‘Home Alone’ Director Finally Reveals How Family Was Able to Afford Giant House

Home Alone director Chris Columbus has finally put an age-old argument to rest.

In a new episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, the filmmaker shared some behind-the-scenes stories of making the Christmas classic, including how he cast Macaulay Culkin, and finally answered the question anyone who’s seen Home Alone has been wondering for years: What did the McCallister parents do for a living to be able to afford that gigantic 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 conversations he had with the film’s producer. He explained that Catherine O’Hara’s character, forgetful matriarch Kate McCallister “was a very successful fashion designer” as seen by the mannequins in the family’s basement. Meanwhile, he admitted that things were a little bit murkier for Jon Heard’s Peter McCallister.

“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 did put one internet theory to rest though, and denied that the McCallisters were involved in organized crime that drew burglars Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) to their home in the first place. “Not organized crime,” Columbus clarified. “Even though there was, at the time, a lot of organized crime in Chicago.”

Columbus also revealed how he came to cast a young Culkin in the iconic role of 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.”