It is no secret that in director John Hughes’ beloved movie Home Alone, a controversial issue lurks beneath Kevin McCallister’s fun-loving, winter adventure. The first film in the Home Alone franchise debuted in November 1990, and follows eight-year-old Kevin’s experience after being forgotten by his family. The evening before his family leaves for Paris, Kevin, played by Macaulay Culkin, is banished to the attic for derailing family dinner and wishes his family would disappear.
In an interview with Time, John Hughes admits that the idea for Home Alone came about as he was packing for his own vacation. He made a note to himself not to forget his kids and wondered what would happen if he did desert his 10-year-old son. In the first film, Kevin McCallister is left unsupervised for a total of two days. He grows to believe the absence of his family is his fault since he argued with his older brother, Buzz, played by Devin Ratray, and his mother, Kate, played by Catherine O’Hara, and then wished aloud that his family would disappear. But who is truly responsible?
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Who’s to Blame For Being Home Alone?
20th Century Fox
Kate and Peter McCallister’s scattered mentality seems realistic for a family of eleven. They could not have predicted that the power would go out and reset their alarm clock, causing them to oversleep, nor could they have known that cousin Heather would miscount the children. What is particularly telling is the actions Kate and Peter take when they discover that Kevin is not with them.
Upon their arrival in Paris, Kate and Peter rush to call someone in Chicago to check on Kevin. First, Kate calls the police, who ask “has the child been involved in a violent altercation, household incident, or ingested a poisonous substance?” Kate insists that she “just needs someone to check on him,” and the police department reluctantly sends an officer. The other children fail to get ahold of anyone they know at home and claim to get only “answering machines.”
Here is where the blame could go two ways. Kate doesn’t try calling anyone herself or follow up with the police and instead wastes time trying to find her way back to Chicago on Christmas Eve. She also doesn’t take into account that Kevin, home alone for the first time, might not open the door to anyone he doesn’t recognize. This is exactly what happens when an officer arrives at the McCallister house and sees no signs of activity. If things hadn’t gone Kevin’s way, he may have been kidnaped, hurt, or killed by two burglars. So could the Chicago Police Department have done more? Or should Kevin’s parents be reported to the police or DCF for their possibly irresponsible actions?
The Child Laws In Winnetka, Illinois Might Send the McCalilsters to Prison
Kevin McCallister is eight-years-old when his parents accidentally abandon him in Winnetka, Illinois. According to an article by Illinois Policy, the state law insists that “any minor under the age 14 years whose parent or another person responsible for the minor’s welfare leaves the minor without supervision for an unreasonable period of time without regard for mental or physical health, safety, or welfare of that minor has been neglected.”
What then qualifies as an ‘unreasonable period of time?’ No specific time limit has been defined, however, Illinois Policy’s article covers cases where parents are reported for leaving their children for under an hour. The Illinois Department of DCFS outlines strict guidelines to follow before determining if a child is ready to stay home alone. According to the DCFS, the child must know what to do when there is someone at the door, how to lock and unlock windows, kitchen safety, basic first aid, and when and how to call adults for help, among other skills. The McCallisters leaving Kevin alone was an accident, so they couldn’t have prepared; however, the DCFS would likely still be investigating them.
The Winnetka Police Could Have Entered The McCallister Home
After Kate informs the police her child is alone at home, we see that an officer briefly checks on the home and leaves. He does not announce himself, knocks loudly, and takes a vague glance through the front window. The officer’s behavior seems uninformed for someone investigating an area with a rash of break-ins. It would seem more realistic for an officer to first announce that he is police and then do a scan of the entire exterior, rather than just a quick peek at the front of the house.
However, even with the officer’s lack of effort, the fault still might be Kate’s. According to Illinois Legal Aid Online, you can give police consent to enter your home without a warrant. If Kate had asked specifically for police to enter her home, Kevin may have been moved to the care of a trusted adult. Another aspect to note is that police may enter under child welfare law. Community Legal Education Ontario states that police might enter if they believe a child is “neglected” or in need of protection, which Kevin was. He was under 14, had no supervision, and was alone during a period of burglaries. Realistically, Kate and Peter McCallister, if reported, would be under investigation.
Since the McCallisters haven’t had a history of leaving Kevin alone, they would likely not have been charged, since the incident was accidental. If the neglect is recurring though, like when the McCallisters lose track of Kevin at the airport in Home Alone: Lost in New York, it is likely that the Illinois DCFS and the police department would reopen their investigation. And they should, considering the family loses track of Kevin multiple times. Despite Kate and Peter’s irresponsibility, Home Alone is still a Christmas classic, and Kevin’s adventure wouldn’t be possible without the carelessness of his family.
