As a cinephile who has witnessed the evolution of holiday cinema, I find myself utterly fascinated by the life experiences that have shaped some of our most beloved directors. The tale of Chris Columbus, the man behind both Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, is one such intriguing story.
Chris Columbus, the director of “Home Alone”, shared reasons behind his departure from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” and how this move impacted his career. Originally set to direct the 1989 holiday film featuring Chevy Chase, a disagreement arose before significant filming even started. Columbus revealed in an interview with Empire Magazine (via Screen Rant), “John Hughes sent me the script for ‘Christmas Vacation’. I found it quite amusing. I even filmed some initial establishing shots for the movie – shots that are included in the final film. However, after meeting Chevy Chase, it’s no secret – you’ve heard this tale countless times – but he was extremely difficult to work with.
Columbus also explained how his discord with Chase resulted in him taking on 1990’s Home Alone.
Despite finding myself in a tight spot where employment was essential, I chose to step aside. Two weeks down the line, two new scripts from John Hughes landed on my desk. One was titled ‘Reach The Rock,’ which I passed over. However, the other one caught my eye – it was the script for a movie called ‘Home Alone‘.
Eventually, Jeremiah S. Chechik took over as director from Columbus in the movie “Christmas Vacation”. This film chronicles a tumultuous Christmas spent by the Griswold family, which includes Clark (played by Chevy Chase), Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), Audrey (Juliette Lewis), Rusty (Johnny Galecki), Clark Sr. (John Randolph), Nora (Diane Ladd), and various relatives too. The humor in this film, filled with laughter and heartwarming scenes, has made it a beloved choice for many during the holiday season.
The movie titled Home Alone revolves around the character Kevin McCallister (played by Macaulay Culkin). An unforeseen circumstance occurs when Kevin’s family rushes to catch a flight to Paris, inadvertently leaving him behind. On Christmas Eve, Kevin crosses paths with two burglars, Harry (portrayed by Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), forcing him to protect himself and his home from their return.
In 1992, Columbus took over the director’s chair for “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” a decision that might have seemed risky after departing “Christmas Vacation.” However, Columbus skillfully crafted another popular Christmas movie. Both “Christmas Vacation” and “Home Alone,” including its sequel, are among the most-watched holiday films, offering a delightful blend of laughter and Christmas spirit. Leaving “Christmas Vacation” appeared to be a potentially damaging move for Columbus, but it ultimately led him to direct other significant projects such as “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” and “Rent.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is currently available to stream on Hulu and Max.
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2024-12-24 15:39