Written and produced by the late comedy genius, John Hughes, Home Alone is one of the funniest holiday films ever made. The movie, which tells the story of 8-year-old Kevin McCallister, who skillfully defends his home against a pair of cat burglars while his family is away, is one of those films I look forward to watching every year.

Some teenagers might dismiss Home Alone as a kid's movie that's not worth their time, but the truth is no matter what your age, it's hard not to laugh at the adorable Kevin and all the ridiculous tricks he pulls on screwball burglars Marv and Harry.

The film begins with the McCallisters, busy packing for their trip to Paris, where they hope to spend Christmas with family. Later at dinner, Kevin gets into a fight with older brother, Buzz, because he didn't save Kevin any cheese pizza. Kevin is then sent up to bed in the attic as punishment for acting out. Angry at his family, Kevin wishes "they would all just
disappear."

The next morning the McCallisters wake up late, and in a rush to catch their flight and forget about Kevin, who is still asleep on the third floor.

At first Kevin is overjoyed, thinking that his wish came true. He eats junk food, watches what he wants on TV, and raids Buzz's room. Meanwhile, Kevin's family is frantically trying to book a flight back to Chicago after realizing what they've done.

It's not long before Kevin begins to miss his family, but the time alone does seem to do him some good. He overcomes his fear of the basement, and befriends his neighbor, Old Man Marley, a kind old man who Buzz tricked Kevin into believing was the "South Bend Shovel Slayer." It's with a little help from Old Man Marley that Kevin is able to successfully defend his home against the "Wet Bandits."

Not only is Home Alone laugh-out-loud funny, it also emphasizes the importance of family and helping others.

With a little something for everybody, it's no wonder Home Alone has become Christmas classic.

Tori Velarde is a senior at Santa Fe High School. You can reach her at tori@velardenm.com.