Macaulay Culkin was a 90s stalwart and is now a household name thanks to films like Home Alone and My Girl. He was undeniably one of the most successful child actors of the 1990s. While he is most remembered for roles he played before the age of 15, Culkin returned to acting as an adult after a nearly 10-year absence. Culkin had a sabbatical from acting following Richie Rich, when he became emancipated from his parents, until making a comeback with Party Monster in 2003.
While most of his recent films haven’t fared as well as those from the 1990s, many fans are nonetheless delighted to see the former child star return to the screen following his absence, and Culkin has recently been a fan favorite on American Horror Story. Thirty years after becoming a household name as Kevin McCallister in Home Alone, Macaulay Culkin’s reputation in Hollywood has been established.
On Friday, the The Righteous Gemstones actor was honored with the 2,765th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame alongside his family and friends, including Catherine O’Hara, who played Culkin’s mother in the classic Christmas picture, and Natasha Lyonne. Here are six top movies this winter season starring the newly-added Walk of Fame actor Macaulay Culkin.
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Home Alone
Many viewers will not be surprised that the Christmas classic that inspired five sequels is at the top of this list. Home Alone has wormed its way into the hearts of millions of people who watch the Christmas classic every year. Even My Girl benefited from the popularity of this film by having Culkin on all of the posters beside Chlumsky. His sequences are also the most memorable and well-known in the film, thanks to the success of this low-budget film that almost didn’t happen.
Home Alone (and its immediate sequel) helped define the rest of the 1990s, and while the franchise took a dip with later entries, many people still associate the first picture with the holiday season. As a result, it’s no surprise that Macaulay Culkin’s best film is the story of eight-year-old Kevin McCallister protecting his home from a couple of inept burglars.
Uncle Buck
For good reason, Uncle Buck was one of Culkin’s most well-known films. The family-friendly John Hughes 80s film starred John Candy, whose charisma lights up the screen. After a family death necessitates the attention of parents Bob (Garrett M. Brown) and Cindy (Elaine Bromka), they reluctantly entrust the care of their three children to Bob’s brother Buck. Over three decades after its first release, the film remained a family favorite. The only reason Uncle Buck is second is because the first entry is so outstanding.
My Girl
The story of a girl who was afraid of death and a guy who was allergic to everything is best known for the sad death of Thomas J. Sennett (Culkin) while attempting to collect a mood ring for his buddy Vada (Anna Chlumsky). His character was stung to death after returning to the site of a beehive he’d previously knocked off a tree in this film, which was released between the two Culkin Home Alone movies. While the film managed to merge sadness and comedy in a story told from the perspective of a kid, several critics felt that Vada’s grief was underrepresented.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Chris Columbus directed Home Alone 2 again, and it is nearly as unforgettable as the first. It retained much of the original’s family fun while switching the scene from the Chicago suburbs to New York City, so it’s no surprise that it was ranked nearly as high as Culkin’s other flicks. However, while the plot still set the tone for the festive season, it lacked the same charm, which is why it ranks just forth on this list.
Saved!
Jena Malone, who starred in The Hunger Games, played Mary, a teen who became pregnant while attending a Christian school. Culkin portrayed one of her classmates’ wheelchair-bound brothers, all of whom (including Mary) were on missions to save other pupils. Many fans connected with the dramedy about teenagers struggling to come to grips with their relationships with spirituality, s*x, family, and friendships, and the darkly humorous tone makes the serious subject matter hilarious and approachable. The biggest criticism of Saved! has been that some of the language isn’t as hilarious as the creators intended, especially when it was evident that writer Michael Urban and writer/director Brian Dannelly struggled with creating lines for teenagers.
Rocket Gibraltar
Levi (Burt Lancaster) invited his family to his 77th birthday celebration. His adult children were so preoccupied with their own lives that when Levi’s health deteriorated and he died, it was left to his grandkids to give him the Viking funeral he desired. It was Culkin’s feature film debut and is remembered lovingly as a farewell to Burt Lancaster.
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