Home Alone fans have a dark theory about Kevin’s Dad, and it explains one of the major unanswered questions from the films.
Just this week, Love Actually star Rowan Atkinson confirmed a long-held fan theory about his character, but this theory around Home Alone is a far darker one that totally reframes the film.
The first two Home Alone films starring Macaulay Culkin are arguably the most famous and popular Christmas films ever.
Culkin has spoken about being open to returning for a third film, but for now the first two featuring the child star alongside Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are all we’ve got.
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A number of major questions about the film have been answered by eagle eyed fans on social media.
Wondering why they left Kevin behind? During the big fight over pizza his plane ticket is destroyed without us noticing.
What was that scary film Kevin was watching and why haven’t I ever seen it? Angels With Filthy Souls isn’t real, and director Christopher Columbus shot it specifically for the movie.
One question which remains debated however is quite a simple one, how does a seemingly working class family with eight kids afford such a massive beautiful house?
One viewer took to the r/FanTheories subreddit to share their theory, suggesting that Peter McAllister is actually a criminal.
They stated they had rewatched the film lately and, as an adult, a few things had stood out to them as ‘fishy’, namely Kevin’s Dad.
They said: “My theory is that he's some kind of mid level criminal for the mob or something.”
The fan pointed to the fact that, despite us never finding out what he does beyond a vague mention of business, they somehow are able to afford a house that must be worth well over $1,000,000 (by today’s prices).
Kevin’s house is also called ‘The Silver Tuna’ by the Wet Bandits, suggesting it’s the biggest score in the neighbourhood, something that seems odd as there is nothing that seemingly differentiates the house from others on the street.
Fans in the comments spiralled into finding proof that this all points to some dodgy business, with some pointing out that Peter’s coat is worth thousands.
Another commented to ‘back them up, saying: “When Kevin plays the scene from Angels With Dirty Faces when Marv approaches, Marv runs away from the "gunfire" without hesitation and he seriously believes that a mob deal just went bad.
“Harry doesn't just humour him when he comes back scared. He tells him to see if there's a body.”
While the theory is pretty convincing, director Chris Columbus unfortunately shot it down in an interview last year.
When asked about how they could afford the massive house, Columbus said: “Back then, John [Heard] and I had a conversation about it, and we decided on what the jobs were.
“The father could have, based on John Hughes own experience, worked in advertising, but I don’t remember what the father did.”
One thing Columbus specifically ruled out though was him being in the mob, saying: “Not organized crime — even though there was, at the time, a lot of organized crime in Chicago.”
At the end of the day though, if imagining Peter McAllister was in the mob makes you have a better time watching Home Alone, who am I to tell you otherwise?
Topics: Home Alone, Macaulay Culkin, Reddit, Film, TV and Film, Christmas
Michael Slavin