This Kids Movie Talking Points is not an endorsement of these movies or a recommendation to watch them with kids. Both Home Alone and Home Alone 2 contain fairly inappropriate content and scary moments particularly for some ages.
God tells us to love one another as ourselves. Did Kevin and his siblings do that? What was the result?
Disobeying God’s commands creates pain in our lives. We should love others regardless of how they treat us, since God loved us when we were his enemies.
What did you think about how Kevin and his family used their words?
Eph 4:29 tells us to use our words to build up others. Our words are just one way we can love others. When we use our mouths to utter foul words that tear down it displeases God and leads to pain.
Were Kevin’s parents good parents? Why or why not?
They came after him and clearly loved him. But Scripture tells parents to not provoke their children or else they’ll become discouraged (Col. 3:21; Eph. 6:4). Ask your kids if you’ve acted wrongly in this area and how you can be better.
Would you have been scared to be separated from your parents?
In the movie Kevin acts excited to be on his own. However, it’s actually very scary. Even when we are scared we can go to God in prayer. The Bible tells us that the peace of God will guard our hearts and our minds. We know God is with us even when we are scared. What is truly scary is being separated from God, and that is what our sin deserves. Thankfully, God saved us by dying in our place for our sins. Now our greatest fear won’t come true if we trust in Christ.
Is it wrong for Kevin to want to hurt the bad guys for what they’ve done and what they’re planning to do?
No. God loves justice and he will punish every sin. For those who trust in Christ their sin was punished on the cross, but for those who don’t trust in Christ their sins will be repaid to them. That’s why we can entrust ourself to God knowing that he will judge perfectly (1 Pet. 2:23).
Did Kevin act rightly given his situation?
Not exactly. If you are ever scared you should tell your parents. If you can’t tell your parents you should call the police (9-1-1). If you can’t do that then you should run away and focus on staying safe, not making elaborate and funny traps. In reality, bad guys are smarter than the ones in the movie.
Also, though it makes for a more entertaining scenario in the movie, Kevin lied, which is wrong unless you are trying to protect yourself or others from danger. Scripture tells us to tell the truth so we should obey.
Mike McGregor
Mike McGregor (MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary) is Director of College Ministry at First Baptist Church in Durham, N.C. You can follow him on Twitter at @m5mcgregor.
