Home Alone was released in 1990, and it’s hard to believe that it has been 32 years since its debut. This classic Christmas film, starring Macaulay Culkin, may not have been an instant hit with critics, but it quickly became a box office success. Over the years, it has spawned multiple spin-off films and a recent TV series, and has retained a special place in the hearts of millions around the world.
Despite how many times you may have watched it, there are still plenty of behind-the-scenes secrets that you may not know about. So, let’s take a look at 21 fascinating facts about Home Alone and its production.
1. The script was written in just over a week.
Screenwriter John Hughes wrote the first draft of the script in just nine days after returning from a family vacation to Europe. He was inspired by his own fears of leaving his children behind while traveling. In an interview with Time magazine, Hughes said, “I was going away on vacation and making a list of everything I didn’t want to forget. I thought, ‘Well, I’d better not forget my kids.’ Then I thought, ‘What if I left my 10-year-old son at home? What would he do?'”
2. It took a while to find the perfect house for the film.
Director Chris Columbus and his team scouted various locations in the Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, and Lake Forest areas of North Shore before finally finding the ideal house at 671 Lincoln Avenue in Winnetka, Illinois. Interestingly, this house had previously been considered as a location for another John Hughes film, Uncle Buck, but was never used.
3. Some scenes were filmed in the real house, while others were shot on sets.
The interior scenes of the hallway and staircase were filmed in the actual house, while the kitchen, dining room, and other first-floor rooms were built and shot on a studio set. The attic bedroom was also a real feature of the house.
4. The family who lived in the house stayed there during filming.
It took about five months to set up, shoot, and derig for scenes in the house. During this time, the owners, the Abendshien family, continued living there, even though they were offered an apartment as part of the deal. Cynthia Abendshien explained to Chicago Magazine, “The location manager told us that, under the contract, if they needed to knock down a wall when we weren’t home, they could do it. So she told us it was best if we remained on the premises.” John Abendshien added, “We just moved into the master bedroom suite. We had full access to the food truck that the crew used, so we didn’t have to cook that much.”
5. Kevin’s treehouse was specially built for the film.
The owners of the house reportedly turned down the offer to keep Kevin’s treehouse in their backyard after filming was completed.
6. The flooded basement scene was filmed in a school swimming pool.
To create the scene where Kevin runs through a flooded basement, the production team used the pool at New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Illinois. The school’s basketball hall was also used to build the plane set, and the kitchen set was also constructed on-site. This school had previously been used as a location for other John Hughes films, such as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Uncle Buck.
7. The Macallister family never actually made it to Paris.
Although the plot of the film sees the Macallister family leaving Kevin behind as they head to Paris for Christmas, all the scenes were shot in the US. The airport scenes were filmed at O’Hare International Airport, and the Paris Orly Airport scenes were also shot there.
8. The airport scenes were particularly nerve-wracking for the director.
Director Chris Columbus revealed that they had to move quickly while filming the airport scenes, and they only had two or three takes to capture the entire family running through the terminal.
9. The adult actors didn’t always act opposite Macaulay Culkin.
Due to Macaulay’s age at the time, he wasn’t allowed on set after 10 pm. This meant that actors Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, who played the burglars Harry and Marv, had to act opposite director Chris Columbus standing in for Kevin behind the camera. Catherine O
