I dive into what I’m calling peak America, that is the Peter McAllister (Dad) character from Home Alone. Watching this at age 41 and the movie is now a meditation on what’s worth fighting for. I get into how the McAllister house functions as a ‘castle’ for the kind of multi-generational family life that Johann Kurtz writes about in Leaving a Legacy: Inheritance, Charity, & Thousand-Year Families. I look at how Kevin’s initiation by older brother Buzz embodies what Anthony Esolen describes in No Apologies: Why Civilization Depends on the Strength of Men, a rough-and-tumble world where boys learn to build, explore, and fight. There’s even the church scene with Old Man Marley that delivers a Christmas message. I contrast all of this with the so-called ‘found family’ therapeutic culture that tells you to replace rather than reconcile.
Celebrating the chaos, the legacy, the adventure of family life, and a classic movie for Christmas 2025.
Intro: The Drifters’ “White Christmas”
Credit to the Aaron M. Renn episode Why Families Are Fleeing Cities | Bobby Fijan
Outro: Mel Torme’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
-modified.png)
Andrew Flattery is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Principal of Flattery Wealth Management. He serves affluent families in Kansas City and nationwide. Flattery is the host of Gentleman Speculator, a podcast on legacy, investing, and the life well-lived. When he’s not helping individuals build wealth, you can catch him playing rec sports, writing children's books, and spending time with his wife and four children.
