“Home Alone: the most interesting facts about the cult New Year’s movie series
3 January 05:20
The movie “Home Alone” has long since become a true symbol of the New Year and Christmas holidays. For millions of viewers around the world, watching this film on the eve of the winter holidays has become a family tradition that brings them back to their childhood every year, giving them a sense of warmth and pre-holiday magic. The first part of this film was made back in 1990, but this comedy still remains one of the most popular Christmas movies in the history of cinema.
Home Alone premiered in the United States on November 10, 1990, and within a few weeks it became a box office phenomenon. During its 29-week worldwide release, the film grossed over $476 million, which at the time was an absolute record for films of this genre. The film remained quite confidently in the tops and as of 1991 was ranked third in terms of box office receipts among all films for the year.
“Home Alone even entered the Guinness Book of Records as the highest-grossing comedy of its time and held this title for over two decades, until 2011. For a long period of time, this movie was considered the most successful Christmas movie in the world.
When Home Alone first appeared in Ukraine
In the former Soviet Union, the film was available only on so-called “pirated” videotapes with unofficial translations, on which it was distributed under different titles. On December 31, 1997, the film began to be regularly broadcast on satellite television on leading Ukrainian TV channels.
“Home Alone: How this film influenced the fate of Makolei Kalkin
It was Home Alone that made Macaulay Culkin one of the most famous Hollywood stars among children. His image of the clever and touching Kevin instantly gained worldwide recognition. The success of this role was so powerful that the actor received a Golden Globe nomination, and the character himself was included in the list of cult heroes of family films.
Oscar nomination
Although the film did not win an Oscar, it was recognized with two prestigious nominations: for Best Film Score and Best Song for Somewhere in My Memory. This soundtrack became an integral part of the film’s festive atmosphere, and the song itself later received a Grammy nomination.
The scene in the church, where the world-famous melody “Shchedryk” by Mykola Leontovych, better known to the international audience as Carol of the Bells, sounds, attracts special attention of Ukrainian viewers. This song has become a kind of symbol of the struggle and defense of the home from attackers.
What is the phenomenon of Home Alone?
The secret of this franchise’s popularity lies not only in its lightning-fast humor or vivid and recognizable scenes. “Home Alone is a story about a large family, responsibility and true family values, which are especially strongly felt during the holidays.
The significant success of the first part logically led to the appearance of the second part, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, in 1992. It was a logical sequel with the same main cast. The second part also garnered good box office receipts, but failed to repeat the success of the first part.
Instead, the third installment, released in 1997, was no longer connected to the story of Kevin McCallister. The only thing it had in common with the first two parts was the idea of creating traps in the house. However, the film did not make the same splash among viewers, becoming the last part of the franchise to be released in theaters.
Subsequent attempts to relaunch the story, including Home Alone 4, Home Alone 5, and even a reboot of the original Home Alone story filmed in 2021 for Disney, failed to replicate the success of the original.
The author: Olya Yushko
