Treacle & Tripwires: Is Home Alone a Christmas Classic?

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What determines if a movie ends up on the theater marquee in your winter wonderland? Everyone’s choices are different. Some films become tradition, like decorating the tree and kissing strangers under plants. Others shine because they’re clever counterprogramming. It can get a little sugary with all that holiday syrup, so you need something to cut the treacle. So what defines a Christmas masterpiece? Does it need to resonate with yuletide goodness or just be a flick that you like to watch this time of year?

My playlist runs the gamut from roasted chestnuts like It’s a Wonderful Life to the Secret Santas of Die Hard (yes, it’s a Christmas movie!). In between those, I might also be screening Love Actually, Scrooged, Elf, and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (Boris Karloff, not Jim Carrey). And, every now and then, I jump on Disney+ to revisit everyone’s favorite tale of child neglect and home invasion: Home Alone. Is this one a holiday classic?