Home Alone Opens

Setting the scene

John Hughes ruled 1980s teen comedy with Ferris Bueller and The Breakfast Club, and in 1990 he turned to family holiday stories as Christmas became a reliable box-office season. Macaulay Culkin had charmed audiences in Uncle Buck, making him the obvious choice for an eight-year-old accidentally left behind when his family flies to Paris. Twentieth Century Fox scheduled the film for November competition.

What happened

Home Alone opened on November 16, 1990, directed by Chris Columbus, with Culkin as Kevin McCallister defending his suburban mansion from burglars Harry and Marv, played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. Booby traps involving paint cans, tar stairs, and blowtorches balanced slapstick with Hughes's sentiment about family. John Williams's score added fairy-tale warmth.

Why it still matters

It grossed nearly $480 million worldwide, became an annual holiday rerun, and launched Culkin as a child star while spawning sequels. Retailers tied merchandise to Kevin's scream face. Memorable detail: the tarantula scene used a real spider on Stern's face because the crew could not afford a rubber prop that looked convincing on camera.

Background

John Hughes's holiday hit became an annual family tradition.