By Annabeth Carlson
Thanksgiving break is a week away and all I can think about is returning home and enjoying the upcoming holiday season. Now that I am away at college, I value time with my family and the traditions we share so much more.
While sharing Thanksgiving with my relatives and stuffing our faces is a tradition in itself, the one tradition I am most excited for occurs after dinner: watching the movie Home Alone.
I will never forget the first time I watched Home Alone. I was eight years old and after Thanksgiving dinner, my brother, sister, and I laid lazily on the couch, flipping through channels and recovering from our annual food coma. My parents came into the room and excitedly announced that one of their favorite Christmas movies was on TV. Quickly, they changed the channel and we protested.
We thought we were too tired and assumed our parents could not possibly have good taste in movies. However, we could not have been more wrong. Never in my life had I laughed so hard. What made it even better was we were all laughing together.
Next Thanksgiving, my mom bought a copy of Home Alone on VHS tape. Year after year, nothing made us laugh more or get excited for the holiday season. And as technology advanced, we upgraded to the DVD version. Maybe that is why I love this tradition so much. Life is always changing and advancing, but for 103 minutes of the movie, my family can stop and share something that we all enjoy.
So in honor of my favorite tradition, here are my three favorite parts of the world’s funniest Christmas movie. CAUTION: SPOILER ALERT!
1. When Kevin discovers he is home alone
This is every child’s dream–to be able to do and eat whatever they want with no consequences. You can’t help but laugh when Kevin sleds down the stairs and nearly crashes outside, eats all the junk food in sight, and screams whens he puts on his father’s aftershave.
2. The pizza delivery scene
Kevin orders himself a pizza, and uses the inappropriate movie, which he previously was not allowed to watch, to communicate with the pizza delivery boy. My family knows this scene by heart and are always ready when the famous line arrives: “Keep the change ya filthy animal.”
3. Kevin’s “funhouse”
The time comes where Kevin must defend his house from being robbed by the “Wet Bandits,” Harry and Marv. He sets up traps throughout the house to stop them and the movie’s hilarity ensues. You cringe but can’t help but laugh when Marv steps on a nail and Harry’s head is caught on fire. This part simply never gets old.
The Spread 