淎ren鈥檛 you a little old to be afraid?鈥� Kevin asks.聽

鈥淵ou can be a little old for a lot of things,鈥� his neighbor replies. 鈥淵ou're never too old to be afraid.鈥�

But Kevin encourages him to give his son a call, even if his son won鈥檛 pick up. 鈥淎t least you鈥檒l know,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hen you can stop worrying about it.鈥�

The conversation is soon forgotten as Kevin goes to face off with the thieves. But the last part of the movie isn鈥檛 Kevin鈥檚 father Peter (John Heard) finding Harry鈥檚 gold tooth on the floor of their house. It鈥檚 when Kevin turns to the window and sees Marley hugging his granddaughter, having made up with his son. The two exchange a wave before they go enjoy their respective Christmases. (The movie does get in one more moment of humor when Buzz shouts at Kevin about Kevin's destruction of his room.)

I will probably never get tired of Pesci and Stern swinging on a rope, but it鈥檚 the movie鈥檚 heartfelt message about family that keeps me coming back to 鈥淗ome Alone.鈥�