Home Alone hit movie theaters in 1990 and quickly became a smash hit. Macaulay Culkin plays the mischievous and cunning yet kind-hearted Kevin McCallister. Constantly feeling like the odd one out in his family, Kevin makes a wish for his family to disappear. However, his wish comes true when his whole family fly to Paris and he gets left home alone over Christmas.
What at first seems like a dream come true quickly turns into a nightmare for Kevin when two burglars target his house. As the dimwitted thieves, Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), attempt to make their way into the home on Christmas Eve, they have a battle of epic proportions on their hands. To that, Harry and Marv realize this isn’t just any kid, this is a kid with a plan. Home Alone boasts an array laughter and action as Kevin sets up innovative traps around his home. This plethora of hijinks and carnage led to Home Alone becoming an classic family affair that is still beloved today. So, this is the true story behind the iconic Christmas movie, Home Alone.
Home Alone Was Spawned From a Feud With a Well-Known Star
Home Alone was written by famed 80s filmmaker, John Hughes. By the time the script started to circulate around Hollywood, Hughes was already an established name thanks to the success of movies like The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Planes, Trains & Automobiles. As well as this, he had proven himself as a director. However, he chose to not direct Home Alone and offered the chair to his friend, Chris Columbus. At the time, Columbus was directing another of Hughes’ scripts, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, but was clashing with the movie’s lead, Chevy Chase. So, Hughes suggested that Columbus leave the movie and board Home Alone instead. Columbus accepted and Christmas Vacation was helmed by Jeremiah S. Chechik.
How Macaulay Culkin Was Cast in Home Alone
Home Alone boosted the young Macaulay Culkin to superstardom and it is hard to imagine anyone else playing the trouble-making Kevin. However, the casting process for the movie saw the producers meet with hundreds of children. When they couldn’t find anyone that was right for the role, Hughes suggested Culkin. The two had worked together a year prior on the hit film, Uncle Buck. Culkin was only eight years old at the time of filming, yet showcased a natural ability of comedy and charm. To that, Columbus met with Culkin and was wowed right away.
Unveiling the Original Casting Choices for Home Alone
A key factor in the glaring success of Home Alone is undeniably the hilarious dynamic between Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. Although their characters are atrocious, they are still utterly captivating to watch. Pesci plays the tough leader of the duo whilst Stern plays the down-trodden idiot sidekick. Together, they bring a dazzling chemistry that lights up the screen. However, they weren’t the first choices for the roles of Harry and Marv. Before Pesci and Stern boarded, Robert De Niro and John Lovitz were considered for the parts. Both stars turned the roles down and Pesci and Stern were cast in the picture. However, after a disagreement around pay, Stern exited and Daniel Roebuck took over. Filming commenced but Columbus felt that Roebuck was not gelling with Pesci. So, he pleaded with Stern to return and a deal was negotiated.
Home Alone Was Nearly Shut Down
Considering the movie is now regarded as such a classic, it’s hard to believe that production of Home Alone nearly shut down completely at one point. The film was originally a Warner Bros. picture. However, after filming started, they pulled out and shut down production as they didn’t want to exceed a budget of $13.5 million. Luckily, 20th Century Fox took over the film and increased the budget to $18 million.
The Unusual Filming Location of Home Alone
Home Alone is set in an upper class suburb of Chicago. The McCallister family home is clearly the product of hard work and impressive salaries, making for prime pickings for Harry and Marv. Outside of the movie, the house has now become iconic and receives visits from moviegoers year round. However, only a few scenes were actually filmed in the interior of the house as the crew found it too small for their equipment. As documented in the Netflix series, The Movies That Made Us, production largely took place in a makeshift studio inside of a school gymnasium. Interestingly, the school had been used by Hughes before for his movies Uncle Buck and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. As a result, Hughes’ production company already had offices at the school, making it a prime location to build the sets for Home Alone.
Unveiling the Success and Legacy of Home Alone
Despite initial investors being skeptical about the movie, Home Alone went on to become a massive box office success. Against its budget of $18 million, the film grossed $285.8 million in the United States and Canada and drew in $190.9 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $476.7 million. This made Home Alone the highest-grossing live-action comedy until the release of The Hangover Part II in 2011. Outside of its box office triumph, Home Alone spawned two feature sequels and three made-for-television sequels. Although the second movie was also a success, the first entry still stands tall as one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time. In fact, Entertainment Weekly ranked Home Alone number 11 on their list of the 20 greatest Christmas movies ever made.
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