It doesn’t matter if you’re looking forward to the upcoming 2025 movies, or reminiscing about the year past, the holidays are always going to have us revisiting our favorite classics. Home Alone is certainly no exception, as over thirty years of Macaulay Culkin’s shenanigans have delighted the world, while also leaving some big fan theories to be consistently debated.
This year, the question of how John Heard’s patriarch of the McCallister family could afford the largess of a family trip to Paris has come to the forefront again. And director Chris Columbus took the time to address that query, during a recent interview with THR. So what did Peter McCallister, the father, do for all of that money? Here’s what Columbus had to say:
The father could have, based on John Hughes' own experience, worked in advertising, but I don’t remember what the father did. Not organized crime — even though there was, at the time, a lot of organized crime in Chicago.
I have to admit, over the years there have been some wild and interesting theories as to how Home Alone’s luxury lifestyle was paid for. The two I’ve always chuckled at are arms dealing, and the criminal connections mentioned above; with the latter getting some extra laughing gas from John Heard’s time as a crooked cop on The Sopranos. But apparently, according to the Harry Potter directing alum, writer John Hughes may have had Kevin’s dad working as an ad man.
What’s funny is, the closest thing we do have to source material to solve this mystery is, of course, various drafts of Home Alone’s scripts floating around the internet. There’s also author Todd Strasser’s novelization of the film, which informs us that Kate McCallister (Catherine O’Hara) works as a fashion designer.
As for Peter, the only details we have both back what Chris Columbus has said, as well as fed this enigma a little bit more. Here’s how Peter McCallister is described in his introduction, courtesy of that 1990 text:
He was a handsome man, with short black hair. He’d just come home from the office, and he was still wearing his business shirt and tie.
Criminals could still very much go to an “office” and be seen wearing a “business shirt and tie.” However, this is a movie where a kindly John Candy has been the center of a demonic Home Alone theory that says he helped Kate McCallister get home by literally accepting her soul.
So are we really that surprised that Peter has been alleged to be dipping his toes in organized crime? I'll leave you with one more piece of circumstantial evidence to ponder: let's not forget that when confronted by Harry (Joe Pesci) masquerading as a police officer, the first thing John Heard's character asks is if he's under arrest.
I guess it all comes down to whether or not you think this is the face of a truly guilty man:
It’s the sort of thing you notice after decades of watching the Home Alone movies around this time of year. As always, if we ever need a break from family game night, dissecting James Wan’s “Kevin is Jigsaw” theory is an easy subject of conversation that can help keep the holiday table pleasant. Or, if you need something more family friendly, there's always the question of that potential Christmas Chronicles crossover that should have happened.
With those in mind, Christmas may have come and gone, but there’s always time for Home Alone! The original 1990 classic, and its various sequels, are available through using a Disney+ subscription. So if you’re curious whether you have some more evidence to support or debunk Peter McCallister’s supposed life of crime, feel free to refresh your knowledge. Somewhere in your memory, you may just find the answers you’re seeking.
