Heartwarming / Home Alone

• Gus Polinski offering Kate a lift after discovering that she needs to get to Chicago.
• The whole scene where Kevin meets the guy dressed as Santa Claus. The guy is tired, frustrated, and just trying to get home when his car won't start, but he still takes the time to listen to this kid and try to be Santa to him.
  • When Kevin asks for his family back, he names his mother, father, brothers and sisters, Aunt Leslie, cousins, and if Santa has time, Uncle Frank. Frank may be a massive Jerkass to Kevin, but he still has a place in Kevin's heart.
  • Santa giving Kevin some Tic Tacs because he's out of candy canes is incredibly sweet, since he believes "Everyone who sees Santa should get a little something."
• Kevin getting an entire cheese pizza all to himself after Buzz eating it all just to spite him at the beginning of the movie.
• The elderly couple allowing Kate to take their spot on the plane after her heartfelt plea.
• Harry and Marv slamming on the brakes and shouting to stop, respectively, when Kevin wanders into their car's path. They may be burglars but they don't want to kill someone. (Yet, anyway.)
  • After that, Harry warns Kevin to be more careful when he crosses the street in a crude but still worried way. Marv to ease things up warns Kevin in a more affable tone that "Santy doesn't visit funeral homes". Once Harry cools down a bit, he decides to brighten things up by gently wishing the kid a Merry Christmas.
• After Marv gets nailed by a paint can, Harry says "Don't worry Marv, I'll get him for you!" (just before getting hit by one himself). They may be burglars, but they do care for one another.
• Kevin talking to Old Man Marley in church, discovering he's actually quite a nice man despite all the scary rumors.
  • Doubly so for Old Man Marley being the only character in the film to talk to Kevin like an adult, showing him a great deal of respect and understanding that his family never really did. He even takes Kevin's advice and reconnects with his son. Read that again. An old man took a second grader's advice, and it worked.
• Kevin's mother Kate being comforted by the Polka King after calling herself a terrible mother.
• Kevin and his mother reuniting at the end of the first film. Made even better when the rest of the family walks through the door seconds later.
• Old Man Marley reconciling with his son and reuniting with his family, which Kevin witnesses.
  • Add in Marley giving Kevin a thankful wave, as Kevin was the one to suggest that Marley actually call his son and try to make amends.
• Buzz praising Kevin for not burning the house down while they were gone.
• A few Deleted Scenes show that, despite being jerks to him in the beginning of the film, Megan, Linnie, and Jeff do love Kevin and spend most of their stay in Paris worrying about him. In the Paris scene, Megan is clearly worried about Kevin and voicing her concerns to Buzz, who just plain doesn't care.
  • In another deleted scene, Linnie finds that Peter is unable to sleep since he too is worried about Kevin. They then share a heartfelt moment on why they both think togetherness is so important at Christmas time.
  • In another Deleted Scene, we see Harry and Marv joking around in the van. This suggests that despite their occasional bickering, they appear to have a genuine Villainous Friendship.
• Although they're at odds with one another and it leads to Kevin being left home alone, Kate fulfills her promise to let Fuller sleep in a different room from Kevin.
• An out-of-universe example, but the behind the scenes information of Buzz's girlfriend is this. The director felt it was too cruel to have an actual girl be victim to Kevin's comment on the picture of Buzz's girlfriend. Instead, the picture of Buzz's girlfriend is actually the art director's son in a wig.
• Another out-of-universe example. As of 2014 and possibly even to this day, Macaulay Culkin calls Catherine O’Hara “Mom”. And Catherine O’Hara was present when, in late 2023, Macaulay Culkin was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.