Home Alone Is a Lot Like Die Hard
It was cold and rainy this Christmas. We all were ready to snuggle under a blanket in front of the television. Yet, we were stuck. What shall we watch?
Let’s watch again the best Christmas movie ever!
The rest of the family rolled their eyes at the hint of Die Hard. I suggested it in jest, yet I didn’t want to search for the perfect movie forever (especially when we already knew the answer). Let’s just pick a movie that peeked our interest and explore.
A few nights prior, we committed to Gotti, with John Travolta. That was a mistake and a horrible movie. We rated it zero stars out of five. Yet, we committed and agreed on a movie.
This Christmas we settled on two headliners: first the new Disney movie, Encanto, and then a classic, Home Alone. Today, we crescendoed with Die Hard.
I realize that Home Alone and Die Hard have a lot in common:
- Both movies start with the protagonist being less than enthusiast to their Christmas Eve travel plans. Kevin McCallister obviously is left behind from the family trip to Paris in Home Alone. John McClane isn’t the fan of having to cross the country to California. “Pfft, California!”
- Both leading characters are stuck in a building for Christmas Eve. Kevin is alone at home. John in the now infamous Nakatomi building in Los Angeles.
- The entire plot is about fending of the bad guys lead by Harry Lime (Joe Pesci) in Home Alone and Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) in Die Hard.
- Both are outmatched against the bad guys. They both are a good shot and have to be inventive to fight back.
- There is also the sweet romantic side story: Kevin’s neighbor reconnects with his estranged son, and John and Holy are back the McClanes.
- Both movies defined the career of their lead actors. Before Die Hard, Bruce Willis was known opposite Sybille Shepherd in he ABC comedy-drama Moonlighting. That was from the strong action hero we know him as today. If not catcalled, he must hear daily “Yipikaye Motherfucker!” Macaulay Culkin will always be known as Kevin, (and friend of Michael Jackson). I had to look up another big movie Culkin was part of: My Girl.
So next year, when the uninevitable Christmas movie question arises, be content that it really doesn’t matter. They are the same story in a different package. … and enjoy Die Hard.