Today, “Home Alone” is one of the top Christmas movies and one of the highest-grossing films of its time, but during production, the crew had no idea how successful it would become.
Scott Rosenfelt, who now lives in Ventnor, served as the film’s producer — though his official credit reads executive producer, something he calls “one of those little anomalies in the motion picture business.”
Rosenfelt said his role involved nearly every aspect of bringing the movie to life, far beyond what many people assume a producer does.
“My job was to actually physically make the movie,” he said. “To make sure we were supporting the director and his vision, working on the rewrites of the movie, the casting of the movie, the hiring of all the crew, staying on top of everybody to make sure they did their job, staying on top of creating the budget and following through on it.”
The production process spanned roughly a year, including about four months of pre-production, 63 days of filming and five months of post-production. The film ultimately landed at 20th Century Fox after an unexpected studio change.
“It was greenlit by one studio — Warner Brothers — very quickly,” Rosenfelt said. “And then as we got into pre-production, and they realized the movie was going to cost a little bit more…they got nervous.”
That uncertainty lasted about two weeks before another studio stepped in. “Once we knew that we were with another studio, everything was fine,” he said.
Casting proved pivotal. Rosenfelt said the team saw more than 100 children before picking Macaulay Culkin to play Kevin.
“There was just something different,” Rosenfelt said. “He stood out.”
He described Culkin as having “this ethereal quality,” adding, “He was funny, he was smart and he had already done a little bit of acting, so he knew how to learn his lines.”
Working with a child actor also presented logistical challenges, as children can work five hours a day at most. So, the schedule had to be reworked, Rosenfelt said.
Despite the careful planning and creative effort, Rosenfelt said no one expected the film to become a cultural phenomenon.
“When you’re making the movie, you just want to get the movie done,” Rosenfelt said. “Every day is tiring. It’s hard work.”
It wasn’t until test screenings that he sensed the film’s potential.
“People laughed exactly where they should,” he said. “Everything that we thought should be funny was funny. And then I knew we had something.”
Released in 1990, “Home Alone” remains a beloved holiday classic — so much so that Culkin toured this year to celebrate the film’s 35th anniversary. On Sunday, Dec. 7, he visited Ocean Casino for a celebratory screening of the film, followed by an “exclusive moderated interview and audience Q&A” with the actor.
At the event, Culkin reflected on his experience filming the movie, recalled favorite memories and interacted with audience members through a trivia game, creating a night filled with nostalgia.
Released in 1990, “Home Alone” became what Rosenfelt called “the highest grossing comedy in the history of Hollywood.” While the film remains his most commercially successful project, Rosenfelt said he has found fulfillment in other projects throughout his career.
Now living in Ventnor for the past 12 years, Rosenfelt recently shared his experience with a class at Holy Spirit High School, where his daughter attends. He worked with students in the Language Arts program as part of coursework focused on college-level writing, including timed free-response questions that challenge them to analyze prompts and build well-supported arguments.
As part of the assignment, students selected “Home Alone” as the focus of their essays, exploring themes such as setting, independence, resilience and family. Rosenfelt discussed storytelling and the creative process, providing a real-world connection to their classroom work.
“When students see how the skills they practice in class connect to real-world creativity and careers, learning becomes meaningful. Having Mr. Rosenfelt share his experience allowed our students to see that strong writing, critical thinking, and storytelling truly matter beyond the classroom,” said Michael McGhee, Holy Spirit High School principal.
For Rosenfelt, whose career now spans decades and continents, living locally has not slowed his work, but it has changed its setting. Now that the production business isn’t based in Los Angeles, he’s able to have a more flexible lifestyle and live where he wishes, something he’s appreciative of.
“It’s an interesting life. I don’t think I’d trade it for anything. I never wanted a regular job. A regular job was not for me,” he said. “Every day I have to figure out what I’m going to do. It’s a unique way to go about your life.”
Julia graduated from Rider University in 2024 with a BA in multiplatform journalism and minor in social media strategies. In addition to reporting on local news for Shore Local, she is a social media strategist for small businesses. Connect with her: shorelocaljulia@gmail.com or @juliatrain on Instagram.
