Grays Almanac

Home/Episodes/Home Alone

‘Home Alone’ With Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, and Mina Kimes

November 17, 2020 · Home Alone (1990) · Comedy · Family · 1:41:13

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Chris Ryan▶ 24:51Family chaos in the beginning, Kevin's shoplifting and shopping scenes, Kate and the Polka King at airport, Kevin's conversation with fake Santa, Christmas choir scene with Mr. Marley's backstory, the final robbery sequence, and the reunion
Mina Kimes▶ 29:32Pizza delivery scene with the film clip ('Keep the change, you filthy animal'), family chaos in the beginning, and Kevin's first day home alone indulging in kid fantasies (jumping on bed, eating sundae)
Sean Fennessey▶ 31:11Catherine O'Hara and John Heard on the plane realizing they forgot Kevin ('Kevin!' scream on the plane)

What's Aged the Best

Chris Ryan▶ 45:28Suburban Chicago and the way the siblings interact
Sean Fennessey▶ 45:19The representation of the family and the suburban experience

What's Aged the Worst

Chris Ryan▶ 45:34The sound quality of 1990 televisions - specifically how the small box TVs without THX sound or Dolby surround could supposedly produce audio loud and dynamic enough to fool people with the Angels with Filthy Souls scenes

Picking Nits

Chris Ryan▶ 47:51Kate's criminally negligent phone call to police - she's too vague about leaving an 8-year-old alone on international flight; McAllister family has no friends to call despite living in Chicago; police officer does minimal welfare check
Mina Kimes▶ 50:39Nobody being home during Christmas when they call their entire address book; police doing inadequate follow-up after welfare check finds no answer at the door
Sean Fennessey▶ 52:13Harry and Marv's illogical burglary plan - stealing family heirloom items with poor resale value, casing houses in broad daylight, continuing to pursue Kevin instead of abandoning the job

Casting What-Ifs

Chris Ryan▶ 57:16Robert De Niro — Listed several alternate casting possibilities: Robert De Niro almost as Harry, John Lovitz was up for Harry, Kelsey Grammer role was written for him but went to someone else, and many kids auditioned for Kevin's role

Dion Waiters Award

Chris Ryan▶ 1:00:14Devin Ratray — Devin Rattray as Buzz
Mina Kimes▶ 1:00:22Devin Ratray — Buzz
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:00:20Devin Ratray — Buzz

Joey Pants Award

Chris Ryan▶ 1:05:08Ken Hudson Campbell — Kenneth Hudson Campbell as Santa, Billy Bird and Bill Irwin as the older couple who sell their plane ticket to Kate, and Angela Goethals who plays Linny
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:06:18Larry Hankin — Larry Hankin (the cop) and mentions Devin Ratray as having a good career

Overacting Award

Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:21Gerry Bamman — Uncle Frank (Jerry Bannion) - 'for just for look which digital jerk'
Mina Kimes▶ 1:08:27Joe Pesci — Praised Pesci and Stern for walking the fine line between believably bumbling criminals and maintaining slight danger without being too scary
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:09:48Joe Pesci — Discussed Pesci and Stern's Three Stooges-esque comedy performance being difficult to execute, praised their accomplishment as actors doing silly roles

Half-Assed Internet Research

Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:28Shared multiple research facts: Joe Pesci being difficult on set (arguing about dialogue, needing 9 holes of golf before work), John Hughes' inspiration for the movie concept, and various fan theories including Peter McAllister as mob boss and Marley as future Kevin
Mina Kimes▶ 1:11:21Expressed admiration for Pesci's behavior ('if you were trying to make me love Joe Pesci more mission accomplished'), discussed childhood fears and praised Catherine O'Hara's nuanced performance
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:11:11Praised Pesci's golf demands ('we stand a king who refuses to go to work until he gets nine holes in'), discussed Kevin's fear evolution and John Hughes' career shift to kids' movies after Home Alone

Best Quote

Chris Ryan▶ 1:27:08Buzz's quote: 'I wouldn't let you sleep in my room if you were growing on my ass'
Mina Kimes▶ 1:27:38Agreed with another host's Buzz quote, also mentioned 'Buzz, your girlfriend, woof' and Kevin's 'No clothes on anybody. Sickening' line
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:29:41The wet bandits exchange about calling cards ('All the great ones leave their mark. We're the wet bandits') and Kevin's solo moments like 'I'm eating junk and watching rubbish'

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Chris Ryan▶ 1:37:00How Marley knew to find them in the flooded neighbor's house and why he didn't intervene earlier, noting Kevin wasn't inconspicuous around the neighborhood
Mina Kimes▶ 1:35:32Was that actually Buzz's girlfriend, did Frank's family stay in Paris, and how did Marley know they were in the neighbor's house and why didn't he intervene earlier
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:37:43Kevin had post-traumatic stress disorder for the rest of his life from this traumatic experience

Who Won the Movie

Chris Ryan▶ 1:38:31Macaulay Culkin — Macaulay Culkin - he's in almost every frame and the movie is all his

Movies Referenced (37)

The Good Son (1993)

5 mentions · Mina Kimes, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:34:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Armageddon (1998)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 27:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Uncle Buck (1989)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 14:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Goodfellas (1990)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 17:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Back to the Future (1985)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 17:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:21:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Groundhog Day (1993)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 27:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry Maguire (1996)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:05:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 10:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Snowpiercer (2013)

2 mentions · Mina Kimes, Sean Fennessey▶ 37:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Toy Story (1995)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 20:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Christmas Story (1983)

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:02:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (6)

John Hughes

10 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, The Breakfast Club▶ 7:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Columbus

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Help▶ 13:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Colorado

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Hancock▶ 23:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Augusta

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:11:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eli Roth

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Inglourious Basterds▶ 29:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steven Soderbergh

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Traffic▶ 1:06:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (39)

Joe Pesci

18 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Mina Kimes · Known for Goodfellas, Raging Bull, The Irishman▶ 6:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Macaulay Culkin

13 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Mina Kimes · Known for Home Alone, The Good Son▶ 5:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Catherine O'Hara

9 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Mina Kimes, Chris Ryan · Known for Best in Show▶ 6:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Daniel Stern

7 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan, Mina Kimes · Known for City Slickers, Breaking Away▶ 6:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Al Pacino

5 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather▶ 1:22:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Devin Ratray

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 58:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Candy

4 mentions · Mina Kimes, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, Spaceballs▶ 26:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Jackson

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:01:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Jordan

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Space Jam, He Got Game▶ 4:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bill Murray

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Lost in Translation, Rushmore, Moonrise Kingdom▶ 27:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jon Lovitz

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for A League of Their Own, Rat Race▶ 57:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kieran Culkin

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for A Real Pain▶ 58:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (2)

Damon Lindelof

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:18:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

William Goldman

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, The Princess Bride▶ 16:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗