As I watch this movie again now, I realize that it's 30 years old. Yet its classic and timeless story can still amuse viewers and can still infuse them with a strong holiday spirit. I know it always does this for me.

Eight-year-old Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) is the youngest of the five kids in the McCallister household. Kevin can barely grab an ounce of attention, and when he does he is apt to get punished for acting out -- especially by his bullying and annoying older brother, Buzz. Their large Chicagoland home is busy and loud when it is filled with just his own family members. Add an aunt, an uncle and a passel of cousins, and the place becomes a madhouse. And the whole group is planning on spending the holidays together in Paris. Yikes!

But Kevin is accidentally left behind when everyone else rushes off to the airport. One of the last things he says to his mother is, "I hope I never see any of you jerks again." And now that all of them are suddenly gone, without explanation, he realizes the truth: "I made my family disappear."

Like Phil Connors in Groundhog Day, Kevin at first rejoices in the chance to do anything he can to entertain himself, knowing he will face no consequences. Soon, however, he has to take on a special project: preventing two burglars -- Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) -- from breaking into the house. Repeatedly. And in spite of his youth and his choice of resources, he does his best to thwart them. Repeatedly. Can an inventive 8-year-old really outsmart two grown-ups?

In the meantime, his parents Peter (John Heard) and Kate (Catherine O'Hara) have realized their mistake. Kate immediately turns around but faces challenges in making her way back home. Siblings Buzz (Devin Ratray), Megan (Hillary Wolf), Linnie (Angela Goethals) and Jeff (Michael C. Maronna) have varying reactions to Kevin's misfortune. Leave it to him to screw up their vacation. What will their mother find when she opens their front door?

Two additional stand-out characters appear with side stories. Kate eventually runs into and gets help from Gus Polinski (John Candy), "The Polka King of the Midwest" and the leader of The Kenosha Kickers. And then there's Old Man Marley (Roberts Blossom), a scary elderly neighbor to the McCallisters, and one who may or may not be hiding a dubious past. I remember that when this movie first appeared in the theater, even my 71-year-old uncle said that he teared up over "the old man" scenes. It's difficult not to.

The story is a basic one, yet it is still compelling. The actors are well cast, and they play their roles perfectly and true to their characters. Naturally, you'll have to suspend your disbelief at some of Kevin's strategies and boobytraps. What puts this production over the top is the musical score by John Williams. Of course! If he can make us care about intergalactic space travel, he can surely bring the proper atmosphere and emotions to a suburban-home-based holiday tale. From the rushing scenes at the airports, to the recurring themes of intrigue and fun and even wistfulness, Williams' choices seal the deal on connecting the story with the audience. The movie would have been lost without this music.

If you are ever trolling through the northern suburbs of Chicago, be sure to check out the Home Alone house in Winnetka. It's a private residence that is pretty easy to find, and most people can tell you where it is. The last time I saw the house in person, it had a life-size photo of Kevin McCallister looking out of a front window, waving.

Sure, you probably saw Home Alone a long time ago. But you may not remember all of the details, and you may not remember how funny and how heart-warming the movie really is. I highly recommend that you revisit it at least once between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve, each year. Its success resulted in a sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. But what could beat the original?