This Christmas comedy is rightly called a family movie. And also a cult one, since “Home Alone” remained in the memory of many viewers as a film telling a good and at the same time adventure story. The success of the film, the characters and actors of “Home Alone” will be the main theme of our article.
Long road
Making a movie boasts a few facts. The idea appeared in the process of working on another picture, the comedy “Uncle Buck”. The director Chris Columbus first developed scripted moves related to the house and its individual elements, such as a basement stove, which scared the main character. Production required special effects and appropriate financing, which had to be abandoned. But the authors left the main idea - to stay in the house alone, supplementing it with separate lines.
The leading actor, the young actor “Home Alone” Macaulay Culkin, who was then ten years old, was chosen by the creators in advance - he was impressed by the game in “Uncle Buck”. However, Chris Columbus still arranged a casting, having watched hundreds of applicants. For what? To make sure: no one is better than Calkin for the role.
Good roles like hot cakes
The preparatory period took several months. The main shootings began in February 1990 and lasted until spring. Anticipating the success of the picture, which was planned to be released for the new year, the creators paid attention to the rest of the characters. Actors "Home Alone" included a number of diverse images, the search for which had special requirements.
So, the producers wanted famous stars to play in the film along with young unknown actors. To get the role of Peter McCallister, Michael Douglas, Chevy Chase, Sean Penn, Tom Hanks tried, but in the end the image went to John Heard. The list of applicants for the more dramatic role of Kevin Kate's mother, who is zealously trying to return home and find her son, turned out to be more impressive: Jodie Foster, Sigourney Weaver, Sharon Stone, Laura Dern, Angelica Houston and others. They all lost to Katherine O'Hara.
Minor characters turned out no less bright. The actors “Home Alone” replenished with Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci, who played the main bandits Harry and Marvin, nicknamed the “wet” criminals. The latter, by the way, on the set expressed his sincere sympathy for Macaulay Kalkin. In particular, so that he would rather get used to the negative characters and his main opponents in the person of Stern and Pesci, Joe remained in the appropriate make-up and image between the shootings. The role of the janitor Marley, with whom Kevin talks about life and love for loved ones, was played by Roberts Blossom.
Actor of one role?
The success of the picture exceeded all expectations. She received nominations for major film awards - the Oscars and Golden Globes. And also brought to the cash register about 500 million dollars. The actors of the movie “Home Alone” played an important role. Each of them was ideally suited to their image, because now it is difficult to imagine someone else in their place.
Macaulay Culkin has become a truly popular favorite. Scriptwriters awarded Kevin a sharp tongue, and many of his quotes and sayings became winged expressions. For a long time, the young artist, growing up in front of the audience, embodied similar images in such films as “Rich Ricci”, “My Girl”, “How to Deal with Father”.
Kalkin’s career was often discussed in the press and, unfortunately, was ruined by him. Macaulay was credited with addiction to drugs and alcohol. Even during the filming, the creators of the tape "Home Alone" had disagreements with his father, requiring a substantial increase in royalties for his son. Now Kalkin is rarely removed, and if this happens, then his appearance on the screen is associated mainly with episodic roles in TV shows or little-known paintings.
The long-awaited sequel: good luck ...
The success of the film “Home Alone” did not leave the creators of choice - the shooting of the first part barely finished, as work on the sequel began. “Lost in New York” brought no less money, increasing, by the way, Calkin's fee from 100 thousand to 4.5 million dollars. This time, the story is built around Kevin and his family, who went on vacation. By accident, Kevin confused the flight at the airport and now ended up in New York. However, he will not be bored: the escaped robbers Harry and Marvin will meet him again on the streets of a big city.
The main cast of the sequel, including Katherine O'Hara and John Heard, remained the same.
... and failure
We can talk about the success of the franchise, bearing in mind the first two parts. The subsequent parts, in particular, “Home Alone 3”, became a real failure. Tricquel actors are represented by new faces. The main character named Alex is played by Alex D. Linz, known for the melodrama "One Beautiful Day."
In the film there are not two, but four bandits trying to get into the house of a little boy. They were played by Ria Kilstedt, Olek Krupa, Lenny Von Dolen and David Thornton. The third part has nothing to do with the originals, borrowing only the idea of home. In contrast, the triquel is more “crammed” with modern traps that the main character uses to save his home. “Home Alone 3”, whose actors tried to repeat the success of the previous parts of the franchise, unfortunately, did not gain its former popularity. Even the name of the beginning actress Scarlett Johansson, who played the role of Alex's sister, did not help. Initially, it was conceived as a neutral, and after a positive character.
Perhaps someday Hollywood companies will return to the idea of making a remake of the cult family comedy. Will it succeed or not, time will tell. In the meantime, one thing is obvious. The plot, characters, familiar actors “Home Alone” and the subsequent continuation of “Lost in New York” remain the best and recognized viewers.