This is a classic, no two ways about it. It joined the ranks of festive classics very quickly and very deservedly. Not only does it have great action comedy for kids, it has a strong sense of family values. His mother is prepared to do whatever it takes to get back to him. When she says she’d sell her soul if she had to, you don’t doubt her for an instant.
Wilycub, you are right about Culkin’s casting - I’ve just bought the DVD and they said in the interviews that they didn’t want him initially, they tried hundreds of other kids but realised that he was perfect for the part. Culkin is indeed pretty likeable in the lead. The only thing that doesn’t quite do it for me are the bits where he talks to the camera - “I made my family disappear!” he realises, and then, after remembering things they’ve said (refilmed to sound more malicious than they actually were, a nice touch), “I made my family disappear!” - the same words, but said in a completely different tone and with comical rapid eyebrow-raising. It’s not bad, but it’s one of those skills that even a good adult star has difficulty mastering. Remember my comments on Paul Lukas’ narration of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea last week.
The way he comes to be left behind works. Doing the head count and this other boy happens to be there, he’s inserted into the scene well. And even we are distracted from Kevin’s absence by the fact that we don’t even see him wake up until after they’ve gone. The power lines coming down and causing them to miss their alarm is 100% believable, and it has the added bonus of taking the phone lines out of action for further isolation of the character. Incidentally, this may be the reason he doesn’t think of calling the cops straight away when he knows the burglars are coming for him.
The burglars, Harry and Marv, have a strong Laurel & Hardy influence. A friend of mine recently lent me some Laurel & Hardy DVDs, and one of their short, “Brats”, in which they play their own sons as well as themselves, is particularly noteworthy here for the high jinx they get up to with comically painful consequences. But the relationship between the two burglars is much the same - Marv is Laurel, Harry is Hardy.
The whole sequence of them trying to get into the house and then catch him is, of course, deliberately very cartoon-like. Specifically, Wile E. Coyote going after Road Runner, although here the Road Runner in the form of Kevin is not so passive! There’s been numerous memes about what would happen if these stunts were pulled in real life - ranging from ineffectual to lethal depending on the stunt, and it doesn’t matter a damn. These are highly experienced burglars getting comically trounced by an eight-year-old boy.
The point about John Williams’ music is well-made. A good score can make or break a film or show. The number of film scores nowadays that are basically the same and hard to tell apart - it’s like incidental music has become a forgotten art. Here is where we see the music bring the film to life. The comically hectic rushing around when they’ve slept in, the creepy moments where Kevin is genuinely frightened, even the carols - it all works.
One thing I never noticed before - when the rest of the family arrive at the end, it’s only Kevin’s half. His uncle, aunt and cousins are evidently still in Paris. This fits. He’s not their kid, why should their holiday be spoiled? Frank would reason like that. He is shown to be the worst of the bunch after all. Hell, even Buzz has a kind word to say to Kevin when they get back! Actually, watching the deleted scenes on the DVD, that reminds me, there’s a few scenes cut of the rest of the family in Paris that illustrate how they are feeling like it’s not right that they’re not all together.
They said in the interviews about this film the same things that the makers of Ghostbusters said. It’s one of those films where everything just came together. And in both cases they are absolutely right.
