In a perfect confluence of events, I ended up working on a project last year that would have made 6 year old me extremely proud. The home that played such a big part of one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time had hit the market and our Chicago based Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage office had secured the listing! As part of our efforts here to help promote the listing, I blogged about the house from “Home Alone” and how thinking about holiday movies like it allows us to look back and appreciate how great childhood was; especially around the holidays.

Below is an edited version of that blog post, which was widdled down because a lucky/smart person purchased the home already!

At the risk of sounding like a movie nerd, I watch a LOT of movies…probably more than I care to admit without otherwise writing under an assumed name. I’m not entirely sure how many theaters I’ve been to or how many bad made for TV movies with Hulk Hogan I’ve watched at home on my couch. In a culture that produces thousands of movies that generate billions in revenue, how many do you really remember? I mean…like really remember?

There doesn’t seem to be a science to it but every once in a while a movie comes along that transcends time and film as a medium and becomes iconic as cultural phenomena; a part of pop culture so to speak. When we go back and reminisce or watch these “classics” we are almost always brought right back to a specific time and place. Old memories come rushing back to us. We remember exactly what we wore the night we saw the movie and we usually remember who we saw the movie with. These types of films freeze time so to speak.

Home Alone, along with a host of others like A Christmas Story, It’s a Wonderful Life and even the fairly recent Elf; freeze time and remain in the public’s consciousness because they all give authentic comedic looks at family, time together, home and the holidays. And aren’t our homes almost as much a part of the “Family” as anything? At the end of a long hard week of work; what’s better than hanging out with family and friends in the comfort of home…especially around the holidays?

Part of the reason why I believe we all go back and watch the same movies each holiday season is because I think it brings us right back to our best childhood memories. Personally, it reminds me of my old home growing up… of all of the comedic craziness in a house with way too many family members over for Christmas dinner and of funny pranks I’d try to play on my brothers. It brings back all of those sights and smells and feelings and above all else..it reminds me of home.

Home Alone isn’t the only holiday movie that is a “must watch” once December rolls in. What’s your favorite holiday movie? What’s your favorite  home in a holiday movie? Send us a Tweet over @coldwellbanker and let us know!