‘Too bad defeat and surrender seem to be in the hearts and minds of those in positions of power, who don’t seem to mind giving up national territory for as long as they don’t have to give up political power.’
HOME Alone was a 1990 movie that cost $18 million to make. Warner Bros was meant to release it but let it go after the budget exceeded its $10 million limit. 20th Century Fox took it up and raked in nearly $500 million, making Home Alone (until 2011) the “highest grossing live action comedy movie of all time.”
It became a franchise, with most of the original cast also in Home Alone 2, but more importantly it made Macaulay Culkin a child star.
Many still consider it one of the best Christmas movies of all time.
I consider it a lesson in leadership and courage and determination, when faced with threats of invasion from an overwhelmingly superior force. And I am hoping the movie can be played over and over again in Malacanang’s Heroes Hall until our country’s leadership gets it.
Lessons learned: if you know your territory, and if you are creative and determined enough, you can successfully hold off even the most experienced thieves.
Then again maybe they’re big IFs?
Who doesn’t know the plot of this lovable film? The extended McCallister family is planning a holiday trip to France and on the eve of their departure their house is a beehive of excitement. Kevin is picked on by his kin and after an accident is banished to the attic where he wishes that his whole family just vanishes. A thunderstorm hits and clocks are reset and the next morning when the airport shuttle arrives everyone rushes to pack and board. Everyone but Kevin, who is missed in the roll call. When Kevin wakes up and realizes his family has in fact disappeared he excitedly runs around the house that is now all his.
Unfortunately for Kevin, his street had been cased the night before by two professional “akyat bahay” gang mates, Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), also known as the “Wet Bandits” because of a “signature” move they leave behind every burglary they pull off.
Harry had discovered after posing as a policeman that the McCallisters would be out of town, and so the two decided to pounce on the supposedly empty house, not knowing that Kevin was home, watching Mafia movies, and that the young boy was not going to give up his territory without a fight.
Even if only we had at least one Kevin McCallister in the administration, or even in the AFP that seems to be busy red- tagging the community pantries while turning a blind eye to the communists encroaching on our territory. I guess the men in uniform just don’t want to set off a clash with their commander-in-chief, at the expense of our exclusive economic zone.
Anyway I won’t tell you how the movie ends because I am sure not everyone has seen it — especially none from this administration obviously. So if you have a chance, go ahead and watch it. I am not sure if it is on Netflix but it might be on Google Play anyway. It’s worth watching one of the best Christmas movies ever during these times if only to lift our spirits!
And after you’ve done watching Home Alone, join in me searching for Kevin McCallisters we can recruit for the next administration!
Spoiler alert: Defeat and surrender to thieves were clearly not in little Kevin’s vocabulary.
Too bad defeat and surrender seem to be in the hearts and minds of those in positions of power, who don’t seem to mind giving up national territory for as long as they don’t have to give up political power.
Can’t wait for 2022!
