It’s Christmastime once more, and that means another annual revisit of the classic Home Alone starring Macaulay Culkin. The film has managed to spark several discussions over the decades from Kevin being a sociopath to the picture of Buzz’s girlfriend being a boy in a wig, but one question that keeps getting asked is, “What did Kevin’s parents do for money?” because they are clearly loaded.
As it turns out, there’s a definitive answer. In a recent talk with THR, director Chris Columbus explained that Kate and Peter McCallister’s careers were actually explored by Columbus and writer John Hughes. He explained:
“Back then, John and I had a conversation about it, and we decided on what the jobs were… [Kevin’s Mom] was a very successful fashion designer… The father could have, based on John Hughes own experience, worked in advertising, but I don’t remember what the father did.”
While there aren’t any solid clues on what the father did, the mother’s job was hinted at by the mannequins in the basement.
Some fans have actually been guessing that Mr. McCallister was actually connected to the mob, which is how the Wet Bandits knew to rob his place, to which Columbus says, “Not organized crime — even though there was, at the time, a lot of organized crime in Chicago.”
For now, the original Home Alone still stands as a holiday classic, and though there have been several attempts at cashing in on the brand over the years—including a reboot back in 2021—the Macaulay Culkin version remains to be a cultural milestone.
