To stand there, you might imagineMacaulay Culkin,Joe Pesci, andDaniel Sternrunning through the rooms.
Now, here’s the part where we break your heart.
For all the shenanigans that were about to go down,Home Aloneneeded a large playground.
Custom Image by Federico Napoli
Despite its size, the house looks cozy and inviting rather than intimidating.
It feels like its own character, with its large rooms, tall staircase, and creepy basement.
That size, with all of its emptiness,encompasses Kevin’s eventual loneliness and fear.
Image via 20th Century Studios
It gives him ample room in which to play and run away as well.
The man behind the brat pack also gave us some of our favorite holiday comfort movies.
Outside of a few places Kevin travels to, he spends the entire movie in his house.
Image via 20th Century Studios
That poor pizza guy running for his life was shot here, but everything inside was actually filmed elsewhere.
“It was far too small to get the crew in the door,” said director Chris Columbus.
The interior of the home was perfect, though, so what to do?
Image via Paramount Pictures
“We just didn’t have great sound stages in Chicago,” Columbus added.
“We couldn’t really shoot in their house,” production designerJohn Mutosaid.
“It was obvious we needed a proper set.”
Executive producerScott Ronsenfeltsaid they decided to look at a local high school, where their production offices already were.
The next thing we knew, we built all the sets in the school.
Sorry to ruin two more of your childhood memories with those reveals.
There is another house inHome Alonethat isn’t what you think it is either.
For thirty-three years now, generations have turned toHome Aloneevery Christmas season.
With its laughs and adventure, it’s seen as a magical movie that brings the family together.
What you now know is just how much actual movie magic went into creating that experience.
It hurt to find that out, but that’s how movies work.
They trick us and get us to believe everything we see.
At least the outside scenes were actually filmed at the real house.
Then I learned this belief was wrong too.
While they have the same pop in of design, the one inHome Aloneis much larger.
The houses aren’t even in the same city either.
Meanwhile, thePlanes, Trains, and Automobileshome is at 230 Oxford Road in Kenilworth, Illinois.
