Left behind when his family goes away for Christmas vacation, Kevin McCallister enjoys unprecedented freedom of the house and the possessions of his siblings. Using an array of homemade weaponry, he manages to fend off a pair of dim-witted burglars. A film by Chris Columbus, starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard, and Catherine O’Hara.

HOME ALONE is one of those Christmas movies I can revisit almost every year. The premise is quite simple: it follows Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin), an 8-year-old boy who accidentally gets left home alone while his family, including his parents, jet off to Paris for Christmas. The villains are Harry Lyme (Joe Pesci) and Marv Murchins (Daniel Stern), a pair of bumbling burglars who call themselves the “Wet Bandits.” Harry masquerades as a police officer to check which houses in the neighborhood will be empty during the holidays for an easy break-in and loot.

Macaulay Culkin

To celebrate the film’s 30th anniversary in 2020, 20th Century Fox released a 4K UHD Blu-ray of HOME ALONe on 15 September 2020, five years after the 25th anniversary edition debuted. Marking the first original negative film transfer to 2160p digital resolution with a 1.85 aspect ratio, the 30th anniversary edition boasts beautifully grained pictures, more natural skin tones, and a wider range of blacks compared to its 2015 predecessor. It also offers both HDR10 and Dolby Vision for a stunning film presentation. While newer formats like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X are increasingly common, the audio remains the same DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 as the 2015 edition, which leaves some curious about a potential upgrade in the future.

Devin Ratray

20th Century Fox finalized plans for a 4K UHD Blu-ray release of HOME ALONe just ahead of Disney’s acquisition in 2019. This release marked the final Blu-ray from the iconic studio, as Disney currently prioritizes its own streaming platform, Disney+. There are no immediate plans for further Blu-ray releases from Disney’s vast film vault.

John Heard, Catherine O’Hara, and Terrie Snell

Accompanying the stunning 4K UHD Blu-ray is a 1080p Blu-ray disc downscaled from 2160p for compatibility with standard players. This means you can enjoy the movie in high definition even without a 4K setup. For true fans, the 1080p disc also retains all the beloved special features from the 2015 release, letting you revisit bonus content like behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and more.

Daniel Stern & Joe Pesci

The script for Home Alone came from the mind of John Hughes, the American filmmaker behind classics like The Breakfast Club (1985) and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986). Inspiration struck while Hughes was filming Uncle Buck (1989). He pondered what would happen if he forgot his young son on a family vacation, and this personal scenario sparked the story. He whipped up the first draft in just nine days, proving the comedic potential simmering in this simple premise.

Initially, Hughes approached Patrick Read Johnson, but Johnson was unavailable due to another film commitment. Turning to Chris Columbus, Hughes offered him both Home Alone and Reach the Rock, scripts he had written. Drawn to the humor and Christmas setting, Columbus opted for Home Alone. He also made some uncredited script changes, including the addition of the story of the old man named Marley (Roberts Blossom). This choice, Columbus believed, would add a deeper emotional layer and a more satisfying ending.

Jedidiah Cohen, Diana Rein, Anna Slotky, Terrie Snell, Kieran Culkin, and Gerry Bamman

John Hughes was so impressed by Macaulay Culkin’s performance in his film Uncle Buck that he strongly recommended Chris Columbus cast him as the lead in HOME ALONe. However, Columbus remained determined to find the perfect fit and auditioned hundreds of other boys. Ultimately, Culkin landed the lead role because Columbus couldn’t find anyone else who could truly carry the film on his shoulders. Columbus later admitted that Culkin was one of the most talented young actors he had ever worked with. The film also featured Kieran Culkin, Macaulay’s real-life younger brother, as the bed-wetting kid Fuller.

Warner Bros. originally intended to back Home Alone, but the project ballooned beyond their budget, leading them to drop it. 20th Century Fox swooped in and picked up the film. Shooting commenced in February 1990 and wrapped up by May, primarily taking place across various locations in Illinois.

The role of Harry was initially offered to Robert De Niro and Jon Lovitz, but both declined. Chris Columbus then offered it to Joe Pesci, an Oscar-nominated actor he didn’t expect to accept. Surprisingly, Pesci agreed. And just four months before HOME ALONe hit U.S. theaters, Joe Pesci actually won the Academy Award for his supporting role in Goodfellas (1990).

Daniel Stern was cast as Marv, but before cameras rolled, he got blindsided by an extended production schedule – from six weeks to eight. Refusing to work for free for two extra weeks, he promptly dropped out. Daniel Roebuck was brought in as a replacement, but after two days of rehearsals, Columbus realized the on-screen magic lacked spark between Roebuck and Pesci. Ultimately, Stern was re-hired.

John Candy & Catherine O’Hara

John Candy could only spare one day for filming, but capturing his scenes took a whopping 23 hours. Despite the marathon shoot, he received a mere $414 for his work, as a favor to his friend John Hughes. Hughes, in turn, granted him the unique privilege of improvising his dialogue – the only actor on set to do so.

HOME ALONe released on 16 November 1990, dominated the domestic box office for an impressive three months. This hilarious holiday staple wasn’t just a crowd-pleaser, it became the highest-grossing live-action comedy of all time, raking in over $476 million worldwide. The film held this prestigious title for nearly 21 years until 2011, when it was dethroned by The Hangover Part II. But Home Alone’s enduring legacy and cultural impact remain undeniable.

Chris Columbus & Macaulay Culkin

Macaulay Culkin’s star power skyrocketed after HOME ALONe. He became one of the highest-paid child actors at the time, earning a staggering $4.5 million for his reprisal of the role of Kevin McCallister in the 1992 sequel, HOME ALONe 2: LOST IN NEW YORK.

Columbus initially hoped to have Bruce Broughton score the film, with his name even appearing on early posters. However, busy with The Rescuers Down Under (1990), Broughton had to cancel at the last minute. Fortunately, Columbus reached out to Steven Spielberg, who connected him with legendary composer John Williams. Williams brought his magical touch to the film score, once again crafting one of the most iconic themes of all time, “Somewhere in My Memory.” The soundtrack was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score. The film’s signature tune “Somewhere in My Memory” was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media.