Movie Details:
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genres | Comedy, Family |
| Release date | November 10, 1990 (Chicago) November 16, 1990 (United States) |
| Running time | 1hr 43min |
| Age rating | PG |
| Starring | Macaulay Culkin Joe Pesci Daniel Stern John Heard Catherine O’Hara |
| Directed by | Chris Columbus |
| Written by | John Hughes |
| Produced by | John Hughes |
| Cinematography by | Julio Macat |
| Edited by | Raja Gosnell |
| Music by | John Williams |
| Production Company | 20th Century Fox Hughes Entertainment |
| Distributor | 20th Century Fox |
Cast & Characters:
- Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old with a penchant for creating harmful inventions
- Joe Pesci as Harry Lyme, a thief who targets the McCallisters’ home with Marv
- Daniel Stern as Marv Murchins, a thief who targets the McCallisters’ home with Harry
- John Heard as Peter McCallister, Kevin’s father
- Roberts Blossom as Marley, Kevin’s eccentric elderly neighbor
- Catherine O’Hara as Kate McCallister, Kevin’s mother
- Angela Goethals as Linnie McCallister, Kevin’s older sister
- Devin Ratray as Buzz McCallister, Kevin’s oldest brother who often gets him into trouble
- Gerry Bamman as Uncle Frank McCallister, Peter’s rude, cruel, cantankerous, cheap, and selfish older brother
- Hillary Wolf as Megan McCallister, Kevin’s oldest sister
- John Candy as Gus Polinski, a kind-hearted polka musician who helps Kate
- Larry Hankin as Officer Larry Balzak
- Michael C. Maronna as Jeff McCallister, Kevin’s older brother
- Kristin Minter as Heather McCallister, Kevin’s oldest cousin
- Daiana Campeanu as Sondra, Kevin’s older cousin
- Jedidiah Cohen as Rod, Kevin’s older cousin and Rob’s elder son, who is living with Uncle Frank and Aunt Leslie.
- Kieran Culkin as Fuller McCallister, Kevin’s youngest cousin
- Senta Moses as Tracy, Kevin’s older cousin
- Anna Slotky as Brook, Kevin’s younger cousin
- Terrie Snell as Aunt Leslie McCallister, Uncle Frank’s wife
- Jeffrey Wiseman as Mitch Murphy, an eight-year-old neighbor of the McCallisters whom Heather mistakes for Kevin during the headcount
- Virginia Smith as Georgette, Kevin’s aunt, wife of Uncle Rob, and mother of Heather and Steffan
- Matt Doherty as Steffan, Kevin’s older cousin
- Ralph Foody as Gangster #1 (Johnny), a character in the film Angels with Filthy Souls
- Michael Guido as Gangster #2 (Snakes), a character in the film Angels with Filthy Souls
- Ray Toler as Uncle Rob, Kevin’s uncle, younger brother of Peter and Uncle Frank, and father of Heather and Steffan
- Billie Bird as Woman in Airport, Irene, who sells Kate her ticket to Dallas
- Bill Erwin as Man in Airport, Ed, Irene’s husband who agrees with Irene’s ticket sale
- Gerry Becker as Officer #1
- Alan Wilder as Scranton Ticket Agent
- Hope Davis as French Ticket Agent
- Kenneth Hudson Campbell as Santa, man in a Santa Claus suit whom Kevin meets
- Jim Ortlieb as Herb the drugstore clerk
Storyline:
It is Christmas time and the McCallister family is preparing for a vacation in Paris, France. But the youngest in the family, Kevin (Macaulay Culkin), got into a scuffle with his older brother Buzz (Devin Ratray) and was sent to his room, which is on the third floor of his house. Then, the next morning, while the rest of the family was in a rush to make it to the airport on time, they completely forgot about Kevin, who now has the house all to himself. Being home alone was fun for Kevin, having a pizza all to himself, jumping on his parents’ bed, and making a mess. Then, Kevin discovers about two burglars, Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), about to rob his house on Christmas Eve. Kevin acts quickly by wiring his own house with makeshift booby traps to stop the burglars and to bring them to justice.
About Movie:
Home Alone is an American comedy film directed by Chris Columbus and written and produced by John Hughes. It stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, a young boy who defends his suburban Chicago home from a pair of robbers after his family accidentally leaves him behind on their Christmas vacation to Paris. The cast also includes Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard, and Catherine O’Hara.
Production Background
Hughes conceived Home Alone while on vacation, initially intending for Warner Bros. to finance and distribute the film. However, production was halted due to budget issues, leading 20th Century Fox to take over after secret negotiations with Hughes. Afterward, Chris Columbus and Culkin were hired, and filming took place across Illinois from February to May 1990.
Release and Reception
Home Alone premiered in Chicago on November 10, 1990, and was released in the United States on November 16. While the initial reception was mixed, it later received positive reviews for its humor, cast performances, and music. The film grossed approximately $476.7 million worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 1990 and the highest-grossing live-action comedy for two decades. It was nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards.
Legacy
Considered one of the best Christmas films, Home Alone was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2023 for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” A sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, was released in 1992.
Budget & Box Office Collection:
| Budget | $18,000,000 |
| Opening Day | $17,081,997 |
| Domestic Collection | $285,761,243 |
| International Collection | $190,923,432 |
| Worldwide Collection | $476,684,675 |
