Home Alone, The Movie That Is Always Talked About At Christmas

Macaulay Culkin sebagai Kevin McCallister (IMDB/20th Century Pictures)

JAKARTA - Christmas Day is celebrated every December 25. To celebrate this Christian holiday, local television stations often show Christmas-themed films, one of which is Chris Columbus' Home Alone (1990).

Home Alone tells the story of the McCallisters who prepare for the Christmas holidays in Paris, France. Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) is the youngest child in the family. He is often the victim of pranks by his brother, Buzz.

One time he was scolded by his mother and sentenced to sleep in his room, in the attic. That's when Kevin wished he didn't have a family.

In the morning, the McCallisters wake up late so they head to the airport in a rush. Without realizing it, they left Kevin sleeping in the attic. Kevin woke up, but he was happy that his hopes had come true.

Two thieves named Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) are looking for a target. They find Kevin's house empty. The exciting action between Kevin against Harry and Marv begins.

Close to Christmas atmosphere

Home Alone which was released in 1990 is one of the films closely related to the Christmas theme. The winter atmosphere with snow, Christmas trees, and holidays is the reason this film is so liked by the audience.

The nuances of Christmas are also added to the songs played in this film, from Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas to Rockin 'Around The Christmas Tree.

One of his iconic scenes is when Kevin comes home from church to save his home and sets a trap for the kidnapper to the song Carol of the Bells.

Home Alone also has a premise that is relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic situation where a person is required to be creative in dealing with unexpected events. Action prank the thieves is one phenomenal scene in this film.

Overall, Home Alone is a family-themed film. Kevin's family treated him badly. Then, Kevin hopes his family will disappear until he realizes he loves them so much. Kevin also hopes that Santa will return his family.

There is also another story. About Old Man Marley (Roberts Blossom) who told Kevin he was separated from his son. Kevin advises Marley to try to contact his son so they can reconnect. Marley also met the child and thanked Kevin.

Box Office in China

The success of the Home Alone film is felt to the Bamboo Curtain Country. This film won the box office for three decades in China, which stood at 285.7 million US dollars. Not a single local release has ever crossed this record. With a low budget and local comedy, this film is easy to attract Chinese people.

According to Forbes, at that time, Home Alone aired in China from November 1990 to June 1991. The film Meet the Fockers almost surpassed the Home Alone record with 277 million US dollars. After 27 years, the Chinese film Never Say Die broke records in 2017. Never Say Die hit 286 million US dollars in 16 days.

The amount of Home Alone's income in China cannot be compared to Never Say Die. The reason is, Home Alone has achieved great success around the world. However, considering that Never Say Die won a record within 16 days, this film still ranks first in China.

Reboot the Home Alone Series on Disney +

In 2019, Disney announced that it was working on a serialized reboot of Home Alone. Archie Yates, Ellie Kemper, and Rob Delaney were confirmed to be players in this series.

The shooting process has been carried out since last February in Montreal, Canada. Bob Iger as the CEO of Disney will not repeat the story in the film Home Alone. He made a new plot.

Some time ago, Home Alone director Chris Columbus spoke to Insider about this series. He considered this reboot a waste of time.

"What is the point? I bet you can't make a film that has a long life like Home Alone. You will not succeed in making something the same, "said Chris Columbus.

The director also admitted that he had been complacent about the success of Home Alone by making Home Alone 2 and felt the sequel was just a remake of the first part.

"Even when you feel like a failure, at least you have to have something original."

The latest news says, Macaulay Culkin will appear as a cameo in the series. He received an honorarium of 2.5 million pounds for his performance. Disney was reluctant to divulge the release schedule for the Home Alone series, but they made sure the series airs on Disney +.