New Heights Film Club: Is Home Alone a Top 5 Christmas Movie?

Podcast: New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Episode Date: December 19, 2025
Special Guest: Kylie Kelce

Episode Overview

In this festive episode of the New Heights Film Club, Jason and Travis Kelce are joined by Kylie Kelce to revisit and dissect the beloved 1990 holiday classic Home Alone. The trio reflect on their personal connections to the film, its timeless appeal, and debate its place in the pantheon of Christmas movies. Along the way, they deliver their trademark sibling banter, share nostalgic family stories, and assess Home Alone through their own tongue-in-cheek "PFF grading" system.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Reflecting on Nostalgia and First Memories

• Time Capsule: The Kelces express surprise at Home Alone’s 1990 release date, highlighting its enduring presence across generations.
  • "I was surprised by that too… Definitely thought it was more mid to late 90s because we were, we were kids when we first were watching it." – Travis (01:16)
• Family Viewing: Kylie notes her own children’s reactions to the movie, sharing that while “Ellie calls it ‘Home Alone’… Benny does not like the slipping.” (02:11-02:26).
• Iconic Scenes for Kids: The trio recall how elements like the attic zipline sparked their childhood imaginations.
  • "When I was a kid, that was one of the parts of the movie where I was like, Dad, I want that for sure." – Travis (03:00)

The Magic of the Movie

• Holiday Atmosphere: The hosts celebrate the film’s Christmas spirit, from the memorable score to its place as a seasonal ritual.
  • "When that first scene hits… It's so magical. It, like, lifts me and I start floating." – Travis (03:33)
• Timelessness with Dated Elements: Jason and Travis agree the movie holds up but note, "there's a few things that are starting to get dated." (04:02)

Relatability & Family Dynamics

• The brothers discuss sibling archetypes, with Travis relating to Kevin and Jason to Buzz.
  • "I always watched the movie thinking I was Kevin." – Travis (07:07)
  • "I never watched it and saw myself as Kevin. I liked Kevin… but I never was Jay." – Jason (07:12)
• Kylie raises a social media challenge: photograph an actual kid’s runaway bag, not just adults’ recollections.
• Funny family memories of “running away” echo the film’s childhood escapism.
  • "I think I, like, grabbed a bag of chips and threw it in a backpack and… just hid in the bushes." – Travis (05:17)

The Plot and Parental Perspectives

• Plot Recap: Jason thoroughly recaps the story, highlighting the mix of kids’ wish fulfillment and pure ‘90s logic. (12:01–16:29)
• Plausibility Problems: The crew pokes many holes in the plot’s believability.
  • "This might be the most unrelated parents I've ever seen in a Christmas movie. I mean, it's just, it's blatantly..." – Jason (16:58)
  • Kylie: "She did call the cops in her neighborhood." (17:45)
  • Travis: "That's the nostalgia of the 90s, though, is that... it sounds so easy to just pick up your cell phone..." (18:40)
• Issues with the Wet Bandits' inept burglary strategies are also dissected humorously.
  • "Poor, poor banditing... I just felt like that wasn’t the wisest of choices." – Jason (21:11)

Favorite Scenes

(Highlighted at 21:44)

• Jason: Loves the opening family chaos—“It feels very relatable... running around getting pissed off about really stupid things that only like siblings would be pissed off about.” (21:51, 21:56)
• Kylie: Enjoys the mayhem and meticulous planning of Kevin’s house defense (22:48).
• Travis: Picks the “toothbrush chase” scene and Kevin’s immediate remorse—"He stole something… and then, like, as he’s walking home, he’s immediately like, and I didn't mean to steal this.” (23:22–24:11)

The Cast

• All hosts agree the casting is pitch-perfect, especially Macaulay Culkin as Kevin.
  • "I think it's probably... the best cast Christmas movie of all time. Could you think of anybody other than Macaulay Culkin being Kevin?" – Jason (24:32)
• Praise for Joe Pesci (Harry), Daniel Stern (Marv), Catherine O’Hara (the mom), and John Candy.

Character Comparisons & Survival Skills

Who would fare best in a Home Alone scenario?

• Jason is adamant: "Travis. Not even question. And I've always thought Kevin McAllister was in Travis." (30:15)
• Travis embraces the role but admits Kylie might be “more planned out.” (30:28)

Debating Home Alone's Rank in Christmas Movie Canon

Is it Top 5?

• "I'll go top five. I can't rank like..." – Travis (30:49)
• Jason: “I think it’s just out of the top five for me.” – noting he prefers Elf and classics like Christmas Vacation, Christmas Story, and claymation specials. (32:02, 31:23)
• Kylie and Travis keep Home Alone in their top five, with Kylie placing it at #5 (32:32–32:47).

PFF-Style Grading of Home Alone

(Discussion at 32:47–36:51)

• Christmas Spirit: 98/100
  • "It has the soundtrack, the setting, all of it... just very Christmassy." – Jason (33:06)
• Acting: 100/100
  • No bad performances noted.
• Directing: 100/100
• Plot: 65–85/100
  • Highly entertaining, but "not a believable plot" and “so 90s… but delightful.” (34:40–35:13)
• Action/Entertainment (renamed from 'Violence'): 90/100
  • Physical comedy and inventive mayhem.
• Overall score: ~95/100 (rounded)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Sibling banter:
  • "He ran away the same way he goes to Vegas… I know where I'm going. It has everything I need." – Travis (06:06)
  • "We would really have to search for him." – Kylie, on 'Aimless Jason' (06:25)
• On Home Alone’s legacy:
  • "I don't think I've ever met anybody that hasn't seen Home Alone." – Jason (11:43)
• On holiday chaos:
  • "It feels very relatable. Like running around getting pissed off about really stupid things that only siblings would be pissed off about." – Jason (21:51)
• On casting:
  • "Could you think of anybody other than Macaulay Culkin being Kevin? Like, the facial expressions… it's… He crushes it." – Jason & Travis (24:46)
• On the plot’s holes:
  • "There is precisely 0% chance that I am just waiting a couple days before I can fly back to Chicago to see what happens with Kevin." – Jason (17:58)
• Final verdict:
  • "Unbiased opinion. Home Alone 2 is better." – Travis, closing (38:09)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Nostalgia and First Memories: 01:16 – 04:05
• Discussing the Score and Christmas Magic: 03:24 – 03:56
• Favorite Scenes: 21:44 – 24:46
• Character Archetypes/Family Dynamics: 06:30 – 07:53
• Plot Recap: 12:01 – 16:29
• Plot Plausibility Critique: 16:42 – 19:08
• Debate: Is It Top 5? 30:49 – 32:47
• PFF Grading Home Alone: 32:47 – 36:58
• Final Thoughts & Rankings: 37:10 – 38:09

Conclusion

This episode sees the Kelce brothers and Kylie blend heartfelt nostalgia, sharp-witted analysis, and playful family rivalry, ultimately celebrating Home Alone’s enduring holiday charm. They agree on its near-universal appeal and entertainment value, but also gleefully poke fun at its plot holes and the wild logic of ‘90s family movies. While Travis and Kylie place it firmly in their Christmas movie top five, Jason pushes it just outside his. The episode ends with their “PFF scores” giving Home Alone a near-perfect rating for holiday rewatchability—and with a challenge to revisit Home Alone 2!

Memorable Sign Offs:

• "Merry Christmas, you filthy animals." – Jason (37:26)
• "Go and have the creepiest Christmas ever." – Travis (37:32)
• "Unbiased opinion. Home Alone 2 is better." – Travis (38:09)