Home Alone director reveals the McCallister family’s secret to affording their massive house

Home Alone director Chris Columbus has finally addressed a long-standing debate about the beloved holiday film.  

In a recent episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Columbus shared behind-the-scenes stories about making the Christmas classic, including casting Macaulay Culkin. He also answered a question fans have pondered for years: How did the McCallister parents afford their massive house in Chicago?  

“Back then, John [Hughes] and I had a conversation about it, and we decided on what the jobs were,” Columbus said, referring to discussions with the film’s producer. He explained that Catherine O’Hara’s character, Kate McCallister, was “a very successful fashion designer,” as suggested by the mannequins seen in the basement. However, Jon Heard’s character, Peter McCallister, had a less defined role.  

“The father could have, based on John Hughes’ own experience, worked in advertising,” Columbus said. “But I don’t remember what the father did.”  

The director also dismissed a popular internet theory, denying that the McCallisters were tied to organized crime, which some fans believed might have attracted burglars Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern). “Not organized crime,” Columbus clarified. “Even though there was, at the time, a lot of organized crime in Chicago.”  

Columbus went on to discuss how Macaulay Culkin was cast as Kevin McCallister, saying, “This is why John Hughes was a great producer for a director, and I learned a lot from him.”  

“He said, ‘Will you take a look at meeting Macaulay?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’d like to meet Macaulay, but I’d like to meet everyone else, too,’” Columbus continued. “I ended up meeting 300 other kids, too. Total colossal waste of time, because then I met Macaulay again, and it was magical.”