Almost 35 years after the film first premiered, Home Alone director Chris Columbus is offering answers for some of the most frequently asked questions around the characters in the movie — including how the McCallister family could afford their beautiful home in Chicago.
On a recent episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Columbus explained that the mannequins briefly shown in the basement of the house were a hint that family matriarch Kate McCallister (Catherine O’Hara) was a high-profile fashion designer.
“The father could have, based on [writer] John Hughes’ own experience, worked in advertising, but I don’t remember what the father did,” the director continued. “Not organized crime — even though there was, at the time, a lot of organized crime in Chicago.”
Elsewhere in the episode, Columbus discussed seeing over 300 young actors for the role of Kevin before landing on McCaulay Culkin. He also spoke to the roundabout way he landed in the director’s chair for Home Alone: After a “bizarre” meeting with Chevy Chase for National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation failed to indicate a promising creative relationship, Columbus exited the project. Then, John Hughes suggested he take on Home Alone instead.
In early 2024, the actual house in the Chicago suburbs was listed at a wild $5.25 million; the home had previously appeared on the market for $1.58 million in 2012, and went through a brief chapter as an Airbnb in 2021.
See where the music from Home Alone landed in our recent roundup of the best film scores from legendary composer John Williams.
Columbus jumped on the podcast to discuss his work as a producer on Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, which is now in theaters (read our review here). Listen to the full Awards Chatter episode with Chris Columbus here.