After its debut in 1990, Home Alone quickly became a Christmas classic. Best enjoyed during the winter season with fresh hot cocoa. But there’s one question that keeps fans of this classic up at night. So, is the McAllister house really full? I mean, let’s be honest, that house has enough bedrooms to house a small army.
new york times After consulting with economists at the Chicago Fed and people involved in the film’s production, the answer finally came.
“According to Chicago Fed economists, in 1990 only the top 1 percent of Chicago household incomes could afford to buy a home, and that’s still true today.” The New York Times wrote. “This housing would have been affordable for a household with an income of $305,000 in 1990 (approximately $665,000 in 2022).”
The economists went on to explain that the red-brick mansion is a real home in the Chicago suburbs, but in 1990 it would have been affordable only to the top 1 percent of Chicago household incomes. And frankly, not much has changed. up to now, Zillow estimates the price of the same home at nearly $2.4 million.which would still only be accessible to the top 1 percent of Chicago buyers.
Suddenly, it makes more sense why the film’s gullible thieves, Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), were so intent on robbing the McAllister family. In the film, Harry refers to this expensive property as the “silver tuna” of all heists, hoping that he and Marv will be able to get their hands on a lot of “premiums.”
Perhaps the biggest hint should have been the fact that the McAllisters could afford to take their entire extended family on a trip to Paris during the holidays. As viewers know, this is how 8-year-old Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) ends up stuck in the first place.
So far, the only insight we have is that how The price for those tickets was a brief exchange between matriarch Kate McAllister (Catherine O’Hara) and a police officer (later revealed to be actually Harry) at the beginning of the film. During this conversation, Kate said that her brother (more colloquially known as Uncle Rob) had an apartment in Paris and was paying for the airfare for all 15 members of her family.
Fans took to the internet with theories about the McAllister family’s financial background before definitive data emerged that revealed the McAllister family was, in fact, upper class. One fan said Kevin’s father was Peter McAllister (John Heard) is involved in an organized crime syndicate. times They adorably admitted that they “couldn’t rule out this theory.”
Another fan on Reddit In the novel version of Home Alone written by Todd Strasser, Kate McAllister is specified as a fashion designer, which explains why Kevin takes so many shots when staging the party scene at home. He pointed out that this could also serve as a basis for determining whether the mannequins can be accessed.
however, Recent interview with The Times, Strasser explained that the official novelizations of Home Alone and its sequels are not closely monitored by the original filmmakers, meaning not everything may be canon to the films. Strasser also said he had the impression that he was “upper middle class” but not “super wealthy.”
“I don’t know how much money the McAllisters made, but they certainly contributed a lot to my bank account,” Strasser said. told the Times.
Eve Corey, who was in charge of the film’s set decoration, said: new york times Rather than being outfitted with expensive products, the home is intentionally made to look “stately,” “luxury,” and “timeless.”
“[John Hughes] “He told me that he likes his films to look a little more beautiful and prettier than reality, because the purpose of making films is to entertain and uplift the audience,” Corey said in response to Hughes, who wrote the film. He spoke in detail about his guidance. “With all due respect, fans who discuss their parents’ income and housing costs should instead enjoy the movie.”
Katie Reul is a freelance journalist who covers entertainment reporting for IGN and Variety.