"Not Organized Crime" — 'Home Alone's Director Reveals How Kevin's Parents Afforded Their Million Dollar Home

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Home Alone

It's fair to say the Holidays are synonymous with festive films—the Home Alone franchise sitting at the top of the pack. Created in 1990, the first installment in the series catapulted Macaulay Culkin to unprecedented levels of global fame for decades to come. The films tell the story of a young Kevin McCallister (Culkin) who regularly clashes with his family, leading to him being forgotten and left behind from family vacations on numerous occasions. One of the core components of the story is undeniably Kevin's large family and even larger house, which director Chris Columbus has now revealed how the McCallister's are supposed to have afforded their luxurious Chicago property, which is currently estimated to be worth $1.9 million.

The 4,000+ square feet, stunning six-bedroom property complete with attic and basement has been the topic of various debates with many questioning exactly how Kevin's parents, Peter (John Heard) and Kate McCallister (Catherine O'Hara) can afford the place. Their wealth is alluded to throughout the series through business class flights, the McCallister's being thanked for paying for the entire family's vacations, Kevin using his father's card to check in to New York's most sought-after hotel and so on—but never addressed directly.

Director Columbus revealed to The Hollywood Reporter what the pair did for work as per the films. He revealed that Kate "was a very successful fashion designer,” which is hinted at by the mannequins adorning the family's basement. However, Peter's job remains somewhat ambiguous, with Columbus never really deciding exactly what job he did. "The father could have, based on John Hughes' own experience, worked in advertising, but I don’t remember what the father did," he said. He did specify, though, that Peter most definitely did not partake in anything criminal—despite drawing the attention of Wet Bandits Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) across the series. He added: “Not organized crime—even though there was, at the time, a lot of organized crime in Chicago.

The First 'Home Alone' Film Was Released in 1990

Culkin's expressive face and mischievous endeavors have become the cornerstone of Christmas for many but, shockingly, the actor was one of 300 Columbus met. "I ended up meeting 300 other kids, too," Columbus explained. "Total colossal waste of time, because then I met Macaulay again, and it was magical.” The decision ultimately ended up being one that would transform the face of festive films, with Home Alone among the highest-grossing Christmas films of all time. In fact, it was estimated to have grossed an astonishing $285.8 million until 2017.