Eight-year-old Kevin McCallister is accidentally left behind when his family flies to Paris for Christmas vacation. Initially, Kevin relishes the freedom of being home alone, but his excitement turns to fear when he realizes his house is targeted by two burglars, Harry and Marv. Using his ingenuity and the contents of his home, Kevin sets elaborate booby traps to thwart the bumbling criminals' attempts to break in. The film follows Kevin's humorous attempts to outsmart the burglars while also dealing with the realization that he misses his family. Ultimately, he successfully protects his home, and his family returns to a chaotic but heartwarming reunion.
1938: Angels with Dirty Faces Release
"Angels with Dirty Faces," the 1938 crime film that inspired the film within a film, "Angels with Filthy Souls" in "Home Alone," was released.
1989: Chris Columbus Leaves National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
In 1989, Chris Columbus left the production of "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" before filming began due to a personality clash with Chevy Chase.
1989: 3615 code Père Noël Release
In 1989, the French film 3615 code Père Noël, with a plot similar to Home Alone, was released.
1989: Macaulay Culkin in Uncle Buck
In 1989, Macaulay Culkin starred in "Uncle Buck", which influenced John Hughes to suggest him for the role of Kevin in "Home Alone".
January 1990: 3615 code Père Noël French Theatrical Release
The French horror film 3615 code Père Noël, which bears plot similarities to Home Alone, had its theatrical release in January 1990.
February 14, 1990: Home Alone Filming Begins
Principal photography for "Home Alone" began on February 14, 1990.
May 8, 1990: Home Alone Filming Ends
Principal photography for "Home Alone" ended on May 8, 1990, lasting 83 days and costing $18.3 million. The exterior scenes were shot at a house in Winnetka, Illinois, while interior sets were built at New Trier High School.
May 1990: Filming of Home Alone Concludes
Filming for "Home Alone" concluded in May 1990 after taking place across Illinois between February and May. Initially, Warner Bros. was set to finance and distribute the film but production was halted due to budget overruns. 20th Century Fox then took over.
November 10, 1990: Home Alone Sneak Preview
On November 10, 1990, "Home Alone" held sneak previews in 1,000 theaters.
November 16, 1990: Home Alone Wide Release
"Home Alone" was widely released in theaters on November 16, 1990, after a successful sneak preview. The release date was moved up to avoid competition with "Three Men and a Little Lady."
December 4, 1990: Home Alone Soundtrack Cassette Release
The soundtrack for "Home Alone" was released on cassette on December 4, 1990, by Sony Classical Records.
1990: Home Alone
In 1990, "Home Alone", a comedy film directed by Chris Columbus and written and produced by John Hughes, was released. The film stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old boy who defends his home from burglars after his family accidentally leaves him behind on their Christmas vacation.
1990: Home Alone Theatrical Run Begins
In 1990, Home Alone began its theatrical run, holding the number-one spot at the box office for twelve consecutive weeks, starting from November 16.
1990: Novelization of Home Alone
In 1990, coinciding with the film's release, a novelization of "Home Alone" by Todd Strasser was published by Scholastic.
1990: Chris Columbus Directs Home Alone
In 1990, Chris Columbus was chosen to direct "Home Alone" after John Hughes offered him the scripts for both "Home Alone" and "Reach the Rock." Columbus, having left "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" (1989) due to a conflict with Chevy Chase, chose "Home Alone." He also did an uncredited rewrite of the script, adding the character of Old Man Marley.
January 1991: Home Alone Box Office Performance
By January 1991, Home Alone had expanded its theater presence, reaching a peak of 2,174 screens during its eighth weekend. This contributed to its impressive box office run.
August 22, 1991: Home Alone VHS and LaserDisc Release
"Home Alone" was released on VHS and LaserDisc in the United States on August 22, 1991, marking Fox's first direct-to-sell-through video release. It sold 11 million copies, earning $150 million and becoming one of the best-selling videos at the time.
1991: Home Alone Box Office Success
In 1991, Home Alone continued its successful box office run, remaining in the top ten until April 26th. It also made return appearances in the top ten in late May and mid-June. It became the top-grossing film of the year in North America.
1992: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Release
The sequel to "Home Alone," titled "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York," was released in 1992.
1992: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Release
The sequel, "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York," was released in 1992, featuring most of the original cast. Macaulay Culkin's salary increased significantly for the sequel.
1994: Snoop Dogg "Gin and Juice" Music Video
The music video for Snoop Dogg's "Gin and Juice" released in 1994, included a parody of the Home Alone scream.
1995: Polish Television Premiere of Home Alone
On Christmas Day 1995, Home Alone premiered on Polish television (TVP1), marking its first television broadcast in the country.
1995: Home Alone Broadcast on Pro TV in Romania
Starting in 1995, Pro TV in Romania began its tradition of playing Home Alone during the Christmas season.
December 26, 1997: Home Alone Broadcast on TVN in Poland
On December 26, 1997, Home Alone was broadcast on TVN in Poland. This was one of several broadcasts on this channel.
1997: Home Alone 3 Release
In 1997, "Home Alone 3" was released with a new cast, characters, and storyline, although the screenplay was still written by John Hughes.
1998: Reach the Rock Release
"Reach the Rock", another film script offered to Chris Columbus by John Hughes, was released in 1998.
October 5, 1999: Home Alone DVD Release
On October 5, 1999, Home Alone was released on DVD for the first time as a basic package.
1999: Home Alone Broadcasts on TVN in Poland
In December 1999, Home Alone was broadcast on TVN in Poland on both December 24th and 25th.
December 2000: High Viewership of Home Alone in Poland
In December 2000, 8.9 million Poles watched Home Alone on Christmas Eve, demonstrating its popularity in the country.
2002: Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House Release
A made-for-television movie, "Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House," premiered in 2002. It featured some familiar characters but with a new cast and storyline.
December 2, 2008: Home Alone Blu-ray Release (Family Fun Edition)
On December 2, 2008, Home Alone was released on Blu-ray with the title "Family Fun Edition".
October 5, 2010: Home Alone and Home Alone 2 Collection Pack Release
On October 5, 2010, a collection pack containing both Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York was released.
2010: Polish Protest Over Absence of Home Alone on Christmas Eve
In 2010, the absence of Home Alone from Polsat's Christmas Eve programming caused over 90,000 people to protest on Facebook.
2011: Home Alone Loses Box Office Record
In 2011, Home Alone's record as the highest-grossing live-action comedy was surpassed by The Hangover Part II.
November 25, 2012: Home Alone: The Holiday Heist Premiere
On November 25, 2012, "The Holiday Heist," the fifth film in the Home Alone franchise, premiered on ABC Family. Like the third film, it shifted focus away from the McCallister family.
2014: High Viewership of Home Alone in Romania
In 2014, over 2.7 million Romanians tuned in to watch Home Alone on Pro TV.
May 27, 2015: Home Alone Soundtrack CD Release
The "Home Alone" soundtrack was released on CD on May 27, 2015.
October 6, 2015: Home Alone 25th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Christmas Edition
On October 6, 2015, Home Alone was re-released on DVD and Blu-ray as part of a box set including all four sequels, titled "Home Alone: 25th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Christmas Edition".
December 2015: Macaulay Culkin Reprises Kevin McCallister Role
In December 2015, Macaulay Culkin reprised his role as Kevin McCallister in the first episode of the web series DRYVRS, reflecting on his experiences from the original film.
2016: High Viewership of Home Alone in Poland
In 2016, over 4.44 million Poles watched Home Alone on Polsat during Christmas Eve.
2016: Better Watch Out and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia References
In 2016, the film Better Watch Out and an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia featured references to Home Alone.
2017: High Viewership of Home Alone on Polish Christmas Eve
In 2017, around four million people in Poland watched Home Alone on Christmas Eve.
December 15, 2018: Macaulay Culkin on Angry Video Game Nerd
On December 15, 2018, Macaulay Culkin appeared on Angry Video Game Nerd to review Home Alone video game adaptations.
December 19, 2018: Macaulay Culkin in Google Assistant Ad
On December 19, 2018, Macaulay Culkin reprised his role as Kevin in a Google Assistant advertisement titled "Home Alone Again".
2018: 3615 code Père Noël US Release
In 2018, 3615 code Père Noël became widely available in the United States.
2018: Record Viewership of Home Alone in Poland
In 2018, Home Alone recorded its highest viewership in Poland with 4.51 million viewers on Christmas Eve.
September 15, 2020: Home Alone Ultra HD Blu-ray Release
On September 15, 2020, Home Alone was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray in the United States to commemorate its 30th anniversary.
2020: Senta Moses Recalls Filming Airport Scene
In 2020, Senta Moses recounted the challenging experience of filming the airport scene in "Home Alone," which involved numerous extras and required multiple takes.
November 12, 2021: Home Sweet Home Alone Release
"Home Sweet Home Alone," the sixth film in the franchise, was released digitally on Disney+ on November 12, 2021. Devin Ratray reprised his role as Buzz McCallister.
2021: Antena 1 Broadcasts Home Alone in Romania
In 2021, breaking with tradition, Antena 1, rather than Pro TV, broadcast Home Alone in Romania.
2022: Joe Pesci Discusses Working with Macaulay Culkin
In 2022, Joe Pesci discussed his experience working with Macaulay Culkin on "Home Alone," explaining that he intentionally limited their interactions to maintain the on-screen adversarial dynamic between their characters.
2022: Violent Night References Home Alone
The 2022 film Violent Night includes several references to Home Alone, with one character emulating Kevin's tactics.
2023: Home Alone's National Film Registry Induction
In 2023, "Home Alone" was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, recognizing its cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance.