Scorecard Weekly (Christmas Edition)- 'Home Alone'

Here we are…

Day 2 of our special Christmas Scorecard event. We’re so delighted to have you all back with us again. Thanks to your commitment to our series, we’ve just reached our first milestone. As we continue to grow and evolve, we hope that you will continue to support what we are doing here—I think I just shed a Denzel Glory tear…

WELCOME TO SCORECARD WEEKLY! The place where you come to get honest, uncut, and uncensored reviews of the newest and oldest, TV series and movies. Before we begin today’s card, let’s recap on what we are grading shall we? Please turn your attention to the invisible, non-existent whiteboard codename JARVIS—

Using Our State-Of-The-Art Scorecard, We Grade:

1. Setting/Characters

2. Obstacles/Conflict

3. Tone

4. Concept

The minimum score for a section and card is one. The maximum score is five. Finally, we decide if it’s a recommend or pass.

In honor of day 2, we’re doing something a little different, we asked what movies you all wanted to see scored, one of our avid readers suggested a movie and you know what?! We’re going to do it! So today, we will be going toe to toe with the 90s Christmas comedy, HOME ALONE brought to us by 20th Century Fox and starring Macaulay Culkin.

1. Setting/Characters

Chi-town stand up because that’s where this film is based. Chicago in what looks to be the late 80s or early 90s, regardless, the clothing looked terrible. Within a suburb of Chicago, nestled on the most boring street in the United States is the home of our protagonist. A ten-year-old kid with a smart-ass mouth who seems to be the outcast of the family…Or the red-haired step child.

We’re introduced to a wide range of characters in this dysfunctional family, all of whom are completely and utterly stupid. Even the main protagonist, who at times proves he’s intelligent enough to survive but more than often throughout the film, you just want to slap your hand to head wondering about the events occurring. Not only him and his family but the so-called “antagonists”, seem like the most incapable robbers in history, so once you put the trio together you get— A circus act…It’s quite sad really.

Score- 2.5

2. Obstacles/Conflict

Before I start, I will say the little neighbor boy ruins everything, had he not been snooping around they might have not left the main protagonist behind. However, for argument's sake—This movie is filled with terrible parents. This ten-year-old couldn’t just be left home alone, oh that would just be too boring for viewers, how about we add robbers to the mix? I can see those Hollywood Execs now, googly-eyed over such a ridiculous idea. Granted the idea worked and even spanned four sequels, none of which should be watched after Film two (I apologize I’m ranting). On one hand, you’ve got the main protagonist attempting to wish his family back after he “made his family disappear”—He’s a bit too old to still believe that shit. On the other hand, you have a frantic mother trying to get home to her son because it is the season of perpetual hope! The lady said she’d sell her soul to the Devil (And the Polka King’s reaction—Priceless).

To be frank, the obstacles faced by this kid are absurd and he’d ultimately fail. The internal conflict his mother is fighting is SELF-INFLICTED! Come on lady, no one’s in THAT big of a rush to get to Paris where they forget their youngest child. As for the would-be robbers, who get outsmarted by a kid—a moment of silence…

Score- 2.5

3. Tone

Mostly cheerful. You know get into the holiday spirit sort of thing. There are times throughout this film where you’ll get a glimmer of sadness from our main protagonist, however, by the next scene he’s doing some dumb shit like shop lifting or taking a sled down the stairs in his house. Obviously, with the cast they brought in, they succeeded tremendously with the comedic tone of this film. I’ve seen this movie more times than I can count, and I still laugh at the crazy shit that happens. This movie is hilarious and that makes it so enjoyable. Honestly, I might just watch it again.

Score- 4

4. Concept

This idea is original AND completely impossible. Not impossible in the sense that you can’t leave your child behind because things like that happen. It’s impossible that he was left to begin with, that it wasn’t discovered until they were already heading to Paris, that he fends off two grown ass men from robbing his house, and that he booby traps his ENTIRE HOUSE! (All of these things are impossible) As much as they want us to feed into this idea of a kid whose home alllllll alone facing off against two stooges, it doesn’t work.

No matter how original an idea is that doesn’t make it a good one. Yet, we cannot deny the fact that it came together and created a wonderful classic and it deserved every dollar at the box office—Keep the change ya’ filthy animal.

Score- 3

Overall Score- 3/5

Final Verdict- Recommend

Final Thoughts

When you think of Christmas, most often you think of Home Alone. Most adults and children will pick this movie even if it isn’t Christmas time, that should tell you something. I’ve never met a person who doesn’t love Home Alone or Home Alone 2 (The verdict is still out on the other two). To be completely honest, if you haven’t watched this film during this holiday season…SHAME ON YOU! This is a classic and it will forever be that. We love this film even with its unrealistic plot and you should too.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for stopping by! Until next time, see you later!