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When a snowstorm grounds all of the flights leaving Hoover International Airport on Christmas Eve, a whole room full of Unaccompanied Minors are left stranded and in the care of Zach Van Bourke (Wilmer Valderrama). But the Unaccompanied Minors room is loud and smelly, and kids are throwing things—so five of the UMs break out on their own. Spencer (Dyllan Christopher) just wants to get away from his little sister, Katherine (Dominique Saldana), who’s obsessing about Santa and making him look like an idiot in front of the other kids. Donna (Quinn Shephard) is a tough girl who can’t stand it when people touch her. Beef (Brett Kelly) is a quiet 12-year-old who still plays with his Aquaman doll. Grace (Gina Mantegna) is a rich girl in search of a little spa treatment. And Charlie (Tyler James Williams) is a really well-behaved smart kid who just wants to find a working toilet.
When the five kids are caught by airport security, they’re informed by Mr. Porter (Lewis Black), the head of customer relations, that the rest of the UMs have been taken to the airport’s lodge overnight—but the five of them will have to stay on cots in the UM room. Worried that his little sister will have to spend the night alone, in a place where she’s convinced that Santa won’t find her, Spencer decides to break out—and the other kids decide to join him.
Unaccompanied Minors is like a junior-high holiday version of The Breakfast Club—a bunch of mismatched misfit kids rebelling against some mean old guy who’s threatening to ruin all the fun and making new friends along the way. And while it may not be as timeless and life-changing as the ‘80s teen classic, it’s still a whole lot of fun.
The story isn’t exactly anything new, so it’s the cast that makes it stand out. Remember the kid who took the box office by storm about sixteen Christmases ago? That Culkin kid from Home Alone? Well, Macaulay has nothing on the kids in this movie. Brett Kelly (who also played Thurman Murman in Bad Santa) is hilarious. And Tyler James Williams (of Everybody Hates Chris fame) is pure kid-comedy genius (and, boy, can that kid dance!). In addition to its cute-kid cast, Lewis Black isn’t too shabby as the cranky customer relations manager whose holiday flight to Hawaii is snowed in—and you’ll spot a bunch of other great comedians in cameos, too. It’ll have you laughing so hard that you’ll barely even notice the typical sappy holiday ending.
When it comes to holiday family movies, Unaccompanied Minors is far better than most. After a long day of battling the holiday crowds at the mall, take the kids to see it. Not only will it keep them entertained for a couple of hours, but it’ll give you a much-needed laugh.
