Scarlett Johansson has had an impressive career spanning many decades and different genres, and she played a memorable character in Home Alone 3.
Before Scarlett Johansson became famous for starring in action blockbusters and Oscar-winning dramas, she played a compelling role in Home Alone 3. There isn’t much that is memorable about the 1997 sequel, which follows eight-year-old Alex Pruitt (Alex D. Lintz) as he stays home from school with chickenpox and battles criminals. When compared to the original two installments starring Macaulay Culkin, Home Alone 3 didn’t capture the same magic, but Johansson’s appearance stands out and proves that she was already on the path to becoming an acclaimed actor.
Johansson began acting as a child, starring in the heartwarming 1998 drama The Horse Whisperer before her breakout role as sarcastic teenager Rebecca in 2001’s Ghost World. By the time she played Charlotte in 2003’s Lost in Translation, her talent was evident. Johansson’s most popular movies include Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit, which resulted in two Oscar nominations in the same year. As her films have earned more than $14 billion, she is currently the highest-grossing actor of all time, and her turn as Black Widow in the MCU has contributed to that. But before all that, Johansson had a pivotal scene in the otherwise lackluster Home Alone 3.
Scarlett Johansson as Molly Pruitt
Scarlett Johansson played Alex’s sister, Molly Pruitt, in Home Alone 3, and at first, Molly and their brother, Stan (Seth Smith), are typical sibling characters who make fun of him. However, Molly proves her compassion when, in a memorable scene, FBI Agent Stuckey (Christopher Curry) says that he can’t tell Molly or Stan why Alex has been threatened. While Home Alone 3 is one of the worst movies in the Home Alone franchise, Molly is a solid and smart character who wants to protect her brother. She says, “The’ it’ you’re referring to is my little brother,” and refers to Alex as a “hero” for making it through.
Johansson’s performance is impressive, as Molly could fade into the background like some of Kevin McAllister’s siblings in the first movie. Instead, the actor makes sure that Molly is emotional and impressed by the experience that her brother has had. Alex cleverly puts a camera on his toy car, which allows him to see where the criminals are, and Molly has a newfound appreciation for her family. By far the best character in the unpopular Home Alone sequel, Molly can admit she didn’t see her sibling as the smart, tough person that he really is.
