Home Alone is a 1990 American comedy film directed by Chris Columbus and written and produced by John Hughes. The first film in the Home Alone franchise, the film stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, a young boy who defends his suburban Chicago home from a home invasion by a pair of robbers after his family accidentally leaves him behind on their Christmas vacation to Paris. The cast also features Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard, and Catherine O’Hara.
Hughes conceived Home Alone while on vacation, with Warner Bros. being originally intended to finance and distribute the film. However, Warner Bros. shut down the production after it exceeded its assigned budget. 20th Century Fox assumed responsibilities following secret meetings with Hughes. Columbus and Culkin were hired soon afterwards. Filming took place between February and May 1990 on location across Illinois.
Home Alone premiered in Chicago on November 10, 1990, and was theatrically released in the United States on November 16. While the film’s reception was initially mixed, in later years reception has been generally positive, with praise for its cast, humor, and music. Home Alone grossed $476.7 million worldwide, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 1990. It made Culkin a child star, and was the highest-grossing live-action comedy for two decades. It was nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. Home Alone has since been considered one of the best Christmas films. In 2023, Home Alone was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. A sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, was released in 1992.
