Home Alone: 21 Behind-The-Scenes Facts You Probably Never Knew
It's hard to believe that it's already been 32 years since one of the most cherished Christmas movies, Home Alone, first hit the screens.
Featuring Macaulay Culkin, the film may not have garnered instant acclaim from critics, but it became a huge hit at the box office, leading to multiple spin-off movies and a recent television series. It continues to be cherished by millions of fans around the world.
Regardless of how often you've watched it over the years, we're sure there are still many things you might not know. So, check out these 21 insider secrets from the film set, you cheeky animal...
"Home Alone: Written In Just Over A Week"
Screenwriter John Hughes completed the initial draft of the script in only nine days following a family trip to Europe.
His personal concerns during his travels led to his inspiration. In a 1990 interview with Time magazine, he shared, “While preparing for a vacation, I found myself listing all the things I didn't want to leave behind. Then it hit me, ‘I definitely can’t forget my kids.’ That made me wonder, ‘What if I accidentally left my 10-year-old son at home? How would he cope?’”
Longer Search For The Perfect Home Alone House
Director Chris Columbus mentioned that the crew spent several weeks exploring the neighborhoods of Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, and Lake Forest in the North Shore region.
In the end, a suitable home was discovered at 671 Lincoln Avenue in Winnetka, Illinois. Interestingly, this location had been considered for the film Uncle Buck released in 1989 but was ultimately not selected.
The property, which was purchased for $1.585 million back in 2012, has now turned into a popular spot for tourists.
"Filming Locations: Real House Vs. Sets"
The hallway and staircase were genuine, but the kitchen, dining room, and other rooms on the first floor were constructed and filmed in a studio. However, the attic bedroom was a true part of the property.
The Family Stayed In The House During Filming
Setting up, filming, and taking down equipment for the scenes in the house took roughly five months. During this period, the Abendshien family, who owned the house at the time, still lived there, even though they had the option to stay in a paid-for apartment as part of the agreement.
Cynthia Abendshien shared with Chicago Magazine that the location manager informed them that the contract allowed for walls to be taken down even if they weren't there. As a result, she advised them to stay at the property.
John Abendshien mentioned, “That house has a master bedroom suite that includes four rooms. We essentially just set up our living space there. We brought in a hot plate for cooking, but we didn’t need to cook often since we could take advantage of the food truck the crew used.”
Kevin's Treehouse Built In Garden For Film
According to reports, the owners decided not to take the opportunity to retain Kevin's treehouse in the backyard after filming concluded.
Flooded Basement Scene Shot In School Pool
Director Chris Columbus shared with Entertainment Weekly that the team filmed the scene where Kevin sprints through a waterlogged basement at the pool located in New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Illinois.
The school's basketball gym was repurposed to create the airplane set that depicted the Macallister family's journey to Paris. Additionally, the kitchen set was also constructed in that location.
Certain scenes from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Uncle Buck were filmed at the same school.
The Macallister Family Never Made It To Paris
Although the story of the movie depicts the Macallister family forgetting Kevin as they travel to Paris for Christmas, every scene was filmed in the United States.
The scenes featuring the family at Paris Orly Airport were actually filmed at O'Hare International Airport.
Airport Scenes Were “Nail-Biting” For Director
“We needed to act quickly. We could only get two or three shots of the whole family racing down the terminal,” Chris mentioned to Chicago Magazine.
Macaulay Culkin Didn’t Always Act With Adults
Many scenes in the movie were filmed at night, but because of Macaulay's age during that period, he couldn't stay on set past 10 PM.
This meant that Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, who played Harry and Marv, performed alongside director Chris Columbus, who took on the role of Kevin behind the camera.
"I played the role of Kevin McCallister from around 10 PM until 6 AM," Chris shared with Entertainment Weekly.
Catherine O'Hara remembered having to perform alongside a tennis ball in certain scenes.
She shared with Chicago Magazine, “We’d film a scene featuring one of the kids, and then, sometimes as late as 1 a.m., we’d get to my close-up shots.”
They would place a tennis ball on a stand at the same height as the child's head, while the script supervisor recited the kids' dialogue.
Joe Pesci Avoided Macaulay Off-Camera
The actor took a very immersive approach to portraying Harry, deliberately keeping his distance from Macaulay while filming. He wanted to create a sense of fear in the young star.
He explained to People that he intentionally kept his interactions with him to a minimum in order to maintain the relationship between the characters.
Joe clarified that he didn't want it to appear on screen as if we were in any way amicable.
"I aimed to preserve the authenticity of the conflict," he mentioned.
Originally Written For Macaulay As Kevin
Screenwriter John Hughes envisioned Macaulay Culkin as the star of the film after viewing his performance in the 1989 movie Uncle Buck. However, director Chris Columbus revealed to Entertainment Weekly that he still auditioned "hundreds" of other young actors out of a sense of "directorial responsibility" to find the perfect fit for the role.
Ultimately, Chris found Macaualy endearing, describing him as “very amusing” and noting that he had “a wonderful voice that wasn't grating.”
"Robert De Niro Almost Played Harry"
Although some sources have mentioned that the screen icon "declined" the opportunity to be in the movie, Chris informed Insider that Robert never really thought about it seriously.
"We discussed it briefly among ourselves, but I was shocked when [Joe] Pesci agreed."
There have also been reports that Jon Lovitz was under consideration for the role.
Stunt Filming: Not As Fun As It Seems
Chris mentioned that the team was always worried that the stunt performers might have gotten hurt while performing some of the comedic scenes.
He shared with Entertainment Weekly, “I genuinely believed our stuntman Troy had injured his back during the first attempt [when he walked up the stairs and performed a backflip]. Until we confirmed that everyone was safe and unharmed, it wasn't amusing at all. So, I was taken aback by how well everything came together for the audience once we edited the film.”
The Stunts Weren't The Toughest Challenge
Chris mentioned that the gangster film titled Angels With Filthy Souls, which features Kevin and is used to frighten Harry and Marv in the movie, is not actually a real film. You might not have even known that.
“Replicating the appearance, atmosphere, and audio of those films is quite challenging,” he shared with EW. “It was a meticulous process to get everything just right. We also needed to cast actors who seemed like they truly belonged to that era, which added an intriguing dimension to the effort.”
Actor Displeased With Film Salary
John Candy, a well-known comedic figure in the United States during the release of Home Alone, had a short role as Gus Polinski. It's said that he was paid only $414 for a day's worth of filming.
Director Chris Columbus mentioned that John felt some resentment regarding his salary.
He shared with Insider, "There was an agreement between him and John Hughes back then. I hadn’t met John Candy before he joined the film. I'm not sure if John received any sort of payment from Fox."
"Filming Adjusted To Make The Most Of Snowstorm"
In an episode of The Movies That Made Us, it was revealed that a snowstorm hit on the second day of filming. The crew took advantage of the situation and quickly filmed the scene where Kevin reunites with his family on Christmas morning.
The snowfall effect was boosted with potato flakes to create the illusion of heavier snow than what was actually falling at that moment.
Snow Machines Needed: Filming Costs Rise
Following the snowstorm, the crew needed to use snow machines to maintain consistency for the remainder of the film. Associate producer Mark Radcliffe shared with Chicago magazine that when the snow started to melt, they resorted to spraying ice, which introduced new challenges with the ice. Ultimately, they ended up using bags of ice to simulate snow.
"Location Team Faced Challenges Because Of This"
James Giovannetti Jr., the second assistant director, mentioned, “We had huge refrigerated trucks full of shaved ice arriving on set. There were probably around 15 crew members pouring tons of ice into the yard daily. At one point, we might have even ended up with water inside the house, as the melting ice began to leak into the basement.”
"Improvised Moments In The Film: A Highlight"
Kevin's response after applying the aftershave created a memorable scene that has been featured in promotional materials ever since.
Nevertheless, Macaulay didn't perform the scene in the way the director had initially envisioned.
Chris Columbus shared with Insider, “When people apply something on their face that causes a burning sensation, they instinctively pull their hands back. So my advice to him was to touch his face, but to also move his hands and shout. I believe it was during the first take that he kept his hands resting on his cheeks.”
It's amusing how the famous scene from Home Alone happened by chance.
John Candy, known for his role as Gus Polinski, was also a fan of improvisation. Chris mentioned that John really embraced his cameo and brought a lot of energy to the scenes.
He shared with Entertainment Weekly: “We would film a few scripted versions, and then we’d improvise for about four or five additional takes. A lot of that improvisation made it into the final cut of the movie.”
One instance is when Gus discusses with Kate how he was left alone with the body at the funeral home all night.
"Marv's Face Hosted A Real Tarantula!"
Actor Daniel Stern reminisced about how the crew first mentioned they had a rubber tarantula available for use. However, they also had an actual tarantula that was quite friendly, and he described seeing it crawl along the trainer's arm.
He inquired whether the team could take off the spider's "stinger," but they informed him that it would lead to its death.
"I told them, 'Sure, but if you don't remove it, I might not make it,'" he shared with The Hollywood Reporter. "But everyone else seemed on board, so I just went ahead and let them put that huge tarantula on my face."
The Truth Behind His Scream Not Being Dubbed
Over the years, numerous reports have suggested that Daniel was instructed to mimic the scream that Marv makes when he spots the spider, so as not to frighten the animal. Later, that scream was added to the film during the editing process.
However, Daniel clarified that this wasn't true; he recorded the scream on the spot, repeating it multiple times.
“I inquired whether that might scare the spider, but apparently tarantulas don't have the ability to hear,” he shared with The Hollywood Reporter. “Once again, I was fully dedicated to that film … I aimed to excel in every scene.”
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