SEAToday.com, Jakarta-Christmas miracle is not limited 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", 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", 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", 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.

SEAToday.com, Jakarta-Christmas celebrations not only bring blessings only to Christians. This special celebration also brings blessings to filmmakers. Filmmakers race to create films full of harmony and warmth.

They take advantage of the Christmas holiday momentum so their films can reach a broader audience. Some of them have become the best Christmas movies of all time. Long ago, that title was directly taken by a family film created by Chris Columbus in 1990. Home Alone, its title. Here’s the story.

Maximum warmth from family is something not obtained every day. This condition makes religious holiday moments a fun gathering opportunity. Christmas celebrations, for instance. This Christian holiday is often celebrated with joy. It’s also a holiday.

No one wants to waste the Christmas opportunity. American (US) filmmakers race to present the best Christmas films. A film that becomes a lubricant for togetherness with family. A film that illuminates the joy of the holiday.

“Watching to entertain oneself is a secular tradition. For some people, watching replaces church: sitting and listening to familiar stories, even those that are not very good, just to gather, rejoice in leisure time, and remember the times we watched them before. That is the true meaning of Christmas,” said Steve Ross in his article on The Guardian titled Turkey Anyone? Why Standards Slip at Christmas When it Comes to Film, December 2, 2019.

This potential was also captured by renowned director Chris Columbus. He collaborated with famous screenwriter John Hughes to bring a special Christmas movie to life. They tried to craft a Christmas film that could accompany families until the end of December 1990.

They appointed Macaulay Culkin to play the role of an eight-year-old boy, Kevin McCallister. The film was later widely known by the title Home Alone.

Home Alone

Formulating a movie script is no easy task. Sharp observation is needed. Especially when portraying drama between the relationships of children and parents. This condition was tried to be presented by John Hughes in crafting the story of Home Alone.

John skillfully depicted the dynamics of children’s lives, which are hard for their parents to understand. This was manifested in the figure of an eight-year-old boy, Kevin McCallister. Kevin was portrayed as a useless little boy.

“Kevin was always underestimated by his brother as a spoiled child who didn’t know how to tie his shoelaces. His sisters mocked him as a less competent (incompetent) and useless child. All of that because Kevin couldn’t pack his suitcase for a Christmas vacation to Paris with his family and cousins,” wrote Leila S. Chudori in her article in Tempo magazine titled Tentang Anak yang Diremehkan, August 31, 1991.

Everything he did was considered over the line. He was called a spoiled brat by his brother. He was also called a useless child by his sister. Kevin then prayed to be free—independent. He wanted to do everything forbidden, and magically it happened.

Kevin became a victim of his family’s frantic rush, fearing they would miss their flight to France. He was left behind at home. Kevin didn’t worry. He saw being home alone as a blessing. He tried to do everything previously forbidden.

Kevin enjoyed ice cream as much as he wanted and even read adult magazines: Playboy. Something that was previously restricted and off-limits. Problems arose when his house became the target of two burglars, Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern).

Kevin wanted to prove he was not a useless boy. He tried to save his house by setting traps all over the house. The moments when the burglars fell into the traps became enjoyable for those watching.

The funny expressions of the burglars were the main highlight. People were drawn into the brilliance of Kevin McCallister in defending his house. Though only eight years old, he already had creative thinking.

The excitement made Home Alone predicted to be a successful film. That prediction proved true. Home Alone was immediately flocked to by movie enthusiasts when it was first released on November 10, 1990. The film created two camps: satisfied children and worried parents.

The Best Christmas Movie

No one could deny that Home Alone could bring cheerful laughter to children leaving the cinema. However, not for parents. Ma ny regretted that Home Alone contained many violent scenes—from the traps made by Kevin.

This difference in perspective indirectly conveyed the core message of Home Alone. When parents fail to understand children’s worlds. Parents should not view or judge children’s films through adult lenses.

The fact is, many children loved Kevin’s actions in Home Alone. That fondness made Home Alone a box office hit. Moreover, Home Alone managed to outperform many films released at the end of 1990.

"Home Alone, a comedy about an eight-year-old boy who must defend his house from burglars when his parents accidentally leave him behind during the holidays, grossed nearly $30 million over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday and maintained the number one spot at the box office despite strong new competition,” said Pat H. Broeske in her article in the Los Angeles Times titled ‘Home Alone’ the Holiday Weekend Box-Office Champ, November 27, 1990.

Home Alone went global. The film was widely accepted as a fun children’s movie around the world. Kevin’s actions transformed into the best Christmas gift of all time. Indeed, Home Alone became one of the must-watch movies leading up to Christmas in subsequent years.

Even several studies revealed that Home Alone is the best Christmas movie of all time. That title is no empty boast. In Indonesia alone, Home Alone is frequently aired and has become a mainstay of local television stations in entertaining their loyal viewers.

Writer: Fariz