Home Alone 4

This article is about the movie. For the Malcolm in the Middle episode, seeHome Alone 4 (Malcolm in the Middle).

Home Alone 4
Promotional release poster
Also known as	Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House
Genre	Christmas Family Comedy
Based on	Home Alone byJohn Hughes
Written by	Debra Frank Steve L. Hayes
Directed by	Rod Daniel
Starring	Mike Weinberg French Stewart Missi Pyle Jason Beghe Erick Avari Barbara Babcock Joanna Going Clare Carey
Music by	Teddy Castellucci
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	David Madden Lisa Demberg
Producer	Mitch Engel
Cinematography	Peter Benison
Editors	Michael A. Stevenson John Coniglio
Running time	89 minutes
Production company	Fox Television Studios
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	November 3, 2002(2002-11-03)
Related
Home Alone 3 Home Alone: The Holiday Heist

Home Alone 4(also known asHome Alone 4: Taking Back the HouseorHome Alone: Taking Back the House) is a 2002 Americanmade-for-televisionChristmasfamilycomedy filmdirected byRod Daniel,which first aired onABCon November 3, 2002, as the first episode of theforty-seventh seasonofThe Wonderful World of Disney,followed by aDVDrelease on September 2, 2003. The fourth installment in theHome Alonefranchise,the film stars Mike Weinberg,French Stewart,Missi Pyle,Jason Beghe,Erick Avari,Barbara Babcock,Joanna Going,andClare Carey.It follows Kevin McCallister spending his Christmas with his father and his new girlfriend as his old enemy Marv and his wife Vera come up with a plan to kidnap a visiting prince with help from an inside person that Kevin least suspects. This is the first in theHome Alonefranchise to not receive a theatrical release.

Home Alone 4is the first film without any contributions fromJohn Hughes,the creator of theHome Aloneseries, and it doesn't include any of the original cast members.

WhereasHome Alone 3featured a standalone plot and new characters, this film brings back several of the main characters from the first two films, including Kevin McCallister, but with all of the roles played by different actors. The film is considered as non-canon to the first two films due to several continuity errors. The plot revolves around Kevin trying to defend his future stepmother's house from his old nemesis Marv and his sidekick wife Vera. It was the last film that Rod Daniel directed before his subsequent retirement, and his death in 2016.

The film received negative reviews, with criticism directed towards the performances and the lack of continuity with the first two films.

Plot

Peter McCallister, who is finalizing a divorce from his wife Kate, announces to their children, Buzz, Megan, and Kevin that he and his wealthy girlfriend, Natalie Kalban, are hosting the visit of a royal family at her mansion, and invites them to spend Christmas there. After the three initially refuse, Kevin accepts the offer after being bullied by Buzz, and revels in the mansion's luxuries.

The next morning, Peter and Natalie go out while Kevin stays with Natalie's servants, Mr. Prescott and Molly. Kevin notices his old nemesis, Marv Murchins, and his wife, Vera, scouting the house. After failing to get Mr. Prescott's attention via the intercom, he drives them away by flooding the mansion. When Peter and Natalie return, they refuse to believe Kevin's explanation, especially since Mr. Prescott claims to have seen nothing. Kevin discovers that the security cameras were turned off during the break-in, leading him to believe that Mr. Prescott is in league with Marv and Vera. To cheer themselves up, Kevin, Peter, and Natalie decorate their Christmas tree, although it is later re-trimmed by professional decorators at Natalie's request.

As the mansion is prepared for a party for the royal family's arrival, Peter and Natalie go to pick them up, while Kevin notices Marv and Vera disguised as caterers. He traps Mr. Prescott in the freezer, overhears Marv and Vera's plan to kidnap the prince for ransom, and forces them out of a window. The royal family is unable to attend the party because their flight was canceled, so Peter and Natalie decide to announce their engagement instead. Marv and Vera run back into the house and pursue Kevin, who accidentally ruins the party by running into the guests and knocking over an ice sculpture that turns out to be a frozen Mr. Prescott. Angered, Peter sends Kevin to his room, refusing to believe his story and accusing him of trying to sabotage his relationship with Natalie, who threatens to evict him if he misbehaves again.

Taking matters into his own hands, Kevin sets up booby traps for Marv and Vera. The next morning, the duo head to the house after Peter and Natalie go to pick up the royals. Kevin locks Mr. Prescott in the basement, but eventually discovers Marv and Vera's real ally is Molly, who is also Marv's mother. Kevin gets locked in the basement with Mr. Prescott, who admits that he turned off the cameras during the initial break-in as he was taking an unscheduled break from his duties because he despises working for Natalie; he and Kevin then apologize for misjudging each other. After several failed attempts to call Kate, Kevin escapes via the house'sdumbwaiterand temporarily traps Marv underneath it. Marv and Vera pursue Kevin through the house, where they spring the traps and suffer various injuries, while Molly gets trapped in the house's elevator.

At the airport, Peter suspects that something is wrong back at the house and takes a cab back to Natalie's to check on Kevin. Kate, Buzz, and Megan also drive to the mansion due to the suspicious nature of the calls made by Kevin and Molly. Kevin uses an altered recording of Marv's voice to provoke an argument between him and Vera, and knocks them down a flight of stairs with a remote-controlled plane. The duo is then tricked by Kevin with a secret wall switch, ends up being launched onto a chandelier, and are knocked unconscious by their fall. Molly, having escaped, grabs Kevin, but is quickly knocked out by Mr. Prescott who also escaped via the dumbwaiter shaft and calls the police.

As Peter, Kate, Buzz, and Megan arrive, Kevin, with Buzz and Megan's help, prevents a final escape attempt from Marv and Vera. The royal family and Natalie arrive, and the offenders' plot to kidnap the prince is revealed to Natalie's shock. Mr. Prescott, per Kevin's advice, resigns from his position as her butler. Realizing that their relationship was built on infatuation rather than love and was affecting his responsibilities as a husband and father, Peter breaks up with Natalie, and reconciles with Kate and their children. Grateful to Kevin for his foiling of the kidnapping plot, the royals spend Christmas with the newly-reunited McCallisters, devastating Natalie.

Cast

• Mike Weinbergas Kevin McCallister, a nine-year-old boy who defends the house from Marv and Vera. He was portrayed byMacaulay Culkinin the first two films.
• French Stewartas Marv Murchins, Vera's husband and an old nemesis of Kevin. He was portrayed byDaniel Sternin the first two films. His appearance and attire inHome Alone 4more closely resemble that of his former partner Harry Lyme (Joe Pesci) in the first two films.
• Missi Pyleas Vera Murchins, Marv's wife and Molly's daughter-in-law whom he first met in prison. Her role replaces that of Marv's original partner Harry.
• Erick Avarias Mr. Prescott, thebutler.
• Barbara Babcockas Molly Murchins, themaidand Marv's mother and Vera's mother-in-law where she serves as their inside person.
• Jason Begheas Peter McCallister, Kevin, Buzz, and Megan's father. He was portrayed byJohn Heardin the first two films.
• Clare Careyas Kate McCallister, Kevin, Buzz, and Megan's mother. She was portrayed byCatherine O'Harain the first two films.
• Joanna Goingas Natalie Kalban, Peter's girlfriend.
• Gideon Jacobs as Buzz McCallister, Kevin's older brother. He was portrayed byDevin Ratrayin the first two films.
• Chelsea Russo as Megan McCallister, Kevin's older sister. She was portrayed byHillary Wolfin the first two films.
• Lisa King as Queen
• Craig Geldenhuys as The Crown Prince
• Andre Roothman as King

Production

Filming

Home Alone 4was filmed inCape Town,South Africa.

Casting

None of the original cast of theHome Alonefilms reprised their roles and were replaced by different actors.

Daniel Stern,who portrayed Marv in the first twoHome Alonefilms, was approached to reprise his role, but declined after reading the original script, calling the film "an insult, total garbage".French Stewartwould ultimately be cast in the role instead.

Release

Home media

The film premiered on television on November 3, 2002, and was released onDVDon September 2, 2003.

Streaming

In November 2020,Disneybegan to feature the first threeHome Alonefilms on their streaming serviceDisney+in celebration of the first film's 30th anniversary. The fourth and fifth installments were released onHBO Maxand were added to Disney+ on December 17, 2021.

Reception

Critical response

Clint Morris at Moviehole gave the film one out of five stars, writing, "From the unappealing cheapish opening titles to the murky production values, it's immediately obviousHome Alone 4isn't playing in the same park as its beloved predecessor... sad ".Joly Herman ofCommon Sense Mediaalso rated the film one out of five stars and wrote, "recycled gags with none of the original's charm".Jerry Roberts of Armchair Media gave the film one out of four stars.Sue Robinson ofRadio Timesgave the film one out of five stars, writing that, "you have to wonder why they bothered".

Macaulay Culkin watched the film for the first time during a 2018 appearance on theweb seriesBest of the Worst.Culkin was amused by the film's subpar quality and lack of continuity from the previous movies but was ultimately unimpressed and destroyed aVHScopy of it at the end of the episode.

Sequel

Main article:Home Alone: The Holiday Heist

Home Alone: The Holiday Heistpremiered on that network during the 2012 Christmas season. The film stars Christian Martyn as the 10-year-old main character Finn Baxter. The story centers on the family's relocation from California to Maine, where Finn becomes convinced that his new house is haunted. When his parents become stranded across town and Finn is left home alone with his older sister Alexis, he sets traps to catch his new home's ghosts, which instead prove troublesome for a group of thieves (played byMalcolm McDowell,Debi Mazar,andEddie Steeples). The film also starredEd Asner,produced byFox Television Studios,and directed byPeter Hewitt.

See also

• List of Christmas films
• List of television films produced for American Broadcasting Company

External links

• Home Alone 4atIMDb
• Home Alone 4atAllMovie
• Home Alone 4atRotten Tomatoes
• Home Alone 4at theTCM Movie Database