I never had much of a thought about Santa Claus growing up. My earliest memories about him are all moments that I knew he wasn’t real.
I read the numerous letters to Mr. Claus that are sent to The Journal-News and I deeply admire the strong belief that these children have in their writings to Santa. They write with conviction (or their teachers do) because they don’t have to wonder if Santa is real. They are writing letters to him and they receive presents each Christmas morning, so of course he is. The conviction is something I admire.
In a way, Jesus does too: the Gospel of Matthew tells us that Jesus encouraged his followers to have faith like children. While I’m quite sure He didn’t mean faith in Santa, there is something powerful about how children believe wholeheartedly. Children live life fully and trusting.
Childlike faith. My mind goes to 1990’s “Home Alone,” and the story of Kevin McCallister.
“Home Alone” has always been near the top of my list for Christmas films, and I’ve recently found myself drawn to it because of some intentional or unintentional themes that run prevalent in the film, as well as the absence of one: Santa Claus.
It’s remarkable that Home Alone, as popular as it is, is not a Christmas movie about Santa.
In recent years, there’s been a host of heroic Santa movies released, where a superhuman character sporting the iconic white beard beats the bad guys and saves the day.
The plot could have lent itself to such. It’s easy to picture St. Nick bursting into the room and defeating the bad guys. But for some reason, Director Chris Columbus wanted something more from his film and pointed his characters to the real.
The movie still resonates over 30 years later because of it.
The protagonist, eight-year-old Kevin McCallister, more or less believes in Santa, evidenced through certain moments throughout the film. Despite his prescient intelligence, Kevin is just a child, with childlike conviction in what he believes.
So as he discovered the evil criminals’ plot to ransack his family home, why didn’t Kevin ask Santa to come save him?
It’s not for a lack of trying; Kevin arrives as the holiday photo booth is closing and finds a man dressed up as Santa trying to get into his beat-up, broken-down car. Santa is smoking a cigarette, his beard pulled halfway off his face, and he is cursing over a parking ticket. Kevin discovers that Santa is a fraud. That childlike faith is deeply shaken.
This moment of disillusionment, while humorous, highlights a key theme in the film and most Christmas movies: the search for something real to believe in.
So where does a selfish and scared child in need of a savior from evil go on Christmas Eve night? A place where evil refuses to enter. Kevin wanders into a church, where he runs into his neighbor, the frightening ‘South Bend Shovel Slayer,’ Old Man Marley. The elder offers some heady advice to the boy, and likewise, Kevin gives a word of encouragement to his elder neighbor.
While a children’s choir sings “O Holy Night,” Kevin discovers a sort of purpose, something deeper to believe in. He races home with a newfound conviction and determination to set his plan into action. Following a detailed montage of battle preparation, Kevin prays over his dinner, and shortly after the night begins.
The humorous escapades begin, and Kevin gives Harry (Joe Pesci at the peak of his powers in 1990) and Marv (Daniel Stern) all they can handle. But the boy finds, as we all do, that even the best man-made machinations fall short and fail. Despite Kevin’s best efforts and a newfound altruistic point of view, he still can’t save himself from evil.
As the Wet Bandits hang Kevin on the coat hook and prepare to torture him, Old Man Marley intervenes, with conspicuously bleeding and bandaged hands.
Salvation.
There’s plenty of imagery at use here, which makes it hard for me to believe Columbus wasn’t intentional with the themes in his film.
Kevin wishes his family away for a life separate from them and turns to gluttony and other satisfying needs for a better life. But the boy finds that doing whatever he wishes lacks purpose and seeks out something greater.
Kevin finds that life is about more than presents, eating junk food and watching movies, and shortly before going to battle, finds peace in prayer.
“Home Alone,” a movie beloved by all, effectively tells the story of a flawed son finding a better faith in Jesus. Perhaps the beloved Christmas film is even more of a Christmas movie than we believe.
Merry Christmas, Journal-News reader.
