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The 1990 comedy Home Alone turned a Winnetka house, improvised dialogue and an unusually elaborate artificial winter into holiday-film history. Here are nine production and release facts behind Kevin McCallister’s story.
1. The house’s interior was built in a school
The familiar McCallister home has a real exterior: the AFI Catalog identifies it at 671 Lincoln Avenue in Winnetka, Illinois. But the interior rooms were sets built in the gymnasium at New Trier West High School in Northfield. The school’s swimming pool served as the flooded-basement set, and the gym also housed a set for an American Airlines 747. AFI Catalog
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2. The snow was a substantial effects job
Natural snow fell during production, but the filmmakers replaced it to keep the winter scenes visually consistent. The AFI Catalog quotes special effects supervisor Bill Purcell saying they had to “get rid of 375 tons of real snow.” The production’s replacement materials included 360 tons of shaved ice, 6,250 yards of snow blanket, 11,000 gallons of airport runway foam, 6,000 pounds of potato flakes, 1,000 pounds of mini-fibers and polyurethane snow. AFI Catalog
3. O’Hare doubled as a Paris airport
Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport played itself and stood in for Orly Airport in Paris. The dual role helped connect the McCallisters’ Chicago-area home to the family’s trip overseas. AFI Catalog
#1 Best Overall
- 8-Year-Old Kevin McAllister Is Accidentally Left Behind When His Family Takes Off For a Vacation In France Over the Holiday Season. Once He Realizes They've Left Him Home By Himself, Kevin Learns To Fend For Himself, And Eventually Has To Protect His House Against Bumbling Burglars Harry And Marv, Who Are Planning To Rob Every House In Kevin's Suburban Chicago Neighborhood. Kevin's Mother Kate Is
4. Old Man Marley was added to give the comedy more heart
The mysterious neighbor was not in the original script. Director Chris Columbus added Marley to bring a serious emotional thread to the comedy and give Kevin a chance to think about forgiveness and family. AFI Movie Club
5. John Candy improvised the polka-band story
John Candy’s cameo as Gus Polinski was completed in one day. According to director Chris Columbus, the scene in which Gus tells Kate McCallister about his polka band was improvised in full. AFI Movie Club
Rank #2
- Fox Home Entertainment Home Alone Collection
6. The movie switched studios before release
Warner Bros. had planned to produce and release Home Alone, but halted production after the film exceeded its initial budget. John Hughes then persuaded 20th Century Fox to take over. TIME also recounts Warner Bros. turning the project down before Fox picked it up. AFI Movie Club · TIME
7. It stayed at No. 1 for 12 weekends
The film held the North American box-office top spot for 12 weekends and stayed in the top 10 through June 1991, according to AFI. In a feature published December 10, 2019, TIME reported a domestic gross of $285,761,343 and described Home Alone as the highest-grossing domestic live-action comedy at that time. That figure is TIME’s reported domestic gross, not a current worldwide total. AFI Movie Club · TIME
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →8. John Williams received two Oscar nominations for the music
Home Alone earned Academy Award nominations for Original Score and Original Song for “Somewhere In My Memory.” AFI identifies both categories; AFI Movie Club notes that John Williams was nominated for both, with lyricist Leslie Bricusse sharing the song nomination. AFI Catalog · AFI Movie Club
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.9. The premise came from Hughes’s travel anxiety
TIME reported in 2015 that John Hughes imagined accidentally leaving one of his children at home while preparing for a family trip. After returning, he developed notes about the idea into a screenplay. TIME
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- The McAllister Family Go On a Holiday To Florida. Kevin McAllister Gets Separated From His Family, And Manages To Get Himself Onto a Plane To New York Instead. There, He Checks Into the Best Hotel With His Father's Credit Card, And Sets Out To Enjoy Himself. Unfortunately, the Burglars He Had Foiled Before Were In New York After Being Released From Jail, And Had Plans To Rob the Biggest Toyshop In
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