The other night, I decided to watch the film Home Alone. If you are up for a bit of holiday cheer mixed in with nineties nostalgia, this is the film to see. Also, note the following differences from most films of today:
- an abundance of European culture references and White characters, which is directly proportional to the lack of Non-White culture references and characters
- portrays the Church as good, the family as important
- promotes and emphasizes morality, sacrifice and traditionalism as interrelated concepts - i.e. Kevin maturing from a "helpless vegetable" to become the patriarchal defender of his family/his territory of "house"
Like a time capsule, the film also captures a unique era of wealth, culture and promise. When Home Alone was released, America was not a police state; that's why Kevin's mom could ask random people to swap plane tickets with her, which is now illegal; that's also why she and the rest of the family could arrive at the airport several minutes before their flight, which is now impossible, given security check timelines. The film also comes before a time when 9/11 made us second-guess flying, before the dollar's decline (when flying a large family to Europe, as the film depicts, was feasible and symbolic of American wealth), when a van ride with some random men you just met was about charity, not BangBus, and the creeper in your neighborhood turned out to be the charitable Church goer who it was a good idea to meet.
Yes, that was the way things were in 1990. This was the America we inherited from our forefathers; however, given everything that has taken place since 1990, I can't help but wonder what sort of America we'll be leaving behind for our children.
