Home Alone was produced and written by the venerable film legend, John Hughes. The movie was inspired by a real trip the director went on with his family.In an article for Chicago magazine, James Hughesson of the directorrecalls: On August 8, 1989, my father [John Hughes] jotted down in a notebook a movie idea born of travelers anxiety that occurred to him during the bustle of departing for our first family trip to Europe, and set it aside. Two weeks later, after returning home, he revisited the premise: What if one of the kids had been accidentally left behind?Hughes continues, Over the next nine days, he completed the first draft of Home Alone. According to that same article, Home Alone went on to defy everyones prerelease expectations, and quickly became the highest-grossing live-action comedy ever made. It earned $476.7 million worldwide.A Bit About the PlotDaniel Stern as Marv and Joe Pesci as Harry in Home AlonePhoto: Atlaspix / Alamy Stock PhotoThe original Home Alone follows the McCallisters as they prepare for an extended-family Christmas trip to France. The morning of their connecting flight to New York, their youngest son, Kevin McCallister (played by Macaulay Culkin), oversleeps, misses the family headcount, and gets left behindjust like John Hughes dreamt of. (Kevins parents were played by Catherine OHara and John Heard.)The first few days feel like sweet freedom, as Kevin basks in his first real dose of independence by tobogganing down the stairs, indulging in massive ice cream sundaes, and watching R-rated movies that uncle Frank (Gerry Bamman) would never allow.But the fun and games soon come to an end when Kevin is faced by the wet banditstwo bumbling burglars who have their sights set on robbing the McCallister home. Villains Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) soon realize the house isnt vacant like they first thought, and an endless game of cat and mouse ensues, with Kevin setting intricate booby traps to protect himself and his family home. All with a little help from old man Marley and his wicked brother Buzzs pet tarantula, of course.Where Was Home Alone Filmed?The street signs near the Home Alone housePhoto: Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images