Home Alone 3

Home Alone 3

Theatrical movie poster
Distributed by
Directed by	Raja Gosnell
Produced by	John Hughes Hilton A. Green Ricardo Mestres Nilo Rodis-Jamero
Written by	John Hughes
Starring	see below
Music by	Nick Glennie-Smith
Cinematography	Julio Macat

Home Alone 3 is the third film in the Home Alone movies written and produced by John Hughes. 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 with a chicken pox and has to defend his home from four international robbers.

Plot

A US$10 million missile cloaking computer chip is stolen by four internationally wanted criminals/hitmen, Peter Beaupre (Krupa), Earl Unger (Thornton), Burton Jernigan (Dohlen) and Alice Ribbons (Kihlstedt), all who work for a North Korean terrorist organization. To sneak it past airport security, they hide it inside a toy remote control car. However at San Francisco International Airport, a luggage mix-up occurs, causing Mrs. Hess (Seldes), who is carrying loaves of sourdough bread in a similar bag, to inadvertently take the thieves' bag containing the remote control car while returning home to Chicago. The four thieves arrive in Chicago and systematically search every house in Mrs. Hess' neighborhood to find the chip.

Eight-year-old Alex Pruitt (Alex D. Linz) is given the remote control car by Mrs. Hess for shoveling snow, but she lectures him for scratching numerous itches. After returning home, Alex undresses to discover that he is ill with chickenpox and therefore, must stay out of school. While at home, Alex sees the thieves on lookout for the chip through his telescope. Upon discovering Beaupre in a neighbor's house, he alerts the police. However, the thieves leave the house before the police arrive. After Alex reports the thieves again the next day, they still manage to get away, and the police do not believe him (which is similar to the story book of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"). His mother Karen and his father Jack refuse to believe him, as do his siblings Stan and Molly.

Alex decides to take matters into his own hands, and mounts a camera on his remote control car, attempting to film some footage of the thieves, who are searching in every house to find the chip. He successfully films Beaupre, but the remote control car is discovered before it can get away, and Beaupre takes the tape. A chase ensues wherein Alex manages to outrun them. Wondering what the thieves want with a remote control car, Alex opens it and discovers the stolen chip. He immediately calls Chicago's Air Force Recruitment Center and informs them about the chip, leaving his number and address and telling them to forward it to the proper authorities.

After a phone call involving Karen and the thieves, they conclude that Alex has the chip and decided to pursue him. As a snowstorm hits Chicago, the thieves block off the road to the house, and Alice duct tapes Mrs. Hess to a chair in her garage and leaves the door open. By this point, Alex has armed his house with booby traps and prepares to set them off with his pet mouse, Doris, and the loud-mouthed pet parrot of Stan. After their numerous break-in attempts are foiled by Alex's traps, the thieves infiltrate the house and search for Alex. Alex flees to the attic and takes the dumbwaiter down to the basement, then runs outside and calls to Alice, Jernigan and Unger. The thieves see Alex and notice a trampoline below them.

Jernigan and Unger jump, but the trampoline gives way and they fall into a frozen swimming pool. Alice then wriggles her way into the dumbwaiter shaft, but falls down to the basement and suffers a paralysis as Alex had removed the bottom before escaping the house. Beaupre corners Alex when the latter rescues Mrs. Hess but Alex scares him off with a bubble gun painted to resemble a Glock.

Meanwhile, the FBI, who has also been tracking the chip, goes to Alex's school after being tipped off by the Air Force Recruitment Center. Alex's family brings the agents to their house, where the police arrest Ribbons, Jernigan and Unger. The family and the police apologize to Alex for not believing him earlier, and Agent Stuckey thanks him for his help. However, Beaupre manages 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 as well.

Later, the Pruitts hold a celebration for Alex' success while their house is being repaired. Mrs. Hess, who befriends Alex after he successfully rescues her, attends the celebration with the FBI and the police. They are joined by Jack, who returns home from a work trip, and surprises Alex with another remote control car. The four thieves have contracted Alex's disease while having their mugshot photos taken.

Cast

• Alex D. Linz as Alex Pruitt
• Olek Krupa as Peter Beaupre
• Rya Kihlstedt as Alice Ribbons
• Lenny von Dohlen as Burton Jernigan
• David Thornton as Earl Unger
• Haviland Morris as Karen Pruitt
• Kevin Kilner as Jack Pruitt
• Marian Seldes as Mrs. Hess
• Seth Smith as Stan Pruitt
• Scarlett Johansson as Molly Pruitt
• Christopher Curry as Agent Stuckey
• Baxter Harries as Police Captain
• James Saito as North Korean Mob Boss
• Kevin Gudahl as Techie
• Richard Hamilton as Cab Driver
• Freeman Coffey as Recruiting Officer
• Krista Lally as Dispatcher
• Neil Flynn as Police Officer #1
• Tony Mockus Jr. as Police Officer #2 (as Tony Mockus Jr.)
• Pat Healy as Agent Rogers
• James Chisem as Police Officer #3 (as James L. Chisem)
• Darwin Harris as Mugshot Photographer (as Darwin L. Harris)
• Adrianne Duncan as Flight Attendant
• Sharon Sachs as Annoying Woman    
• Joseph Luis Caballero as Security Guard (as Joseph L. Caballero)
• Larry C. Tankson as Cart Driver
• Jennifer A. Daley as Police Photographer #2 (as Jennifer Daley)
• Darren T. Knaus as Parrot (voice)

Booby traps

Peter Beupre

• Collides with Alice Ribbons head-on while chasing the toy car through a hedge
• Hit on the head by a falling trunk of books and a barbell (with Earl Unger)
• Injures himself in an attempt to open a door which was drilled closed by Alex
• Sprayed in the eyes with black spray paint.
• Gets hit in the crotch by a spring-loaded boxing glove and falls on his gun, causing it to misfire.
• Falls down a loose plank of boards into the basement and crushes Alice.
• Injured by an explosion of fireworks in a snow fort.

Earl Unger

• Hit by Jernigan's minivan
• Gets an electric shock in an attempt to cut a yarn fence wired by Alex
• Collides with a door when he jumps onto the welcome mat with marbles underneath
• Hit by a falling trunk of books and a barbell (with Peter Beaupre).
• Hit by a water balloon and Plaster of Paris.
• A window hits him on the head.
• Gets his feet caught in adhesive glue upon stepping into two Mega Bloks carts with wheels.
• Trips over a board and falls into the basement, gets his fingers caught in a mousetrap, accidentally shoots a toilet pipe, and gets covered in raw sewage.
• Collides with Alice when they attempt to capture Alex and gets hit by a door when Alex closes it.
• Lands into a frozen swimming pool when the trampoline gives way after jumping from the roof (with Burton Jernigan).

Burton Jernigan

• Slips onto a slippery pavement and lands into a garage where he is hit by garden tools
• Got an electric shock by sitting on a chair that was wired to a car battery.
• Gets soaked by a garden hose.
• A running lawnmower falls onto him, resulting in an awful haircut.
• Burton Jernigan falls 3 stories into the basement and lands on a toilet, which is crushed.
• Hit in the groin with a hockey club by Alice when the latter attempts to kill Doris
• Lands into a frozen swimming pool when the trampoline gives way after jumping from the roof (with Earl Unger).

Alice Ribbons

• Collides with Peter Beaupre head-on while chasing the toy car through a hedge.
• Dragged by a dog after the latter is attracted to Alex's whistle.
• Accidentally splits her pants, exposing her red underwear.
• Gets a hand stuck in a bucket of industrial-strength glue. She struggles to get free, but loses her glove.
• Gets caught in mud during a trespassing attempt and gets hit by two Santa flower pots.
• Injures her back in an attempt to use hand rails (which break) to swing herself up onto the porch.
• Falls down a plank of boards into the basement, with Peter Beaupre following suit.
• Collides with Unger when they attempt to capture Alex.
• Falls three stories down a dumbwaiter shaft to the basement, resulting in temporary paralysis.

Production

The film was pitched at the same time as Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, 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 Chicago and Evanston, Illinois, with the airport scenes being shot in two different concourses at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.

Reception

The film grossed $79,000,000 worldwide. Critical reception for the film was generally negative upon release. It holds a 27% "rotten" rating at Rotten Tomatoes 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".

Changes in novelization

• The Stephan's address is 724 Washington Street instead of 3015 Washington Street.
• Instead of Alex saying "The question is, what is it?", he says "The question was, what was it?".
• There was a dog at the Alcott's house instead of a cat.

Trivia

• Home Alone 3 is the only film not to take place around or during Christmastime. However, with the large number of Christmas decorations in the film, it could be implied or assumed that the film takes place before or after the Christmas season.
• It was originally going to have Macaulay Culkin return as Kevin and he would face a new pair of burglars.
• Haviland Morris (Karen Pruitt), Scarlett Johansson (Molly Pruitt), and Catherine O'Hara (Kate McCallister) all had red hair.
• This film, along with Home Alone 2, are the only two movies that showed the criminals with firearms. A minor difference should be noted.
  • Home Alone had the villains actually fire guns unlike Home Alone 2, wherein the villains only threatened the main character with a firearm but the attempt to shoot a rescuer fails due to the gun being soaked in varnish.
• After filming concluded, David Thornton (Earl Unger) got a very short haircut. This was why his character appeared in the picture of the back of the VHS/DVD case with short hair.
• According to Mrs. Hess, the burglars and her were going to Chicago from San Francisco.
• Macaulay Culkin refused to do this film simply because he'd grown tired of the role and felt that there was nothing else he could've done with it.
• The first major role for Scarlett Johansson.
• Originally it was planned to film both the second film and this film back-to-back.
• This was the final film of John Hughes' five picture contract with Twentieth Century-Fox, to write, produce or direct after the success of the original Home Alone (1990). He wrote and produced Dutch (1991), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Baby's Day Out (1994), Miracle on 34th Street (1994), and Home Alone 3 (1997).
• Home Alone 3 was the last film of the series to be released theatrically. Home Alone 4 (2002) and Home Alone: The Holiday Heist (2012) were both made for television movies.
• The original concept involved Macaulay Culkin's character, Kevin McCallister, returning as a teenager. However, the plan was scrapped as Culkin dropped out of acting three years earlier as he thought he was outgrowing "childish" roles.
• A rare positive review came from Chicago film critic Roger Ebert, whom on his TV show Siskel & Ebert (1986) called the film better than the first one. Gene Siskel nearly fell off his chair in disbelief at this remark.
• The first film of the series which was not directed by Chris Columbus or featured music by John Williams.
• The role of Alex was a coveted one, with over 100 kids trying out for the part. Alex D. Linz won the part, beating another child star, Philip Petrie, who had also tried out for the part of Sammy in One Fine Day (1996), a role also taken by Alex D. Linz.
• The film is completely independent of the original movies. There no mention of Kevin or the McCallisters. The only link to the first two films is the Chicago suburbs, where the original film takes place, O'Hare International Airport, a character getting his region hit by a crowbar and a portion of John Williams' score during the beginning credits. Marv and Harry were not mentioned either.
• At one stage the script was considered being filmed as a television pilot, but in the end the studio decided to go ahead and make it as a feature film. The reverse would later happen with 'Home Alone 4, which was originally intended to be a stand-alone TV movie, but was restructured during production to serve as a pilot for a TV series that ultimately never went ahead.
• The directorial debut of Raja Gosnell, who acted as the editor for the first two films.
• The Scene where Alice hits Jernigan in the groin with a field hockey stick is similar to the original movie where Marv hits Harry with a crowbar; they both say "Don't Move" to their partner.
• Haviland Morris appeared in Sixteen Candles (1984) thirteen years earlier, another film written by John Hughes (also directed).
• Alex shovels snow for the grouchy Mrs. Hess whom he fears, but later gets to know. In the original movie, Old Man Marley shovels snow and is feared by Kevin because it is rumored that he is a serial killer.
• In the first two movies, the McCallister's lived on Lincoln Blvd. In this movie, the Pruitt's live on Washington St.
• The one and only product placement the first two films share with this one is the use of American Airlines.
• Marv and Harry from the first two films, but when Culkin and the rest of the first two films cast declined to have any involvement with this sequel John Hughes refused to make any reference or connection to the previous installments.
• Seth Smith (Stan) previously had a cameo in Getting Even with Dad (1994), which also starred Macaulay Culkin, who played Kevin in the first two films.
• When Macaulay Culkin declined to reprise his role as Kevin for the third outing, John Hughes briefly considered writing the screenplay with Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern reprising their roles as burglars Harry and Marv, respectively who target Kevin's cousin Fuller (Macaulay's real life brother Kieran Culkin), and Fuller would be the main character with Gerry Bamman and Terrie Snell reprising their roles and Fuller's parents Frank and Leslie respectively, who go on vacation and leave Fuller home alone, to defend himself against Marv and Harry. The idea was scrapped as Pesci and Stern refused to reprise their roles and wanted to pursue other projects, and Kieran felt he couldn't follow in his brother's footsteps as the lead. Hughes then re-wrote an entirely different screenplay with no characters from the first two films.
• Olek Krupa, Marian Seldes, Haviland Morris, Lenny von Dohlen, and David Thornton the stars of the film, have all performed on Broadway and at one time or another have been frequent guest stars on the NBC series Law & Order (1990) and its spinoffs.
• In Home Alone 3, the four criminals are wearing white camouflage suits during their mission to get the computer chip back from Alex. But in some of the movie posters for the film the criminals are seen wearing black suits. It is unknown if this was a design that didn't make it into the movie or if this was an error.
• Three of the actors who play the four criminals are foreign or of foreign descent. Olek Krupa is Polish and was born and raised in Poland but immigrated to the United States many years ago. Lenny Von Dohlen and Rya Kihlstedt are Americans who have European ancestry; Von Dohlen is a German by his father while Rya Kihlstedt is Swedish.
• Rya Kihlstedt (Alice Ribbons) later appeared in the science fiction disaster film, Deep Impact, which was released a year later.

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