Millicent Cooke
Home Alone is undoubtedly one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time – and the holidays don’t feel complete without watching it at least once.
The film follows Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) as he finds himself home alone after his family heads off on Christmas vacation and accidentally leaves him behind.
If spending Christmas by himself wasn’t bad enough, Kevin is soon forced to defend his home against the ‘Wet Bandits’ – aka bungling burglars Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern).
Ever since Home Alone came out in 1990, the film has become a holiday classic and even spawned five (yes five!) sequels.
But more than three decades after the film’s release, fans are still uncovering new details about the beloved comedy’s cast and characters.
One such nugget of trivia revolves around the age of Kevin McCallister’s mother in the movie.
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Kevin’s mum Kate McCallister (Catherine O’Hara) is married to Peter McCallister (John Heard) and the couple has five children: Buzz, Megan, Linnie, Jeff and of course, Kevin.
Due to the family’s huge house and sizable brood, it’s easy to assume that Kate is at least approaching middle age in Home Alone.
Though we never actually learn how old she is in the movie, O’Hara’s age at the time she played Kate has left people stunned.
Fans were shocked to learn the Schitt’s Creek actress was just 36 years old when she played the character.
To put that into perspective, that’s the same age as Lizzie McGuire actress Hilary Duff, Harry Potter star Tom Felton and High School Musical’s Zac Efron are today.
The topic was thrust into the spotlight by TikToker Bri, who goes by @justbri_always on the platform.
Bri explained that while O’Hara appears to be much older in the film, she was actually around the same age Mean Girls star Lindsay Lohan is now.
She says: “When you’re younger you don’t think of ages the way they really are.
“Here are some ages of TV characters and movie characters that will probably shock you.
“Catherine O’Hara was only 36 when she played Kevin’s mum, but you probably thought she was older because 36 sounds older back then.
“That would be like if Lindsay Lohan were to play her now.”
Bri goes on to discuss how the Golden Girls characters were meant to be in their 50s.
@justbri_always #greenscreen #fyp #seriesbybri #tvtiktok #tvtok #viral #homealone #fullhouse #dannytanner #goldengirls #friendstvtiktok ♬ As It Was – PREP
But, if these characters were portrayed by actresses in their 50s today, that could be the female stars of Friends – such as Jennifer Aniston, 54, and Courteney Cox, 59.
In the comments, many fans expressed their shock at Kevin’s mum’s age, with one suggesting that the hairstyles were ‘100%’ the reason they appeared older back then.
Another fan agrees, saying: “It’s gotta be the hair and makeup. It’s evolved so much. My aunties wore lipstick to look older.”
“This makes me feel old…” another fan writes.
One surprised fan adds: “I thought the woman from Home Alone was in her 40s.”
“I’m 37 and she looks older than me,” another writes.
“It’s not that they were so young back then. It’s just that you’re old now and aren’t realising it,” someone else comments.
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Referencing O’Hara’s iconic character Moira Rose from Schitt’s Creek, another fan adds: “A young Moira would have absolutely forgotten a child several times.”
While another fan comments: “Wait! The Golden Girls were in their 50s? They look 70!”
Whatever your thoughts on the topic, it’s clear that Home Alone has stood the test of time. But looking into the people behind the movie, it’s hardly surprising.
The Christmas comedy was directed by Chris Columbus and written and produced by John Hughes.
Columbus is well known for creating iconic family movies such as Mrs. Doubtfire, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and its sequel Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
While Hughes wrote and directed such classics as The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
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