Home Alone

This Christmas movie became a phenomenal money-making machine, and is still one of the best-loved of its genre. Director Chris Columbus, working with writer/producer John Hughes, tuned in to two key elements: the joyfulness of children triumphing over adults, and the perennial chase of Tom and Jerry cartoons. Macaulay Culkin, then ten years old and already in his fifth picture, plays the youngster left stranded by his parents when they fly to Paris for the holiday. He's content to spend his time pigging-out on junk food and watching videos, until he's forced to defend the family home from two inept burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern). It's surprisingly violent in a cartoon-like way, and this celebration of enterprise captured the heart and wickedness of every child on the planet.