Fortunately, today's next film is miles better, than yesterday's doggone mess, albeit also pretty low- budget. Clumsily-titled Home and Alone for Christmas (2012) is the brainchild of actor-turned director Corbin Bernsen, who writes produces and directs this quirky tale of a frustrated father who loses the plot and locks his family in the house for three days in the run-up to Christmas in a bid to have them all properly reconnect. George Newbern is Martin, who decides to do away with everything the state provides, like TV, electricity, running water and the internet, blacks out all the windows and essentially forces his family to be as resourceful as possible and work together to survive. Thankfully, it’s all a lot cuter, tongue-in-cheek and family-friendly than the grim survivalist tale it might sound like. The neighbours do suspect Martin’s gone nuts and is holding his clan hostage, with SWAT teams getting scrambled, but it’s all played for laughs.
It’s strangely not all that Christmassy, but I think that’s the point – to strip away all the window dressing and focus on the importance of family. Bernsen keeps it light and humorous, though. The title is clearly a cheap and obvious cash-in attempt (it was originally titled Three Day Test) though there are some funny bits where, under siege from Martin’s unhinged and wanting-to-make-sure-they’re-doing -it-right survivalist brother (Kevin Crowley), the family set a bunch of traps and talk about how they’re shamelessly copying Home Alone.
Newbern is enjoyable as at-end-of-his-tether Martin and his plight really speaks to me. He’s a man plagued by worry that technology is distancing his family and essentially raising his kids for him. I empathise and worry I’m not doing enough – as I watch this, Amelia is yards away watching Doc McStuffins on a tablet, completely ignoring me and she’s definitely developing an American accent from all the nonsense she watches on Youtube. I think Katie might murder me if I was to cut the power and force us to huddle together for warmth, though.
As a dad, I definitely appreciate some of the more tender scenes of bonding and there are some good laughs with the home invaders getting gunged, tarred and feathered and the like, though it’s all over a little too abruptly. Also, the problem with referencing Home Alone is that it reminds you of a far superior film that does the same sort of thing a lot better. However, Bernsen makes his point clearly and succinctly – sometimes, but especially at Christmas, it’s nice to turn off all the distractions and just communicate with your nearest and dearest. I take this as a sign and try to wrestle Amelia’s tablet off her so we can have a chinwag. She’s not having it. Oh well.
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