John Hughes' pair of 1989 comedies Uncle Buck and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation would become integral to the production of his next screenplay, Home Alone, based on the simple idea of "what would it be like if I left one of my young children home alone while I went on vacation?"

It really was a case of lightning in a bottle, with the perfect John Hughes screenplay, a young and willing director in Chris Columbus, the perfect cast, led by the-then eight-year-old Macaulay Culkin, in a performance showing abilities far beyond his years, and Warner Bros willing to finance and distribute the movie.

Everything was ready to go... and then Warner Bros pulled the plug, but clandestine meetings between John Hughes and 20th Century Fox ended up saving the movie, and it led to one of the most beloved and wince-inducing family holiday classics...

Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays to you all!

I would love to hear your thoughts on Home Alone !

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