It’s been over 34 years since the first Home Alone film was released, which makes all of us millennials who grew up watching this Christmas classic every year feel old.
The feeling only gets worse once we look at where Macaulay Culkin, AKA Kevin McCallister, is today, as he was nine years old at the time of filming, and now he’s 44, engaged, and a father to two boys.
But amidst the holiday season being in full swing this month, movie fans have now turned their focus to Catherine O’Hara, who played Kate McCallister, Kevin’s mom.
Catherine O’Hara, who played Kate McCallister, was a lot younger than many people remembered in Home Alone
Image credits: 20th Century Fox
In Home Alone, Kate was also the mom of Kevin’s two brothers, Jeff (Michael C. Maronna) and Buzz (Devin Ratray), and two sisters, Megan (Hillary Wolf) and Linnie (Angela Goethals).
The size of the McCallister family was so big that it resulted in poor little Kevin being forgotten from a Christmas trip, twice.
Kevin and his close family lived in a beautiful and massive house somewhere in an affluent suburb of Chicago.
Image credits: 20th Century Fox
Viewers don’t learn of Kate’s supposed age, but we can assume she was around the same age Catherine was at the time of the filming.
Considering the number of siblings and the luxurious house, viewers today might be surprised to learn that the Schitt's Creek star was only 36 years old when the first Home Alone was released.
Catherine recently appeared alongside Macaulay, who was just honored at the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a star.
In Home Alone, Kate was also the mom of Kevin’s two brothers, Jeff (Michael C. Maronna) and Buzz (Devin Ratray), and two sisters, Megan (Hillary Wolf) and Linnie (Angela Goethals)
Image credits: 20th Century Fox
The 69-year-old actress gave a speech looking back at the Home Alone days, praising Macaulay’s “perfect performance”.
She stated that her on-screen son brought his “sweet and twisted, yet totally relatable” sense of humor to all of his work.
Macaulay was seemingly moved to tears by Catherine, as she said: “Home Alone was, is and always will be a beloved global sensation … the reason families all over the world can’t let a year go by without watching and loving Home Alone together is because of Macaulay Culkin.”
The actress went on to note Macaulay’s young age at the time of filming, as the actor was only nine at the time of Home Alone.
Image credits: 20th Century Fox
She said: “I know you worked really hard, I know you did, but you made acting look like the most natural thing in the world to do.
“It’s a sign of intelligence in a child and a key to survival at any age.”
Before hugging Macaulay, Catherine concluded: “Macaulay, congratulations.
“You so deserve your star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“And thank you for including me, your fake mom who left you home alone not once but twice, to share in this happy occasion.
“I’m so proud of you.”
The size of the McCallister family was so big that it resulted in poor little Kevin being forgotten from a Christmas trip, twice
Image credits: 20th Century Fox
Movie fans were stunned to learn the young age of many famous characters
In the movie, written by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus, Kevin is forgotten at his home in Chicago when his family goes on holiday for Christmas.
At the beginning of the film, Kevin has a big argument with his family the night before their trip to Paris.
The film, which premiered 34 years ago, follows Kevin as he is forgotten at his home in Chicago when his family goes on holiday for Christmas
Image credits: Variety
When Kate sends Kevin to sleep up in the attic as a punishment, she says she doesn’t want to see him “for the rest of the night”, to which Kevin replies: “I don’t want to see you again for the rest of my life, and I don’t want to see anybody else, either.”
Kate then replies: “I hope you don’t mean that – you’d feel pretty sad if you woke up tomorrow morning and you didn’t have a family.”
Which, as we know, is exactly what happens.
Catherine recently appeared alongside Macaulay Culkin, who was just honored at the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a star
Image credits: Variety
Catherine had reportedly struggled “deeply” with the line regarding Kevin being faced with his family’s disappearance.
While delivering the speech at the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday she said: “The scene where I had to drag him upstairs to sleep in the attic ‘cause he’d misbehaved, he’s mouthing off about the family and I say, ‘Well, you’d be pretty sad if you woke up tomorrow morning and you had no family,’ and he says, ‘No, I wouldn’t.’ And I was supposed to say, ‘Then say it again – maybe it’ll happen.’
“I can’t tell you how much that killed me – I could not wrap my head around saying something so horrific to this beautiful child.”
She then admitted: “Of course, I was not yet a mother at the time and I had no idea the kind of things would come out of my own mouth with my own two sons.”
People noted that the perception of age was different than it was today
