OPINION: Home Alone is the greatest Christmas movie: Why the 1990 classic trumps all.

December 22, 2022December 27, 2022 Bridgett Dillenburger

Debates are a part of our world everyday. Whether that’s personally when deciding what to wear on a particular day or over a topic with your friends or work buddies. However, a largely debated topic is the best movie – and more importantly best Christmas Movie. Many chime in with their personal opinion vouching for Polar Express, Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer, Elf, The Santa Clause or even Die Hard. However none live up to the greatness of the 1990 classic directed by Chris Columbus.

Home Alone, released in 1990, still reigns through television sets all across the United States. Nothing will ever compare, some may come close, but Home Alone will go down as the greatest Christmas movie to ever exist. This movie instills family values like respecting and honoring loved ones, lifting up and supporting them. More importantly, however, it instills values that reinforce what Christmas is all about; the Holiday Spirit and being kind to others in order to honor the religious celebration of Jesus’ birth. None of us would be where we are today without the help of family and friends. It is important to respect and honor them at all times, however, Christmas and other Holidays allow us to show appreciation and love even more through our celebrations and gatherings.

Family is everything. Home Alone represents the things you will do for family no matter what, just to see them and spend time with them. Kevin McCallister, played by Macaulay Culkin single-handedly defends his house from two neighborhood robbers. Kevin, an eight-year-old-boy, exemplified how much his family meant to him by warding these robbers off alone with traps placed all over to protect himself and more importantly his family’s house. He stood up for his family’s belongings and, although it took bravery, he successfully warded them off. I don’t know about you, but when I was eight I don’t think I could have done the same. On top of this, Mr. and Mrs. McCallister, granted they did make the mistake of leaving him in the first place, did everything in their power to get home to Kevin by Christmas in order to celebrate the holiday and to make sure he was okay. Mrs. McAllister had to ride in a bus to Chicago with members of a band in the back of a van rented at the airport while Mr. McCallister and the rest of the family caught a morning flight. Even though they had to separate as a family, they were together again at last on Christmas morning.

This movie is the best because it not only exemplifies what is represented religiously on Christmas, but it takes away the idea of Santa (No disrespect to him or Rudolph) and presents – which consume the population of America. It limits greed, and for once we watch a Christmas movie and laugh over and over as Kevin fights off the intruders. Throughout the movie we see people helping other people, not for money or to gain something, but simply to be kind. Two examples of this are the Band members offering Mrs. McCallister a ride and Kevin’s neighbor saving him at the last second from the neighborhood robbers.

Regardless of your favorite Christmas movie, it seems impossible that Home Alone is not at least in the conversation. It is an instant classic. It brings laughter to all those who watch, and most importantly it happens right before and on one of the most special holidays of the year, Christmas.

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