SEAToday.com, Jakarta-Christmas miracle is not reserved only for Christians. The special celebration also brings blessings for moviemakers. They do their best to present a movie filled with harmony and warmth.

They use the Christmas holiday momentum to broaden their movie's reach. Some of them became the greatest Christmas movies of all time. In 1990, one family movie by Chris Columbus snatched that very title. Its title? Home Alone. Here's the story.

Warmth that radiates from being together with family members is not something one can feel every day. That makes religious holidays an opportunity to gather with family and friends. Take Christmas for example. The holiday, celebrated by Christians, is welcomed with joy.

Nobody takes Christmas for granted. American moviemakers race to create the best Christmas movie, one that can be played in family gatherings and bring joy during the holiday.

"Comfort viewing is a secular tradition. For some, it takes the place of church: sitting through familiar stories, even not very good ones, if only to come together, rejoice in leisure, and remember previous times we watched them. It’s the true meaning of Christmas." Steve Rose wrote in a Guardian article titled "Turkey anyone? Why standards slip at Christmas when it comes to film" released on December 2, 2019.

Such opportunity was seized by famous American director, Chris Columbus. He joined forces with sharp scriptwriter John Hughes to create a Christmas movie up until late December 1990.

They chose Macaulay Culkin to play 8-year-old Kevin McCallister in the movie, later known as "Home Alone".

Home Alone

Writing movie scripts is not an easy thing, as it requires detailed observation. It is especially true if the movie highlights a parent-child relationship. This is what John Hughes worked on while creating "Home Alone".

John captured the dynamics of a misunderstood child's life through the main character of the movie, 8-year-old Kevin McCallister. Kevin is portrayed as a useless child.

"Kevin is always reduced to a spoiled brat who doesn't know how to tie his shoe by his brothers. Meanwhile, his sisters mocked him as a less competent and useless child. It's all because Kevin couldn't pack for a Christmas getaway with his family and cousins to Paris," Leila S. Chudori wrote in a Tempo article titled "Tentang Anak yang Diremehkan" released on August 31, 1991.

Everything he did was wrong in his siblings' eyes. His brothers call him spoiled, while his sisters call him useless. Kevin prayed for freedom. He wanted to do everything he couldn't, and it came true.

Kevin somehow got left alone at home on the day of the trip. He didn't mind. Being home alone was a blessing for him. He tried everything he couldn't do when his family was still home.

He ate as many ice cream as he could and read adult magazine Playboy, something once so forbidden and restricted. Problem rose when his house became a target of two thieves, Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern).

Kevin wanted to prove himself as a useful child. He tried to save his house from the thieves by setting traps everywhere. Moments of the thieves repeatedly getting into his traps became the highlight of the movie, which viewers enjoy.

The thieves' funny expressions became a cherry on top. People also loved how smart Kevin protected his house. He's only 8, but his creativity is far beyond his age.

The formula of the movie made people predicted it to be a big hit, and their predictions came true! People flocked to the theater to watch "Home Alone" on the day of its release, November 10, 1990. The audience was split into two, Team Happy Children and Team Worried Parents.

Best Christmas Movie

Nobody can deny that "Home Alone" sparked joy among children in the theaters. However, that was not the case for parents. They were disappointed as they thought the movie contained too many violent scenes in it.

The different points of view seemed to prove the main idea of "Home Alone" true, which was that parents didn't really understand their kids. They shouldn't watch a children movie with their POV.

The kids loved "Home Alone" and all of Kevin's actions. Their approval made "Home Alone" a big hit, beating other movies released in late 1990.

"Home Alone, a comedy about an 8-year-old boy who has to defend his house against burglars when his parents inadvertently leave him alone for the holidays, grossed nearly $30 million over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday to hold onto its No. 1 position at the box office despite strong new competition." Pat H. Broeske wrote in a Los Angeles Times article titled "Home Alone, the Holiday Weekend Box-Office Champ" released on November 27, 1990.

"Home Alone" then went global. The movie was widely perceived as a fun children movie all around the world. Kevin's actions became a nicely wrapped Christmas gift for everyone. It became a holiday must-watch, even years later.

Research revealed that "Home Alone" is, indeed, the greatest Christmas movie of all time. In Indonesia alone, TV stations often play "Home Alone" to entertain their audience.

Writer: Fariz Ahmad Luthfi