The One Thing We All Missed In ‘Home Alone’ And Other Fun Facts Behind The Movie
Everyone has that one particular Christmas that they must watch every year. Whether it's Christmas Vacation, Elf, or Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer, one of the top films for the holiday season is Home Alone.
The fact that an eight-year-old takes down two bizarre burglars is a treat to watch. However, no matter how many times you've watched the movie, there's one thing, in particular, you probably missed.
By Now, You Pretty Much Know The Plot Of The Movie
Since you likely watch it once or twice a year, here's a quick summary. Essentially, the plot of the movie is that youngster Kevin McCallister is forgotten by his family when they leave for Christmas vacation.
He's left home to fend for himself, but it's not long before things go from bad to worse.
Things Get Worse When The Two Holiday Burglars Decide To Take Action
The "Wet Bandits" assume it's an empty house, but boy were they wrong. Little did these obnoxious burglars realize, but a young kid was in the house.
Kevin was quick to respond by setting up the empty house with plenty of creative booby traps in case they break in.
The Movie Was Released In November 1990, But One Fan Noticed Something That Could Change The Way You Watch It
While watching the movie, one Reddit user noticed something in one of the earlier scenes. Remember at the beginning when the family is packing for their trip to Paris?
The pizza delivery boy brings the McCallister's several pies and Joe Pesci's character shows up as a cop to get a good look so he can rob it later.
But, The Entire Scene Is Pretty Hectic With All The Family Members Running Around
The family was running around trying to get organized for the vacation. They're also trying to clean up the house while eating. We happened to miss something very important here.
The scene in which a fiasco goes down promptly has Kevin's dad throwing out Kevin's ticket. All by accident, of course.
We Aren't The First To Discover This, But It's Relatively Unknown
It's a big reason why we didn't notice Kevin's absence at the boarding gate. It's pretty unknown to most people which have them asking questions on social media.
But, according to IMDb, they explained that "Kevin's ticket was tossed in the trash when his dad wiped up after Kevin spilled milk all over the passports and tickets."
Then, There Was Something Else
"While getting into the car to go to the airport, Heather miscounted because the neighbor kid was in line with the rest of the family."
"Finally, the gate agent appears to be simply counting the McCallisters' tickets instead of matching names with people. Without a ticket for Kevin, no one apparently noticed that he was not in the group."
There Was A Moment At The Airport
When the McCallisters are running through the airport, they hand the lady the tickets and she counts them as they continue on the ramp. The number of people essentially adds up to the number of tickets.
That lady sure knows how to count, unlike Heather, who can't count at all.
Apparently, There Was One Reason Why Chris Columbus Was Hired To Direct
John Hughes hired the director because of his ability to ensure every possible plot hole has an explanation and for his strong attention to detail.
However, one Redditor did mention that everything from the ticket being thrown out and Kevin sleeping alone upstairs boils down to one thing.
It Really Did Have To Do With The Pizza
Essentially, Kevin did NOT want a pepperoni pizza. His insistence on having a cheese pizza instead caused his older brother, Buzz, to annoy his younger sibling, causing Kevin to get upset and throw a fit.
If you're blown away by this new theory, now is the time to watch the movie again.
Outside Of The Theory, The Movie's Unprecedented Success Led To Its Title Becoming A Verb
Oscar-winning screenwriter, William Goldman, wrote a book called The Big Picture: Who Killed Hollywood? And Other Essay. The two-time Oscar-winner admitted that the surprising success of Home Alone contributed to a new phrase to Hollywood.
To 'Home Alone' means that other films suffered at the box office thanks to the films long and magical run.
The Home Of The McCallister's Became Quite The Tourist Attraction
The home is located at 671 Lincoln Avenue in Winnetka, Illinois. The main staircase, kitchen, and ground-floor landing are seen in the film. They were all shot in this five-bedroom residence.
But, in 2012, John and Cynthia Abendshien, who owned the home at the time, sold the property for $1.85 million.
Poland Has A Crush On The McCallisters
Interestingly enough, Home Alone became a holiday tradition out in Poland. The film has been aired on national television since the early nineties, with the popularity increasing over time.
In 2011, more than five million people tuned in to watch it, making it the most watched show during the holiday season.
The Film Is A Guinness World Record Holder
With the movie being released in over 1,200 theaters, it made over $17 million in its first weekend. Eventually, the film would maintain the number one spot for 12 consecutive weeks.
It even remained in the top 10 until June 1991. That helped the movie earn its World Record as the highest-grossing live-action comedy ever.
Most Of The Film Was Shot In The Chicago Area
The production was shot entirely within the Windy City. Supposedly, some scenes were at Paris-Orly Airport were shot at O'Hare International Aiport. Those fancy business class seats during the flight? Those were built on the basketball court of a local high school.
It's the same school as the scene with Kevin running through the flooded basement.
Robert De Niro Turned Down A Role
The Goodfellas actor turned down the role that would go to his co-star, Joe Pesci. But, here's another interesting fact behind Pesci's character. Harry is actually based on actor Orson Welles.
The only reason why he's named after Welles is because it was the name of his character in Carol Reed's, The Third Man.
Casting Macaulay Culkin Taught Chris Columbus A Valuable Lesson
In 2013, Columbus told The Guardian "I was much younger and I was really too naive to think about the family environment as well. We didn't know that much about the family at the beginning; as we were shooting, we learned a little more.
The stories are hair-raising. I was casting a kid who truly had a troubled family life."
Joe Pesci Got All Method On Culkin
The star of My Cousin Vinny did his best to avoid the youngster on set. It was his way of making sure the child star would be afraid of him. No one would blame Culkin for being petrified, as he still bears the physical scar from one accidental altercation.
When rehearsing one scene, Pesci bit his finger, breaking the skin.
Macaulay Wasn't The Only Culkin In The Movie
There were two Culkin's in the first movie. Macaulay's younger brother, Kieran, also scored a part in the film. Although it was just a minor character role, he played Kevin's cousin, Fuller, the bed-wetter. The film would mark the acting debut for the younger Culkin.
He would go on to appear in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Fargo.
The Role Of Kevin Was Written For Culkin
However, the role didn't stop Columbus from auditioning over 100 kids. But in the end, Culkin would win the role of a lifetime. It would be hard to imagine seeing some other child actors play the iconic role.
Maybe Leonardo DiCaprio, but he had his role of a lifetime with Titanic.
Of Course, The Movie Went Into More Than A Sequel
All of the main, original cast members reprised their roles in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Columbus would take the directors chair once again for the sequel.
But, the success of the original film led to a full-on-franchise. Now there are four sequels, three video games, a novel, and kid-friendly merchandise.
Pesci Wasn't Used To The Whole "Family-Friendly" Feeling
Can you blame the Academy Award winner? He had some very ruthless roles in The Goodfellas and My Cousin Vinny. Oh, and Pesci fans can't forget about Casino or Raging Bull either.
So, it's very understanding as to why the actor didn't feel comfortable with the whole PG family-friendly atmosphere.
Without Uncle Buck, There Would Be No Home Alone
The idea for Home Alone came to John Hughes. The late director was making Uncle Buck, which also starred Macaulay. There was one scene in which his character interrogates a potential babysitter through a mail slot.
Fast forward to Home Alone, where Culkin appears to have a confrontation with Daniel Stern, but through a doggie door.
Daniel Stern Had A Bit Of A Cough Up On Set
Stern had a four-letter word slip-up while filming on set. Interestingly enough, it was not cut out of the film. He utter the word s*** when he attempted to retrieve his shoe through the doggie door.
If you really want to hear him utter the swear, look for it at the 55:27 mark on the DVD.
In Real Life, Harry And Marv Wouldn't Have Survived Kevin's Attack
Okay, so BB gun shots to the forehead and groin are one thing. A steaming hot iron and a can of paint to the face is another one too. The Wet Bandits sure did face a ton of violence from an eight-year-old.
It was so bad, that if this was in real life, neither one of them would be walking at all.
The Tarantula Scene Is Very Real
Near the end of the movie, Kevin places Buzz's tarantula on Marv's face. It was a real spider and even Daniel Stern agreed to let it happen too, but for one take only.
The only thing that wasn't real was the scream. In order to not scare the spider, Stern mimed the scream.
Don't Bother Trying To Find Angels With Filthy Souls
You would think they're real, but the Jimmy Cagney-like black-and-white gangster film is hard to come by. You can't even search it on eBay because the movie is NOT real.
Nor is the sequel, Angels With Even Filthier Souls, which appeared in Home Alone 2. Unfortunately, it is fake as well.
Old Man Marley Was Not In The Original Screenplay
The supposedly scary neighbor wasn't a character in the first script. Of course, Marley's role was important as he taught Kevin the importance of family.
Eventually, Columbus would add the character into the movie, because he thought that the film could do with a stronger dose of sentimentality.
The Lyric Opera Of Chicago Benefited From The Movie's Snowfall
After the movie finished filming, the production crew donated some of the artificial snow to the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The stuff that's made from wax and plastic was given to the Opera after it was used in a variety of their productions throughout filming.
If You Believe Elvis Is Still Alive, Then You Might Believe That He Is In Home Alone
There's not one hit movie would be complete without a great little conspiracy theory. The case made in this holiday movie is that the King of Rock n' Roll makes a cameo. However, Elvis died in 1977.
Yes, that's right, according to Home Alone conspiracists, the King is alive and well.
Marv Was Supposed To Get A Spinoff
Greg Beeman's film Bushwhacked stars Daniel Stern. He plays a delivery guy on the run after being framed for murder. Surprisingly, this was supposed to be the spinoff of Home Alone.
The storyline would have been the same. After giving up the life of crime, Marvin would have been framed for murder.
