Director Reveals How 'Home Alone' Parents Were Able to Afford That House

Home Alone is one of the most beloved Christmas classics, and fans have always been curious about one of the details in the movie: the McCallister’s Chicago home.

During The Hollywood Reporter‘s Awards Chatter podcast, director Chris Columbus addressed the highly speculated topic.

“Back then, John [Hughes] and I had a conversation about it, and we decided on what the jobs were,” he revealed.

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Catherine O’Hara, who played Kate McCallister, “was a very successful fashion designer,” which was hinted at with the mannequins in the family’s basement.

John Heard, who played Peter McCallister, is a mystery however.

“The father could have, based on John Hughes own experience, worked in advertising, but I don’t remember what the father did.”

Although Internet sleuths have wondered if the father was in crime, which would have brought Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) to their home, he shot down that rumor: “Not organized crime — even though there was, at the time, a lot of organized crime in Chicago.”

Find out who are the richest stars of Home Alone, ranked.