Home AlonestarCatherine O’Hararecently gave her thoughts on how the McCallister family in the 1990 Chris Columbus classic were able to afford such a lavish lifestyle. O’Hara starred as Kate McCallister alongside the late John Heard, who portrayed her husband, Peter. Together they embark on a holiday trip to Paris with the rest of their extensive family, save for one: Kevin, who’s left behind to guard their stately residence from a couple of bumbling burglars.
Speaking toPeople, O’Hara gave her thoughts on the house used for filming, which is located in Winnetka, Illinois and has a current off-market value of nearly $2.3 million dollars, according toZillow. O’Hara said she thought the house was “pretty amazing,” but admits that she never gave much thought as to how the McCallister family were able to afford such a majestic dwelling. Check out her comments below:
“I was aware of how beautiful it was, but no, I never thought of their money. That’s not where my head was when I was doing [the movie]. Of course, they all went to Paris, didn’t they?”
In recent years there’s been speculation as to how the McCallisters were able to acquire the wealth necessary to be able to not just afford a beautiful home, but pay for their entire family to fly to Paris for a Christmas vacation. A popular theory that’s taken hold lately is that Peter McCallisterwas in the mob, but O’Hara believes otherwise. She jokingly mentioned that perhaps “Peter had his own religion.”
“I guess Peter had his own religion. Church of the McCallisters. People have these theories, ‘Where’d they get their money?’ Maybe he inherited it…they inherited it.”
Home Alone
Late in 2023, the New York Times worked witheconomists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicagoto determine how much Kate and Peter McCallister would have to earn to be able to afford their home. It was calculated that an income of around $305,000 in 1990 ($665,000 in 2022) was needed to be able to pay the mortgage, while having enough left over for living expenses and trips. Though it’s fun to speculate how the McCallisters came by their wealth, the novelization ofHome Aloneprovides some insight, revealing that Peter is a businessman, and Kate is a fashion designer.
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Fans have often questioned whether Monica and Chandler’s house in Friends has the same view as the McCallister house in Home Alone.
Catherine O’Hara Believes Home Alone is the ‘Perfect Movie’
O’Hara, now 69-years-old,currently stars inArgyllealong with the likes of Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, and Samuel L. Jackson. At the time of filmingHome Alone, she never foresaw the juggernaut of a phenomenon it would become. Nearly 35 years since its release, the movie still holds a special place in her heart, and she says that her experience on-set was “lovely.”
“I need to care about the whole thing. I don’t care to do a great role in a bad project. You want to be part of something good, and that’s how you go. Then the people that you’re going to get to work with and the experience, the day-to-day experience. And in that case, it was lovely. All those kids that played our children were just lovely.”
She would go on to callHome Alonethe “perfect movie,” while mentioning her affinity for director Chris Columbus, and screenwriter John Hughes:
“Chris Columbus, lovely man. He’s a family guy himself. I think he had like five kids already at the time. And John Hughes. John Hughes wasn’t there a lot, but wrote such a beautiful script, obviously. It’s a perfect movie, isn’t it?”
Catherine O’Hara is set to appear next in the long-awaited sequel toBeetlejuice, which hits theaters on June 02, 2025. She’ll reprise her role of the eccentric Delia Deetz and be joined by returning cast members Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, and newcomers Jenna Ortega, Monica Belluci, and Willem Dafoe.
Home Aloneis currently available to stream on Disney+
