Home Alone. Kevin McCallister Is the Villain

[NewmanAssembles]

It's the holiday season. Every year we watch Home Alone and Home Alone 2. I loved these movies when I was a kid, but now watching them as an adult with my daughter it dawned on me. Kevin McCallister is one of the most vicious villains in the history of cinema. Not so much in Home Alone 1. An argument could be made that Kevin was simply defending his home. But in Home Alone 2 Kevin lures Marv and Harry to an abandoned building that they originally had no interest in going in. Then punishes them mercilessly, and won't let them leave.

 

[JediMichael]

Its funny, and the reason there is a fan theory that Kevin grew up to be jigsaw from the Saw movies.

 

[OzReturner]

He easily could have called the cops. It's a holiday classic, told time and again, of the main character enjoying torture.

 

[JediMichael]

Playing some Christmas music off youtube, and this plays. You just can't help but think of the scene where Kevin decks out the house like theres party going on, all with only him and random stuff from around the house. Always liked the Michael Jordan cutout on the train. I wonder if they had to pay him anything for that scene?

 

[NewmanAssembles]

Playing some Christmas music off youtube, and this plays. You just can't help but think of the scene where Kevin decks out the house like theres party going on, all with only him and random stuff from around the house. Always liked the Michael Jordan cutout on the train. I wonder if they had to pay him anything for that scene?

I couldn't find an answer to that. But I did see some random Home Alone trivia that at the time Michael Jordan lived about 10 miles away from the McCallister home. Theoretically the Wet Bandits would have ignored the McCallister home and knocked off Jordan's house during an away game.

Also, I've always found this really funny. I wish they would have made more entries into the Honest Action series.

 

[batguy]

Yeah, 'Home Alone' was one of those great lighting-in-a-bottle movies where the sequel took a sharp dive in quality.


It demonstrates a difference between Hollywood back then vs the modern franchise era. If the first HA movie was a recent hit then they would be putting more effort into a sequel. It still might not have been decent but they would have tried harder. They might have tried a riskier new creative direction.

 

[JediMichael]

Yeah, 'Home Alone' was one of those great lighting-in-a-bottle movies where the sequel took a sharp dive in quality.


It demonstrates a difference between Hollywood back then vs the modern franchise era. If the first HA movie was a recent hit then they would be putting more effort into a sequel. It still might not have been decent but they would have tried harder. They might have tried a riskier new creative direction.

While the second movie mostly copies the first, at least in going to New York and having the hotel crew, mainly Tim Curry, did help.
Nothing would ever beat the first one, but I still enjoy the second. The biggest problem, is how after part two, they still made four more sequels, with the latest just two years ago. Those all have raitings on IMDB between around 3 and 4. I've never seen any of them, and looks like I'm not missing a thing.

 

[CB2001]

He easily could have called the cops. It's a holiday classic, told time and again, of the main character enjoying torture.

First, the phone was down (this was explained to his parents as they were leaving). And when the phone was up and running again for the local area, it was after he accidentally stolen the toothbrush in his panicked running from the store after being scared by Old Man Marley, which lead him to believe that if he called the police, they were gonna arrest him for theft (hence the line, "I'm a criminal." as he's on his way home before he runs into Marv and Harry after they broke into the next door neighbor's house).

For the second film, he had a damn good reason to do what he did: He was doing it for the kids at the children hospital. The money that Duncan's Toy Store was saving up was to be donated to the children's hospital, to kids who couldn't be home for Christmas. He all but says it before he begins to run to his aunt and uncle's house to set up the plan. And he couldn't got to the NYPD either because, again, he thought the police was gonna arrest him (he technically committed credit card fraud, which thanks to what happened at the Plaza, he probably thought the police wouldn't bother to listen to him anyway).

In the first film, it could be justified that he was protecting his home, making what he does an act of self-interest. In the second film, he literally puts himself in harms way in order to get the money back for the children's hospital, making it an act of selflessness. It's character growth. He's not torturing Harry and Marv. He's stopping two criminals both times in situations where he thought he couldn't go to the police both times.

 

[Halliwax]

First, the phone was down (this was explained to his parents as they were leaving). And when the phone was up and running again for the local area, it was after he accidentally stolen the toothbrush in his panicked running from the store after being scared by Old Man Marley, which lead him to believe that if he called the police, they were gonna arrest him for theft (hence the line, "I'm a criminal." as he's on his way home before he runs into Marv and Harry after they broke into the next door neighbor's house).

For the second film, he had a damn good reason to do what he did: He was doing it for the kids at the children hospital. The money that Duncan's Toy Store was saving up was to be donated to the children's hospital, to kids who couldn't be home for Christmas. He all but says it before he begins to run to his aunt and uncle's house to set up the plan. And he couldn't got to the NYPD either because, again, he thought the police was gonna arrest him (he technically committed credit card fraud, which thanks to what happened at the Plaza, he probably thought the police wouldn't bother to listen to him anyway).

In the first film, it could be justified that he was protecting his home, making what he does an act of self-interest. In the second film, he literally puts himself in harms way in order to get the money back for the children's hospital, making it an act of selflessness. It's character growth. He's not torturing Harry and Marv. He's stopping two criminals both times in situations where he thought he couldn't go to the police both times.

Very well said, I didn’t pick up on a lot of that until you explained it

 

[NewmanAssembles]

First, the phone was down (this was explained to his parents as they were leaving). And when the phone was up and running again for the local area, it was after he accidentally stolen the toothbrush in his panicked running from the store after being scared by Old Man Marley, which lead him to believe that if he called the police, they were gonna arrest him for theft (hence the line, "I'm a criminal." as he's on his way home before he runs into Marv and Harry after they broke into the next door neighbor's house).

For the second film, he had a damn good reason to do what he did: He was doing it for the kids at the children hospital. The money that Duncan's Toy Store was saving up was to be donated to the children's hospital, to kids who couldn't be home for Christmas. He all but says it before he begins to run to his aunt and uncle's house to set up the plan. And he couldn't got to the NYPD either because, again, he thought the police was gonna arrest him (he technically committed credit card fraud, which thanks to what happened at the Plaza, he probably thought the police wouldn't bother to listen to him anyway).

In the first film, it could be justified that he was protecting his home, making what he does an act of self-interest. In the second film, he literally puts himself in harms way in order to get the money back for the children's hospital, making it an act of selflessness. It's character growth. He's not torturing Harry and Marv. He's stopping two criminals both times in situations where he thought he couldn't go to the police both times.

 

[OzReturner]

First, the phone was down (this was explained to his parents as they were leaving). And when the phone was up and running again for the local area, it was after he accidentally stolen the toothbrush in his panicked running from the store after being scared by Old Man Marley, which lead him to believe that if he called the police, they were gonna arrest him for theft (hence the line, "I'm a criminal." as he's on his way home before he runs into Marv and Harry after they broke into the next door neighbor's house).

For the second film, he had a damn good reason to do what he did: He was doing it for the kids at the children hospital. The money that Duncan's Toy Store was saving up was to be donated to the children's hospital, to kids who couldn't be home for Christmas. He all but says it before he begins to run to his aunt and uncle's house to set up the plan. And he couldn't got to the NYPD either because, again, he thought the police was gonna arrest him (he technically committed credit card fraud, which thanks to what happened at the Plaza, he probably thought the police wouldn't bother to listen to him anyway).

In the first film, it could be justified that he was protecting his home, making what he does an act of self-interest. In the second film, he literally puts himself in harms way in order to get the money back for the children's hospital, making it an act of selflessness. It's character growth. He's not torturing Harry and Marv. He's stopping two criminals both times in situations where he thought he couldn't go to the police both times.

Well said, I was just being a goof.

 

[JediMichael]

I need to rewatch the movies, its been a while.

I did just see a short video which showed Kevin in the first film going to the store and buying stuff. Everything comes to just under $20, in 1990.
So then people in the comments figured what those same items would be today.
Different places things cost more or less, so for everything, today it would be around $50 to $60, and probably more in some areas.
This whole inflation thing has gotten so crazy.

 

[JediMichael]

Just rewatched this. Still such a great movie after 33 years.
The scene in the church where Kevin finally talks with old man Marley and finds out that he hasn't talked with his own son and is now to scared to call him out of fear of still being rejected. I can say, that scene really hits hard now, as I get way to fearful of dumb things myself.
The movie had the perfect blend of comedy and more mature things like that, and Kevin realizing he did love his family, despite they being a pain in the butt to him and him back to them. Thats pretty normal with all families I think.
Also, incase anyone missed it, just two days ago now, Macaulay Culkin received a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. Knowing all the hardships he had with his own father, and that sadly they might never actually reunite, but it was really cool to see him with his film mother, Catherine O’Hara.
Macaulay has had his ups and downs in life, so seeing that was really nice to know hes gotten through it all. Reminds of of Robert Downey jr. and his life.
Now Macaulay Culkin just needs a big hit of today in the way RDJ got Ironman.

 

[Riceball]

Also, incase anyone missed it, just two days ago now, Macaulay Culkin received a star on the Hollywood walk of fame.
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While it's cool that Macaulay got a star, at the same it's also completely meaningless. These aren't some sort of high honor, pretty much anybody can get one provided they have the money, this is completely irrespective of how successful they are/were or aren't/weren't.

 

[JediMichael]

While it's cool that Macaulay got a star, at the same it's also completely meaningless. These aren't some sort of high honor, pretty much anybody can get one provided they have the money, this is completely irrespective of how successful they are/were or aren't/weren't.

You think about most everything in life, its all pretty meaningless anyways, right.
Just a few of the things hes said, I don't agree with it all, but over all, seeing the low road he went through, mostly because of his own father, and has seemingly gotten through it, so to at least be honored in some way is still cool.
I really have no idea how that whole star system works, but it makes no difference, since I'll surely never get one anyways.