Home Alone 3
Encyclopedia
Home Alone 3 is a 1997 family comedy film
written and produced by John Hughes. It is the third film in the Home Alone series
and the first not to feature actor Macaulay Culkin
or director Chris Columbus
. The film is directed by Raja Gosnell
, who served as the editor of both original films, and stars Alex D. Linz
as Alex Pruitt, a resourceful boy who is left home alone and has to defend his home from robbers. The film was followed by a made-for-television sequel, Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House
, in 2002.
), Burton Jernigan (Lenny Von Dohlen
) and Earl Unger (David Thornton
) have stolen a valuable missile cloaking computer chip for a North Korea
n terrorist group. They put it inside a toy remote control car to sneak it past security. At San Francisco International Airport
, however, Mrs. Hess (Marian Seldes
) accidentally takes the bag with the remote control car in it. The thieves then come to Chicago
and systematically search every house in Mrs. Hess's suburb to find the chip.
Eight-year-old Alex Pruit (Alex D. Linz
) is then given the remote control car by Mrs. Hess for shoveling snow. He soon becomes ill with the chicken pox, and must stay home. While he is at home, he sees the thieves through his telescope and calls the police. The thieves leave by the time the police come. After Alex reports the thieves again, they still manage to get away, and the police still do not believe him. Alex then decides to take matters into his own hands. He mounts a camera on his remote control car and tries to film some footage of the thieves, who are now searching in a neighbor's house. He successfully films Beaupre, but the remote control car is discovered before it can get away and Alice takes the tape. Wondering what the thieves want with a remote control car, Alex opens it and discovers the stolen chip. Right away, he calls the suburb's Air Force Recruitment Center and informs them about the chip.
The thieves realize that Alex has the chip and go after him. They block off the road to the house, and Alice duct tapes Mrs. Hess to a porch chair in her garage and leaves the door open. By this point, Alex has armed the house with more violent booby trap
s. After several break-in attempts, they chase Alex. He runs to the attic and goes into the dumbwaiter
down to the basement. He then runs outside and calls to Alice, Jernigan and Unger. They see him and notice a trampoline below them. Unger and Jernigan jump, but the trampoline gives way and they fall into a frozen pool. Alice then wriggles her way into the dumbwaiter chute, but falls down to the basement. Alex rescues Mrs. Hess. He is then cornered by Beaupre, but scares him off with a fake gun.
Meanwhile the FBI
, which has also been tracking the chip, goes to Alex's school, after being tipped off by the Air Force. Alex's family brings the agents to their house, where the police arrest Jernigan, Unger and Ribbons. Beaupre, however, managed to escape and hides in the snow fort
in the backyard. Alex's brother Stan's pet parrot drives the remote control car into the snow fort and threatens to light fireworks which are lined around the inside. Beaupre offers a cracker, but the parrot demands two. Since he only has one, the parrot then lights the fireworks, and escapes. Beaupre's cover is literally blown, and the police arrest him.
Alex and his family celebrate with their dad returning. Mrs. Hess, who befriends Alex after he rescues her, is there along with the FBI and police while the house is repaired. Alex gets a surprise: another remote control car. In the final scene, where the four thieves are having their mugshot photos taken, they are shown to have Alex's chicken pox.
, and it was planned to produce both movies simultaneously; however, those plans fell through.
The idea for a third Home Alone movie was revived in the mid-1990s; early drafts called for Culkin to return as a teenage version of his character. However, Culkin had dropped out of acting. As a result, the idea was changed to make an entirely new film centering on a new cast of characters. It was filmed in New York City
with the airport scenes in the beginning of the film being shot in two different concourse
s at O'Hare International Airport
in Chicago
.
based on 21 reviews and was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for "Worst Remake or Sequel." Roger Ebert
of the Chicago Sun-Times
, however, gave the film a positive review (3 out of 4 stars) and says he found it to be "fresh, very funny, and better than the first two".
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
written and produced by John Hughes. It is the third film in the Home Alone series
Home Alone
Home Alone is a 1990 American Christmas comedy film written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. The film stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old boy, who is mistakenly left behind when his family flies to Paris for their Christmas vacation...
and the first not to feature actor Macaulay Culkin
Macaulay Culkin
Macaulay Carson Culkin is an American actor. He became widely known for his portrayal of Kevin McCallister in Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. He is also known for his roles in Richie Rich, Uncle Buck, My Girl, The Pagemaster, and Party Monster...
or director Chris Columbus
Chris Columbus (filmmaker)
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Columbus is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Columbus had his largest success with the first two films in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, along with Home Alone, the last...
. The film is directed by Raja Gosnell
Raja Gosnell
Raja Raymond Gosnell is an American film director and editor best known for directing films like Never Been Kissed, Big Momma's House, Scooby-Doo, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, and most recently, The Smurfs...
, who served as the editor of both original films, and stars Alex D. Linz
Alex D. Linz
Alexander David Linz is an American actor who starred in several late 1990s and early 2000s films and television programs as a child actor. His notable film roles include Home Alone 3 and Max Keeble's Big Move ....
as Alex Pruitt, a resourceful boy who is left home alone and has to defend his home from robbers. The film was followed by a made-for-television sequel, Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House
Home Alone 4
Home Alone 4, also known as Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House, is a 2002 American made-for-television family/Christmas film directed by Rod Daniel. It is the fourth and final installment in the Home Alone franchise...
, in 2002.
Plot
Four internationally wanted criminals, named Peter Beaupre (Aleksander Krupa), Alice Ribbons (Rya KihlstedtRya Kihlstedt
Rya Kihlstedt is an American actress.Kihlstedt was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and is a 1991 graduate of Skidmore College in Theatre Arts.She is also of Swedish descent...
), Burton Jernigan (Lenny Von Dohlen
Lenny Von Dohlen
Lenny Von Dohlen is an American film and stage actor, best known for his performance as the agoraphobic Harold Smith in Twin Peaks and the architect Miles Harding in the film Electric Dreams. Von Dohlen currently resides in New York and Los Angeles.-Early years:Lenny Von Dohlen was born in...
) and Earl Unger (David Thornton
David Thornton (actor)
David Thornton is an American actor. He is the husband of Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Cyndi Lauper, whom he married in 1991. Their son, Declyn Wallace Thornton Lauper, was born on November 19, 1997.- Filmography :...
) have stolen a valuable missile cloaking computer chip for a North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n terrorist group. They put it inside a toy remote control car to sneak it past security. At San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport is a major international airport located south of downtown San Francisco, California, United States, near the cities of Millbrae and San Bruno in unincorporated San Mateo County. It is often referred to as SFO...
, however, Mrs. Hess (Marian Seldes
Marian Seldes
Marian Hall Seldes is an American stage, film, radio, and television actress whose career has spanned six decades and who was elected to the American Theatre Hall of Fame.-Life and career:...
) accidentally takes the bag with the remote control car in it. The thieves then come to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and systematically search every house in Mrs. Hess's suburb to find the chip.
Eight-year-old Alex Pruit (Alex D. Linz
Alex D. Linz
Alexander David Linz is an American actor who starred in several late 1990s and early 2000s films and television programs as a child actor. His notable film roles include Home Alone 3 and Max Keeble's Big Move ....
) is then given the remote control car by Mrs. Hess for shoveling snow. He soon becomes ill with the chicken pox, and must stay home. While he is at home, he sees the thieves through his telescope and calls the police. The thieves leave by the time the police come. After Alex reports the thieves again, they still manage to get away, and the police still do not believe him. Alex then decides to take matters into his own hands. He mounts a camera on his remote control car and tries to film some footage of the thieves, who are now searching in a neighbor's house. He successfully films Beaupre, but the remote control car is discovered before it can get away and Alice takes the tape. Wondering what the thieves want with a remote control car, Alex opens it and discovers the stolen chip. Right away, he calls the suburb's Air Force Recruitment Center and informs them about the chip.
The thieves realize that Alex has the chip and go after him. They block off the road to the house, and Alice duct tapes Mrs. Hess to a porch chair in her garage and leaves the door open. By this point, Alex has armed the house with more violent booby trap
Booby trap
A booby trap is a device designed to harm or surprise a person, unknowingly triggered by the presence or actions of the victim. As the word trap implies, they often have some form of bait designed to lure the victim towards it. However, in other cases the device is placed on busy roads or is...
s. After several break-in attempts, they chase Alex. He runs to the attic and goes into the dumbwaiter
Dumbwaiter
Dumbwaiter may refer to:* Dumbwaiter , a freight elevator or lift between building floors* Lazy Susan, a small rotating table or set of cabinets used for serving food* An auxiliary serving table or cart....
down to the basement. He then runs outside and calls to Alice, Jernigan and Unger. They see him and notice a trampoline below them. Unger and Jernigan jump, but the trampoline gives way and they fall into a frozen pool. Alice then wriggles her way into the dumbwaiter chute, but falls down to the basement. Alex rescues Mrs. Hess. He is then cornered by Beaupre, but scares him off with a fake gun.
Meanwhile the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, which has also been tracking the chip, goes to Alex's school, after being tipped off by the Air Force. Alex's family brings the agents to their house, where the police arrest Jernigan, Unger and Ribbons. Beaupre, however, managed to escape and hides in the snow fort
Snow fort
A snow fort or snow castle is a usually open-topped temporary structure made of snow walls that is used for recreational purposes. Snow forts are generally built by children as a playground game or winter pastime and are used as defensive structures in snowball fights...
in the backyard. Alex's brother Stan's pet parrot drives the remote control car into the snow fort and threatens to light fireworks which are lined around the inside. Beaupre offers a cracker, but the parrot demands two. Since he only has one, the parrot then lights the fireworks, and escapes. Beaupre's cover is literally blown, and the police arrest him.
Alex and his family celebrate with their dad returning. Mrs. Hess, who befriends Alex after he rescues her, is there along with the FBI and police while the house is repaired. Alex gets a surprise: another remote control car. In the final scene, where the four thieves are having their mugshot photos taken, they are shown to have Alex's chicken pox.
Cast
- Alex D. LinzAlex D. LinzAlexander David Linz is an American actor who starred in several late 1990s and early 2000s films and television programs as a child actor. His notable film roles include Home Alone 3 and Max Keeble's Big Move ....
as Alex Pruitt, an eight-year-old child with a high IQ living in suburban Chicago. - Olek Krupa as Peter Beaupre, leader of the four robbers.
- Rya KihlstedtRya KihlstedtRya Kihlstedt is an American actress.Kihlstedt was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and is a 1991 graduate of Skidmore College in Theatre Arts.She is also of Swedish descent...
as Alice Ribbons, sole female of the four robbers. - Lenny Von DohlenLenny Von DohlenLenny Von Dohlen is an American film and stage actor, best known for his performance as the agoraphobic Harold Smith in Twin Peaks and the architect Miles Harding in the film Electric Dreams. Von Dohlen currently resides in New York and Los Angeles.-Early years:Lenny Von Dohlen was born in...
as Burton Jernigan, one of the four robbers. - David ThorntonDavid Thornton (actor)David Thornton is an American actor. He is the husband of Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Cyndi Lauper, whom he married in 1991. Their son, Declyn Wallace Thornton Lauper, was born on November 19, 1997.- Filmography :...
as Earl Unger, one of the four robbers. - Haviland MorrisHaviland MorrisHaviland Morris is an American film, television, and Broadway actress.-Early life:Morris was born in New Jersey and spent much of her childhood in Hong Kong. Her father worked in the electronics industry...
as Karen Pruitt, Alex's mother. - Kevin KilnerKevin KilnerKevin Kilner is an American television and film actor.Kilner was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Dorothea, a kindergarten teacher, and Edward Kilner, who worked in advertising sales and insurance. He made his first television appearance on an episode of The Cosby Show in 1989...
as Jack Pruitt, Alex's father. - Marian SeldesMarian SeldesMarian Hall Seldes is an American stage, film, radio, and television actress whose career has spanned six decades and who was elected to the American Theatre Hall of Fame.-Life and career:...
as Mrs. Hess, Alex's elderly neighbor. - Seth SmithSeth SmithGarry Seth Smith is a Major League Baseball corner outfielder for the Colorado Rockies.-Amateur career:...
as Stan Pruitt, Alex's older brother. - Scarlett JohanssonScarlett JohanssonScarlett Johansson is an American actress, model and singer.Johansson made her film debut in North and was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in Manny & Lo . She rose to further prominence with her roles in The Horse Whisperer and Ghost World...
as Molly Pruitt, Alex's older sister. - Neil FlynnNeil FlynnNeil Richard Flynn is an American actor and comedian, known for his role as Janitor in the medical comedy-drama Scrubs. He currently portrays Mike Heck in the ABC sitcom The Middle.-Early life:...
as a Chicago police officer.
Production
Home Alone 3 was pitched at the same time as Home Alone 2: Lost in New YorkHome Alone 2: Lost in New York
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is a 1992 American Christmas comedy film written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. It is the second film in the Home Alone series and the direct sequel to Home Alone. The film stars Macaulay Culkin in the lead role as Kevin McCallister, while...
, and it was planned to produce both movies simultaneously; however, those plans fell through.
The idea for a third Home Alone movie was revived in the mid-1990s; early drafts called for Culkin to return as a teenage version of his character. However, Culkin had dropped out of acting. As a result, the idea was changed to make an entirely new film centering on a new cast of characters. It was filmed in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with the airport scenes in the beginning of the film being shot in two different concourse
Concourse
A concourse is a place where pathways or roads meet, such as in a hotel, a convention center, a railway station, an airport terminal, a hall, or other space.-Examples:Examples of concourses include:* Meeting halls* Universities* Railway stations...
s at O'Hare International Airport
O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Reception
The film grossed $79,000,000 worldwide. Home Alone 3 was generally negative upon its release. It holds a 27% "rotten" rating at Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
based on 21 reviews and was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for "Worst Remake or Sequel." Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
, however, gave the film a positive review (3 out of 4 stars) and says he found it to be "fresh, very funny, and better than the first two".