Macaulay Culkin's 44th Birthday: A Look Back at His Best Movies

Macaulay Culkin's Iconic Roles

Macaulay Culkin claimed astonishing fame as a child star in the late 80s and early 90s who was also one of the most bankable child actors with several blockbusters to his credit. As the actor turns 44, these seven best movies of the actor deserve attention, they are diverse yet capture the consistent performance of Culkin with his charismatic charm.

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York does not mess with the original movie of the franchise. The sequel followed Culkin's character in New York stranded alone as his family spent Christmas in Florida. The plot is similar to the first one, most of the cast from the original, including Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern return as bungling crooks who, this time just happened to be in New York. While the movie which was released in 1992 could not capture the immaculate charm of the original, the movie remained a fun family film worth watching even today with the slapstick violence formula accomplished for Culkin's character.

The Pagemaster

Directed by Pixote Hunt and Joe Johnston, The Pagemaster starring Culkin, is one of the most underrated movies in his career. It's a creative story where the live-action persona of Culkin turns into his animated version after he runs into a library to take shelter from a storm. He enters and gets right into the middle of a most exciting, terrifying, and fantastic world. The catchy idea of this film is advanced with an excellent voice cast featuring Patrick Stewart, Christopher Lloyd, and Whoopi Goldberg. They give flesh to the storyline through their performances and make this odd live-action-animation hybrid all the more worthy.

Party Monster

Party Monster is not like Culkin’s other movies, here the actor has the space to experiment with a unique role portraying the true story of Michael Alig. Based on the memoir of James St James who was a friend of Alig, the narrative centers on Alig who is boarding a Greyhound bus and leaving his boring Midwestern life behind. He comes to New York City full of dreams. He quickly becomes friends with powerful nightclub owner Peter Gatien, played by Dylan McDermott, and downtown club youngster James St. James, played by Seth Green. Alig begins planning some of the most contentious and lavish parties in the city for fame.

My Girl

Directed by Howard Zieff, Culkin starrer My Girl is more grounded which in a way contradicts his role in the Home Alone franchise adding new layers to his prowess as an actor. My Girl revolves around the life of an 11-year-old hypochondriac named Vada Sultenfuss, raised in her father's funeral home. She glides through traumas in her childhood, like the loss of her mother and best friend. These played by Macaulay Culkin ultimately bring her closer to her distant father, helping her heal and grow.

The Good Son

Joseph Ruben’s The Good Son has again given young Culkin a chance to show his capability as an actor with a pretty serious role. Starring alongside Elijah Wood, Mark who stays with his aunt becomes friends with his cousin Henry played by Culkin. Henry displays violent and psychopathic behavior, introducing the audience to a dark world of a disturbing child’s psyche, but it is a treat for the audience as he nailed the role.

Uncle Buck

Planes, Trains and Automobiles actor, late John Candy’s collaboration with Culkin in Uncle Buck is a fun ride. The family-friendly comedy follows Candy, a bachelor forced into the role of guardian for his brother's rebellious teenage daughter and her younger siblings while the parents are abroad. The famous John Hughes written script allows every character to have their moment in the sun. The role was among the finest performances from Culkin, his strong portrayal paved the way for his future success in big-budget films.

Home Alone

Even though Culkin was just a child while signing these movies, Home Alone has to be the best movie of his career. Directed by Chris Columbus, the 1991 movie turned out to be an evergreen classic family comedy that still holds a huge fan base. In this first film of the Home Alone franchise, Culkin became Kevin McCallister, a resourceful little guy who got separated from his family and defends his home from two thieves in a comic yet clever manner.