One of the most popular articles on our site is this one about the film Home Alone and its beautiful church scene, which is a significant turning point in the story.
There is another, more subtle presence of Christianity within the story.
Marley, the old man in the church scene, first comes face to face with Kevin McCallister in the scene where Kevin seeks to query the price of a toothbrush.
Marley places his change on the counter, the camera shows us his bandaged hand with blood from underneath the glass. It then shows us the same bandaged hand from above, to show us and entry and exit wound.
Their next encounter is the famous church scene, where the large wounds on his hands have no become small plasters. Before we see him sit beside Kevin, we see the face of Saint Padre Pio.
Saint Padre Pio of course experienced Stigmata, leading to wounded hands just like Marley.
There are other saints too as Kevin walks through the nave. The choir sings O Holy Night as he makes his way to Kevin, telling him
Marley points out his granddaughter on the altar, while a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary is visible, the choir are on the altar and the tabernacle with an Cross above it is behind it.
Marley explains that he is there to hear them sing because he won’t be welcome to hear his granddaughter at Christmas Day, he tells Kevin ‘I’m not welcome’ to which Kevin replies ‘At church??’ before ‘You’re always welcome at church’.
The two of them make a resolution at the end almost as penance, as one would do after Confession.
He then wishes Kevin a Merry Christmas and he returns the favour.
In the final scene, Marley reunites with his son and his granddaughter.
As he waves to the camera, we can see that his hand has been healed.
Aside from the comparison with Christ’s Resurrection, there is also the journey which Kevin’s life takes.
At the beginning of the film, he wishes for his family to disappear.
After his experience in the church, he is seen praying in thanksgiving for his meal, before he is attacked by the Wet Bandits.
He has journeyed from a secular understanding of Christmas with presents and gorging on food to a Christian one, grateful for his family, grateful for God’s presence in his life and grateful for the healing of others.
