Chris Columbus, the director of Home Alone, recently shared some insights about the backstory of Kevin McCallister’s parents.
The McCallisters, with five children and a large 10-bedroom, six-bathroom home in Illinois, seem far removed from any financial strains of the 90s. Their ability to also afford a Christmas trip to Paris has always intrigued fans.

The prominent house showcased in the popular holiday film reportedly boasts 10 bedrooms and six bathrooms.

According to House Beautiful, the property spans 9,126 square feet and occupies just over half an acre.

It’s not surprising that the house is valued at an impressive $5.25 million, especially after undergoing significant renovations in 2018, which included a private movie theater and a basketball court—additions that Kevin would have certainly enjoyed.

Though the price tag would have been lower back in the 90s, the house would still have been quite costly.

On The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Columbus shed light on the McCallisters’ story.

Columbus mentioned that he and writer-producer John Hughes discussed the McCallister family background, specifically deciding on “what the jobs were” for the parents.

The mannequins in the house’s basement hint at Kate McCallister’s (Catherine O’Hara) profession.

Columbus confirmed, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, that “[she] was a very successful fashion designer.”

As for Peter McCallister (John Heard), his profession remains a bit of a mystery.

There have been online speculations suggesting Peter was involved with the mob, which supposedly explains why Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) targeted their home.

However, Columbus dispelled these rumors, stating that Peter was not linked to any “organized crime.”

“Even though there was, at the time, a lot of organized crime in Chicago,” Columbus noted.

A Twitter user commented: “As amusing the mob accountant rumour is regarding Peter McCallister (Kevin’s father), I always assumed he was a marketing/advertising executive. The reason being #HomeAlone was written by John Hughes, whose previous films had “dads” w/ similar jobs..”

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

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