Home Alone 4

Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House
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Based on	Characters created by John Hughes
Written by	Debra Frank Steve L. Hayes
Directed by	Rod Daniel
Starring	Mike Weinberg French Stewart Missi Pyle Jason Beghe Erick Avari Barbara Babcock Joanna Going Clare Carey
Theme music composer	Teddy Castellucci
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
Production
Producer(s)	Mitch Engel
Running time	89 minutes
Production company(s)	Fox Television Studios
Distributor	20th Century Fox Disney-ABC Domestic Television
Release
Original network	ABC
Original release	November 3, 2002 (2002-11-03) (Television ABC premiere) October 28, 2003 (2003-10-28) (Direct-to-video release)

Home Alone 4 (also known in the United States and Canada as Home Alone: Taking Back the House) is a 2002 American made-for-television Christmas family comedy film directed by Rod Daniel, which first aired on ABC on November 3, 2002.

It is the fourth installment in the Home Alone series. The film brings back several of the main characters from the first two films including Kevin McCallister, but with all of the roles played by different actors. The film also features culture and technology from the late 1990s and early 2000s as opposed to the early 1990s setting in the original films with the same characters at the same age. It is also the only film in the series to be filmed outside the United States. Although set in Chicago, it was actually shot in South Africa. The plot revolves around Kevin McCallister (Mike Weinberg) trying to defend his future stepmother's house from his old nemesis Marv (French Stewart) and his wife Vera (Missi Pyle).

Plot

Kevin's parents get a divorce. His dad takes the only one of his children he cares about, Kevin, who enjoys his time at Natalie's mansion with his new bedroom, latest gadgets and his life. In the next morning, Natalie and Peter go out for a bit while Kevin stays at the mansion with Natalie's butler Mr. Prescott (Erick Avari) and maid Molly (Barbara Babcock). With Natalie and Peter still away, Kevin notices his old nemesis Marv (French Stewart), a remaining member of the Wet/Sticky Bandits and new sidekick and wife Vera (Missi Pyle) outside the house. Kevin tries to get Mr. Prescott to answer the intercom, but for some reason Prescott does not answer. He then spies on them and drive them away by destroying the shower's water systems and flooding the house's lobby, but Peter and Natalie arrive while Kevin is cleaning up and don't believe Kevin's explanation especially since Prescott claims to have seen nothing. While driving, Marv tells Vera about his encounters with Kevin and states that they have someone on the inside to help them in their plot.

At a party for the royal family while Peter and Natalie have gone to pick them up, Kevin notices Marv and Vera dressed up as caterers. Mr. Prescott warns Kevin about the night so he traps Mr. Prescott in the freezer. Kevin then spies on Marv and Vera in his bedroom and hears them planning about kidnapping the royals. The royal family are unable to attend the party because their flight was cancelled, so Peter and Natalie instead announce their engagement to their party guests. Kevin retaliates at Marv and Vera, and in the process ruins the party.

Since no one believes him about the problem, Kevin decides to take matters into his own hands and sets booby traps for Marv and Vera. The next morning, Peter and Natalie go get the royals and Kevin is left back at the house. Marv and Vera wake up and head to the house. Kevin tricks and locks Mr. Prescott in the wine cellar, but then he discovers Marv and Vera's real accomplice is actually Molly who also turns out to be Marv's mother as well. Molly then restrains Kevin and locks him up in the wine cellar with Mr. Prescott, who Kevin befriends. Kate calls the house; Molly tells Kate he is with Peter, and when she checks on that; Peter denies causing suspicion, and they both return to get him.

Kevin escapes using the dumbwaiter, and Marv and Vera spring the traps, and Molly who intervenes gets trapped in the elevator. Eventually, Marv and Vera are incapacitated and Molly attempts to knock out Kevin but Prescott intervenes and knocks her out; and the police arrive later along with Peter and Kate. The three are arrested, and the royal family arrives. Peter breaks up with Natalie, Prescott resigns as butler, and the royal family decides to spend Christmas with the McCallisters.

Cast

• Mike Weinberg as Kevin McCallister: The main character. He defends the house from Marv and Vera. He was originally portrayed by Macaulay Culkin in the first two films.
• French Stewart as Marv, Vera's husband, Molly's son, and Harry's former sidekick. He was originally portrayed by Daniel Stern in the first two films. Stern said that he was too busy doing some other films," unable to reprise his role.
• Missi Pyle as Vera, Marv's wife who Marv first met in prison.
• Erick Avari as Mr. Prescott, the butler.
• Barbara Babcock as Molly Merchants, the maid who is the inside person and Marv's mother.
• Jason Beghe as Peter McCallister, Kevin, Buzz and Megan's father. He was originally portrayed by John Heard in the first two films.
• Clare Carey as Kate McCallister, Kevin, Buzz and Megan's mother. She was originally portrayed by Catherine O'Hara in the first two films.
• Joanna Going as Natalie, Peter's girlfriend and Buzz, Megan, and Kevin's future stepmother.
• Gideon Jacobs as Buzz McCallister, Kevin and Megan's brother. He was originally portrayed by Devin Ratray in the first two films.
• Chelsea Russo as Megan McCallister, Kevin and Buzz's sister. She was originally portrayed by Hillary Wolf in the first two films.

Sequel

Main article: Home Alone: The Holiday Heist

On March 15, 2012, ABC Family announced that Home Alone 5 was in production, which premiered on that network during the 2012 Christmas season. The film stars Christian Martyn as 10-year-old main character Finn Baxter. The story centers on the family's relocation from California to Maine, where Finn becomes convinced that his new house is haunted. When his parents become stranded across town and Finn is left home alone with his sister Alexis, he sets traps to catch his new home's ghosts, which instead prove troublesome for a group of thieves (played by Malcolm McDowell, Debi Mazar and Eddie Steeples). The film also stars Edward Asner, is produced by Fox Television Studios, and is directed by Peter Hewitt.

See also

• List of television films produced for American Broadcasting Company

External links

• Home Alone 4 at IMDb