AlexandraGrowing up, most of us watched time and time again as Home Alone played on our televisions during Christmas. It was first released in 1990 and has since become a classic. Although most of us watched this movie several times, there are still some facts unknown to most people! Not after reading this post.
Number One at the Box Office
It comes as no surprise that Home Alone was a huge box office success! It featured as number one for 12 consecutive weeks at the U.S. box office. Even after dropping, it stayed in the top 10 until June 1991. It produced $476.7 million on a budget of roughly $18 million!
Home Aloned
Due to its box office success, Home Alone is also known for boycotting other movies in the sense that they did not do well during that period as a consequence. That is why when a movie does not do as well in the ranking as expected due to another movie that does exceptionally well, it is said that it was “Home Aloned”!
Two-hundred Unnecessary Auditions
When thinking of Kevin McCallister, it is Macaulay Culkin’s image that pops into most heads. John Hughes, writer, and producer, knew he was the right choice for the character after working with him on Uncle Buck. However, director Chris Columbus still went through over 200 other auditions before meeting with Culkin and decided he was the one.
Iconic and Improvised Scene
The scene where Kevin slaps after-shave onto his face and screams was originally not written this way! The resemblance to Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream is undeniable but that was not where the inspiration comes from. Macaulay was supposed to move his hands while he was screaming. It was his improvisation that produced this iconic scene the way we know it today.
It Runs in the Family
If you noticed how alike Kevin McCallister and Fuller McCallister, his cousin that wets the bed, that is because the actors representing them are actually brothers! Kieran Culkin is Macaulay Culkin’s little brother and was the one acting as Fuller. It was his debut and he did not stop there.
The Inspiration for Harry Lime
Harry Lime is one of the Wet Bandits. Even though we all recognize the character, what most of you may not know is that it is based in another movie character. We are talking about Harry Lime played by Orson Welles on The Third Man, a 1949 British movie.