Home Alone 2: Lost in New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Home Alone 2: Lost in New York |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Chris Columbus |
| Produced by | John Hughes |
| Written by | John Hughes |
| Starring | |
| Music by | John Williams |
| Cinematography | Julio Macat |
| Editing by | Raja Gosnell |
| Studio | Hughes Entertainment |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | November 20, 1992 |
| Running time | 120 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $28 million |
| Money made | $359 million |
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is a funny Christmas movie from 1992. It was directed by Chris Columbus and written by John Hughes. This film is a sequel to the popular 1990 movie Home Alone.
The movie is the second one in the Home Alone series. It stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister. Also in the film are Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, and Catherine O'Hara.
In this story, Kevin McCallister gets separated from his family again. They are going on a holiday trip to Florida. But Kevin accidentally ends up alone in New York City.
The movie was released on November 20, 1992. It made over $359 million worldwide. This made it the third highest-grossing film of 1992.
Contents
Story of Kevin's Adventure
The McCallister family is getting ready for Christmas in Miami. They are all at Peter and Kate's house in Chicago. Kevin, the youngest son, doesn't like the idea of a tropical Christmas. He thinks Florida won't feel like Christmas without snow or trees.
At a school show, Kevin's older brother Buzz plays a prank on him. Kevin pushes Buzz back, and all the singers fall down. This ruins the show. Back home, Buzz pretends to apologize. The family believes him and scolds Kevin. Kevin gets mad and wishes he could have a vacation all by himself. He goes to the attic.
The next morning, the family accidentally sleeps in. They rush to the airport. They think Kevin is with them. At the airport, Kevin loses sight of his family. He is holding his dad's bag. Kevin sees a man with a coat just like his dad's. He follows this man onto a plane to New York City.
Exploring New York City
When Kevin arrives in New York, he decides to explore the city. In Central Park, he sees a homeless woman who takes care of pigeons. She looks a bit scary to him at first. Kevin then goes to the Plaza Hotel. He uses his dad's credit card to check in.
Meanwhile, the Wet Bandits, Harry and Marv, have escaped from prison. They have also arrived in New York.
On Christmas Eve, Kevin visits a toy store. He meets the kind owner, Mr. Duncan. Kevin learns that money from the store's Christmas sales will go to a children's hospital. Kevin donates some cash. Mr. Duncan gives Kevin two ceramic turtledoves as a thank-you gift. He tells Kevin to give one to someone else to show lasting friendship.
At the Plaza Hotel, the concierge confronts Kevin. He thinks Kevin used a stolen credit card. Kevin escapes through a service exit. But then he runs into the Wet Bandits! Marv brags about their plan to rob Mr. Duncan's toy store. Kevin gets away after someone walks by.
Family Search and New Friends
Earlier, the McCallister family landed in Miami. They soon realize Kevin is missing. They report it to the police. The police trace Peter's credit card to New York. The family immediately flies there.
Kevin goes to his uncle's townhouse in New York. He finds it empty and being fixed up. In Central Park, Kevin meets the pigeon lady again. This time, they become friends. They go to Carnegie Hall. She tells him how her life changed when her lover left her. Kevin tells her to trust people again.
Kevin remembers Mr. Duncan's words about the hospital. He sees a sick child in a hospital window. He decides to stop Harry and Marv from robbing the toy store.
Traps and Teamwork
Kevin sets up many booby traps in the townhouse. He then visits the toy store while Harry and Marv are robbing it. Kevin takes their picture and breaks the store's window. This sets off the alarm. He then lures Harry and Marv to the townhouse. They fall into his traps and get hurt.
While the bad guys look for Kevin outside, he calls the police. He then leads Harry and Marv into Central Park. They catch him after he slips on ice. Harry holds Kevin at gunpoint. But the pigeon lady helps! She throws birdseed onto Harry and Marv. A huge flock of pigeons attacks them.
Kevin sets off fireworks to signal the police. The police scare off the pigeons with a gunshot. They arrest Harry and Marv. Kevin gives them enough proof to keep the bad guys locked up. At the toy store, Mr. Duncan finds a note from Kevin. It explains how Kevin stopped the robbery.
The McCallister family arrives in New York. Kate remembers Kevin loves Christmas trees. She finds him making a wish at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.
On Christmas morning, a truck full of gifts arrives at the McCallisters' hotel room. Mr. Duncan sent them to thank Kevin. Kevin makes up with his family. He goes to Central Park to give the pigeon lady the second turtledove. This makes their friendship special.
Main Characters
- Macaulay Culkin as Kevin: A smart 10-year-old boy who is good at making inventions.
- Joe Pesci as Harry: A short, easily angered thief.
- Daniel Stern as Marv: A tall, not-so-smart thief.
- Catherine O'Hara as Kate: Kevin's mom.
- John Heard as Peter: Kevin's dad.
- Devin Ratray as Buzz: Kevin's oldest brother, who often causes trouble for Kevin.
- Hillary Wolf as Megan: Kevin's older sister.
- Maureen Elisabeth Shay as Linnie: Kevin's older sister.
- Michael C. Maronna as Jeff: Kevin's older brother.
- Gerry Bamman as Uncle Frank: Kevin's uncle and Peter's older brother.
- Terrie Snell as Aunt Leslie: Kevin's aunt.
- Jedidiah Cohen as Rod: Kevin's older cousin.
- Senta Moses as Tracy: Kevin's older cousin.
- Daiana Campeanu as Sondra: Kevin's older cousin.
- Kieran Culkin as Fuller: Kevin's youngest cousin.
- Anna Slotky as Brooke: Kevin's younger cousin.
- Tim Curry as Mr. Hector (Concierge): The hotel manager at the Plaza Hotel who doesn't trust Kevin.
- Brenda Fricker as the Pigeon Lady: A kind woman in Central Park who feeds pigeons and becomes Kevin's friend.
- Eddie Bracken as Mr. Duncan: The owner of Duncan's Toy Chest.
- Dana Ivey as Hester Stone (Desk Clerk): The desk clerk at the Plaza Hotel.
- Rob Schneider as Cedric (Bellman): A bellhop at the Plaza Hotel.
- Donald Trump as himself: The owner of the Plaza Hotel at the time.
Making the Movie
Film Development
In February 1991, news came out that John Hughes would make six movies for 20th Century Fox. One of these movies was a sequel to Home Alone.
In May 1991, Macaulay Culkin agreed to be in the sequel. He was paid $4.5 million, plus 5% of the movie's earnings. For the first movie, he earned $110,000. The total cost to make Home Alone 2 was $28 million.
Filming Locations
The movie was filmed from December 9, 1991, to May 1, 1992. This took 144 days. Filming happened in Winnetka, Illinois, O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Evanston, Illinois, and New York City.
The director, Chris Columbus, said that Donald Trump allowed them to film in the Plaza Hotel lobby. Trump owned the hotel back then. In return, he got a small appearance in the movie.
Movie Music
John Williams created the music for Home Alone 2 again. The movie used the theme song from the first film, "Somewhere in My Memory." It also had a new theme song called "Christmas Star."
Two soundtrack albums were released on November 20, 1992. One had Williams' music. The other had Christmas songs from the movie. Ten years later, a special 2-disc version of the movie score was released.
Release and Promotion
Promotional Items
Many video games based on Home Alone 2 were released. THQ made them for systems like the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. A separate hand-held game was made by Tiger Electronics.
The Talkboy cassette recorder was a popular toy from the movie. Tiger Electronics made it based on ideas from John Hughes. It sold very well after the movie came out on video. Other companies like American Airlines and the Coca-Cola Company also partnered with the movie.
Home Video Releases
The movie first came out on VHS and LaserDisc on July 27, 1993. It was later released on DVD on October 5, 1999.
Home Alone 2 came out on Blu-ray on October 6, 2009. It was also part of a collection with the first Home Alone movie. On October 6, 2015, all five Home Alone movies were released together. This was called Home Alone: 25th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Christmas Edition.
Other Stories and Books
More Movies in the Series
A third movie with new actors, Home Alone 3, came out in 1997. Two TV movies, Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House and Home Alone: The Holiday Heist, aired in 2002 and 2012. The sixth movie in the series, Home Sweet Home Alone, was released in 2021.
The Movie as a Book
Home Alone 2 was also turned into a book by Todd Strasser. It was published by Scholastic in 1992. Another version with the same story was written by A.L. Singer. An audiobook version was also released, read by Tim Curry, who played the concierge in the movie.
In the book, the McCallisters live in Oak Park, Illinois. The crooks are named Harry Lime and Marv Murchins. The book also says the story happens one year after the first movie. However, Kevin and his siblings are two years older in the book.
The book starts with a dream Marv has in prison. In his dream, he and Harry go back to Kevin's house for revenge. Kevin runs into the garage, and Harry and Marv follow. They set off more traps Kevin had hidden in the garage. Kevin watches as Marv triggers a trap where a running lawnmower falls on his head.
Images for kids
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A robot icon.
See also
In Spanish: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York para niños
