Home Alone was released in 1990. The family comedy was directed by Chris Columbus and written by John Hughes, whose screenplay follows eight-year-old Kevin McCallister after he is accidentally left behind during a Christmas trip to Paris.
Macaulay Culkin played Kevin, while Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern portrayed burglars Harry Lyme and Marv Murchins. The film became especially known for Kevin’s improvised defenses against the burglars, including paint cans, icy steps, and a tarantula.
Home Alone opened in North American theaters on November 16, 1990. It remained at number one at the U.S. box office for 12 weeks and became one of the highest-grossing films of its era. Its success led to the sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, released in 1992.
A common mix-up is confusing the original’s 1990 release with the sequel’s 1992 release. The first film is also notable for introducing Culkin as a major child star and for featuring music by John Williams.