Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is the 1992 sequel to the 1990 film Home Alone, and the second film in the Home Alone series. Home Alone 2 was written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. It features Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern. Catherine O'Hara, John Heard, Devin Ratray, Kieran Culkin, Gerry Bamman, Tim Curry, Rob Schneider, Dana Ivey, and Brenda Fricker are also featured. Eddie Bracken, Ally Sheedy (who previously worked with Hughes in The Breakfast Club), Bob Eubanks and Donald Trump make cameo appearances. The movie was filmed in Winnetka, Illinois, O'Hare Airport in Chicago, Miami and New York City (which was star Culkin's hometown at the time). Also, the film became the second most successful film of 1992, earning over $173 million in revenue in the United States and over $358 million worldwide, but received negative reviews from critics. Home Alone 3 followed in 1997, and Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House followed in 2002—both without Macaulay Culkin in the lead roles.

The McCallister family prepares to spend Christmas in Miami, Florida. Kevin McCallister, Peter and Kate's youngest son, finds that "there's no Christmas trees" there. At the school's Christmas concert, Kevin's older brother Buzz humiliates him during his solo, causing Kevin to punch him in the stomach. Later, Buzz apologizes to Kevin and the rest of the family, but Kevin refuses to apologize and also reiterates his disgust with the family's decision to go to Miami before he storms up to the third floor bedroom of the house, wishing that he had his own money so he could go on his own vacation by himself. When Kate reminds him that he had his wish to be home by himself last time and that maybe he will have his wish to be on vacation by himself this time, he replies, "I hope so!" The McCallisters accidentally wake up late on the day of the flight due to Peter resetting the clock. The family hastily departs to the Chicago O'Hare International Airport, for a flight to Miami International Airport. While Kevin gets batteries for his Talkboy, he follows a man who is wearing the same coat as Peter toward a flight to LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Once in Miami, the McCallisters realize that Kevin did not make the flight and Kate faints. Kevin gets scared by the appearance of a lady who is tending to pigeons before checking in at the Plaza Hotel, which he had heard mentioned on a game show the night before, using Peter's credit card from his wallet. While there, Kevin tours the city and visits Duncan's Toy Chest, where he meets the philanthropist owner, Mr. Duncan. Kevin is told that the proceeds from the Christmas sales will go to children's hospitals. After donating some money, Mr. Duncan allows Kevin to take a pair of ceramic turtledoves as a gift from the store's Christmas tree before instructing him to give one to another person for friendship. Kevin runs into Harry Lyme and Marv Merchants, who have escaped from prison in Chicago to continue their robberies in New York by changing their name from the "Wet Bandits" to the "Sticky Bandits", before returning to the Plaza. However, Mr. Hector, the hotel's concierge, confronts Kevin about the credit card. Kevin escapes, but runs into the bandits once again, where he uses his Talkboy to record their plans of breaking into the store that night before he flees by hiding in the back of a hansom cab. While in a one-room motel in Miami, the McCallisters discover that Kevin has been found using Peter's credit card and is on the run. The family manages to fly to New York and once at the Plaza, they confront the staff for letting Kevin check into a hotel room alone and letting him escape. Kate decides to find Kevin against the advice of Peter and the staff, while Mr. Hector gives the family a complimentary suite. Kevin discovers a house belonging to his uncle Rob being renovated. While in Central Park, he runs into the pigeon lady, only to get his foot caught in between a rock. After she frees him, they watch a Christmas concert in a loft above Carnegie Hall. Kevin discovers how her life has fallen apart and how she dealt with it by taking care of the pigeons in the park and he promises to be her friend. Kevin returns to Rob's house to prepare a series of booby-traps throughout the house. Kevin arrives at the store during the break-in and photographs the bandits before he shatters the store's window and sets off the alarm by throwing a brick tied with a note to Mr. Duncan through it. The bandits chase Kevin and spring every trap in the house as Kevin dials 9-1-1 from a phone booth. The bandits trap Kevin when he slips on a patch of ice and they take him to Central Park, where they decide to kill him. When the pigeon lady discovers them, she uses birdseed for the pigeons to attack the bandits while Kevin escapes. Shortly after Kevin has set off fireworks he bought earlier to signal the police, Harry and Marv are arrested and the stolen money is recovered; furthermore, the police also have Kevin's photos and tape to use as evidence against the pair. At the toy store, Mr. Duncan finds Kevin's note and realizes his role in stopping the bandits. Meanwhile, Kate is looking for Kevin in Times Square, and comes across two police officers. While talking to them she mentions, and remembers, Kevin's fondness for Christmas trees, and asks the police officers to take her to Rockefeller Center. Her intuition proves correct when she finds Kevin in front of the Tree at Rockefeller Center. While there, the two reunite and reconcile as they return to the hotel. A truckload of gifts from the toy store comes to the Plaza on Christmas Day as a reward for Kevin's foiling of the robbery, and Buzz suggests that had it not been for Kevin getting on the wrong flight, they would not be in the suite with the Christmas tree and gifts in the first place. So, he decides to allow Kevin to open up the first present as a sign of reconciliation. While everyone else is opening their presents, Kevin runs out to give the pigeon lady one of the two turtledoves Mr. Duncan gave him and reaffirms his promise. Meanwhile, Buzz receives Kevin's room service bill from his original stay, a service charge of $967.43. Buzz shows it to Peter, who yells out, "Kevin! You spent $967 on room service?!". Kevin immediately runs back to the hotel, and the film ends.