Heartwarming / Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

• Buzz's heartfelt speech/apology to Kevin at the end. He's actually kind of a nice kid, when not acting like a total dick.
  • The original draft has Kate and Peter about to leave for New York when Buzz, with tears in his eyes, asks Peter to tell Kevin that he's sorry.
• The first time and the second time we hear "Christmas Star". The first time was with Kevin missing his family once again while looking at a view of New York at night. What adds to the heartwarming is that he says goodnight to his mother, while at the same time in the Florida Resort Kate is saying goodnight to Kevin. The second time was before he decides to deal with Harry and Marv. He makes a stop at the Beth Israel Hospital Children's wing. A sick kid looking out the window waves to Kevin, who waves back. This motivates him to stop Harry and Marv from robbing the toy store since the proceeds are supposed to go to the hospital.
  Kevin: You can mess with a lot of things, but you can't mess with kids on Christmas.
• When Kate and Peter are informed Kevin is in New York and used Peter's credit card to check into the Plaza, they immediately assume he did it because he was scared and assure the police he's not a trouble maker.
• Buzz giving Kevin the first present to open on Christmas morning.
  • Uncle Frank cheering for Kevin shortly afterward. Nice to see after he spent the first two movies being a complete ass to him.
• Although he's giving away his father's money, Kevin donating money to the hospital was a sweet gesture.
• Kevin thanking the Pigeon Lady for saving his life, followed by the lady blowing a kiss to him.
• This exchange between Kate and a cop driving his patrol car, while she's out looking for Kevin in New York:
  Kate: Do you have kids?
  Cop: Yes, ma'am.
  Kate: And what would you do if one of them was missing?
  Cop: I'd probably be doing the same thing you're doing. Listen, put yourself in your kid's shoes. Where would you go?
  Kate: Me? I'd probably be lying dead in a gutter somewhere. Oh, but not Kevin. No, Kevin is so much stronger and braver than I am. And I know Kevin's fine. I'm sure he is. But he's still all by himself in a big city, and he doesn't deserve that. He deserves to be at home, with his own family, around his Christmas tree. [pauses] Oh, dear God. I know where he is! I need to get to Rockefeller Center!
  Cop: [smiles] Hop in.
• Kevin giving the second turtledove ornament to the Pigeon Lady.
  • Kevin's relationship with the Pigeon Lady is this, being he convinces her to not be so closed up, telling her that you're going to be hurt sooner or later, but shows you're alive. Especially heartwarming in the end when he gives her a turtle dove and says they'll be friends forever. D'aaaw.
• Harry's promise to take Marv to the Central Park Zoo when they have time to kill before the heist. Nice to see him doing something decent for what we might assume is his only friend.
• How about the fact that Kevin willingly chooses to spend "another Christmas in the trenches"? In the first film, he was defending his home from Harry and Marv because he didn't have many other options. This time, he willingly puts himself in harm's way to get Marv and Harry caught because they're robbing money from a toy store that was meant to go to a children's hospital. Kevin puts himself in willing danger for a selfless cause for those who are less fortunate than he is.
• The original draft was going to feature a redemption arc for Uncle Frank. When Kate and Peter leave for New York, Aunt Leslie says she and Frank will pay for the hotel bill. When Frank complains, Peter finally puts him in his place, which leaves Frank apologizing for his actions and he later flew the rest of the family to New York so everyone could be together.
• Kevin attaches a note to the brick he throws through the window of Duncan's Toy Chest, explaining that he did it to catch Harry and Marv and apologizing for the damage. Kevin mentions the turtle doves in the note, and Mr. Duncan sees that it's written on stationery from the Plaza Hotel. These clues are all Mr. Duncan needs to find out which room Kevin and his family are in and have a load of gifts delivered there as a sign of gratitude.

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