Christmas is a time for family, but not all families are happy ones. This goes double for the families depicted in your classic Christmas film, who are almost always comically at odds with one another. On occasion, though, this boils over into full-blown dysfunction (as anyone who has ever spent Christmas with their families will attest).
Whether they’re bad at communicating, preoccupied with other concerns, or just out and out abusive, sometimes movie families can be just as dysfunctional as real ones. Here are 7 of the most chaotic households ever to spin a festive yarn.
7. The McCallisters – Home Alone
In terms of festive locales, the McCallister house is second only to the North Pole itself. Since 1990, Home Alone has been a Christmas classic, and for good reason – it’s good, wholesome fun (well, apart from the home invasion, attempted murder, and grievous bodily harm, that is).
Still, let’s not forget that the whole film is made possible by a family who fail to realize they’ve left a child behind. And we’re not talking about a family shopping trip, either – the McAllisters were quite literally flying across the world, and due to a lax headcount system (with 11 kids to look after, surely you’d use a register or something, no?), Kevin is left behind to fend off the Wet Bandits all alone.
Just for a moment, imagine you’re taking your children halfway across the planet, then imagine that you’re such an awful parent that you managed to fly half the way to Paris (that’s roughly 4 hours into the 8-hour flight) before realizing you’ve abandoned your youngest and most vulnerable child. That’s the reality of being a McCallister – and with parents so oblivious, it’s no wonder that Kevin’s siblings are such bullies.
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