I watched this movie and thought over and over, even days after I had originally watched it, and I thought about how much it taught me. Here are nine lessons I learned from watching Home Alone.
1. People are not who they seem to be
From the "police officer" who was actually a burglar to the old man living next door, there are a lot of deceiving looks that happen all throughout this movie. It made me think a lot about how people may look, what they wear, and the things they say, may be especially different from their real selves.
2. Being alone is only fun for so long
Kevin had a load of fun when he realized he was by himself in the house, but after awhile he realized that it really wasn't that much fun anymore. You can only eat so much ice cream and watch so many bad movies before the things that you once thought were fun, aren't much fun anymore.
3. Remain calm in high stress situations
Kevin's mom clearly had a reason to be stressed and worried about her son being home alone at only 8 years old. However, his dad wasn't as concerned as she was, or at least didn't seem to be as concerned. Handling situations as calmly as possible might actually get a better result.
4. Expect the unexpected
All throughout the time when the burglars were trying to get ahold of Kevin, they neglected to respect the notion that things were inevitably going to occur to get them away from him. Expecting the unexpected is a big lesson to learn, and I guess these guys never really learned it.
5. You will always want for your family
Regardless of how much Kevin's family called him names and questioned his intelligence, at the end of the day even after he wished they'd disappear, he wanted them back. No matter how much he thought being alone would be fun, he still wanted to be with them.
6. Don't believe rumors
Buzz told Kevin that the guy living next door was a man that had killed his family and was in the market to kill more. However, when Kevin was down and out on Christmas Eve, he learned that the old man was actually a caring, hurt person himself. None of the rumors were ever really true.
7. Communication is key
No one would've ever forgotten about Kevin, had the communication been better throughout the entire time that the family was preparing for the trip. Had they been intentional about their morning and the actual people they were bringing with them, no one would've been home alone.
8. Allow for second chances
In life, there are many people like me that think that once a bridge is burned, it cannot and will not be rebuilt. However, as Kevin sat in the pew of a church talking to Old Man Marley, he himself showed Kevin that a second chance is everything. Life is too short to stay mad.
9. Forgiveness matters
Kevin forgave his mom the second he saw her. He didn't think about how she may have done this or that, but instead thought about how much he missed her while she was gone. Forgiving her was almost instant, despite how much she hurt him to begin with. That's a lesson I think a lot of us still have to learn.
10. Christmas always has a way of making you want to be around people you love
No matter how much people hurt you or make you feel inferior, the fact is that during the holiday season, loneliness is smothering for a lot of people. Kevin only wanted to be with his family and even set up stockings for all of them, as if they were there. The holiday itself makes you want someone to hold, no matter how much you wanted them to go.
Home Alone is a classic movie, all surrounded around the idea that a little boy being left by his family can in turn bring about a greater appreciation for them. It's the little things in life that end up teaching us the biggest lessons.
