Summary: As Norway's worst postal student, Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) is exiled to Smeerensburg and instructed to deliver 6,000 letters within a year. Through befriending a carpenter named Klaus (J.K. Simmons) and a teacher named Alva (Rashida Jones), Jesper is able to bring joy back to the town.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Why you should watch it: Critics praised the beautiful animation and hopeful narrative.

Summary: In this magical musical, toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whitaker) teams up with his granddaughter Journey (Madalen Mills) to recover an invention stolen from him long ago and restore his legacy.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

Why you should watch it: Critics said the film is creative and fun for adults and kids alike. If you love musicals and the magic of Christmas, "Jingle Jangle" is fun to watch.

Summary: "Let It Snow" is a holiday rom-com about a group of young people in a small town in Illinois who are forced together by a snowstorm.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%

Why you should watch it: "Let It Snow" is more diverse than the typical Christmas rom-com, and critics praised the charming young cast.

Summary: The 1954 musical follows two former soldiers-turned-performers as they meet a beautiful sister singing duo. The two groups must work together to save the lodge owned by the soldiers' former commander.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%

Why you should watch it: Critics said "White Christmas" is warm and cozy. Perfect for a winter afternoon.

Summary: Lacey Chabert stars as Kathy, a grieving widow who accidentally brings a snowman to life with a magic scarf. When she takes the responsibility of looking after the living snowman (Dustin Milligan), she gains a new perspective on life.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79%

Why you should watch it: On the surface, "Hot Frosty" seems like a silly film about a hot snowman, but it's also the perfect self-aware cozy movie to watch during the holidays.

Summary: Taron Egerton stars as a young, apathetic TSA agent who is blackmailed by a mysterious traveler (Jason Bateman) into allowing a mysterious package through security checks. The agent instead tries to stop the package from reaching its destination while protecting his loved ones.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%

Why you should watch it: This is the closest thing to "Die Hard" on Netflix's catalog. A fun, electrifying thriller set on Christmas Eve, where one man takes on a team of highly trained terrorists.

Summary: In the "Princess Switch" franchise, Vanessa Hudgens plays numerous lookalikes who bump into each other during the Christmas season in the kingdom of Belgravia. Chaos ensues.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 53% - 56%

Why you should skip it: While the first "Princess Switch" was received reasonably well, the sequels — "The Princess Switch: Switched Again" and "The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star" — overdid it with the switching.

Summary: This franchise stars Rose McIver as a magazine journalist who falls for a prince while trying to write an exposé about him.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 36% - 50%

Why you should skip it: "A Christmas Prince" was fun, but sequels "A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding" and "A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby" made this royal love story outstay its welcome.

Summary: Sloane (Emma Roberts) and Jackson (Luke Bracey) are sick of bad dates and meddling family members. When they have a chance encounter, they decide to pretend to be a couple for the holidays. The arrangement works until they start to grow feelings for each other.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 45%

Why you should skip it: Roberts and Bracey have great chemistry, but critics thought the film was mediocre.

Summary: In the Christmassy sequel to "Bad Moms," Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Hahn return as three mothers living life to the fullest, defying social expectations. This time, they are rebelling against their mothers, who are making the holidays difficult.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 32%

Why you should skip it: Critics said the sequel was not as funny or charming as the original "Bad Moms." "A Bad Moms Christmas" is fun to watch once, but it won't become a Christmas classic.

Summary: Ian Harding and Lindsay Lohan team up as two exes forced to be nice to each other at a family Christmas gathering when they discover their new lovers are siblings.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 38%

Why you should skip it: Lindsay Lohan's Netflix holiday movies are divisive: you either love how bad they are or are completely bored by them. Critics said "Our Little Secret" is better than Lohan's other two movies but still formulaic, and the two lead stars have poor chemistry.

Summary: Charlotte (Heather Graham) is envious of her old college friend Jackie (Brandy Norwood), who sends a Christmas letter every year about her family's accomplishments. When Charlotte and her family get stuck at Jackie's house for Christmas, Charlotte attempts to expose Jackie for lying about her perfect life.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 40%

Why you should skip it: Critics were not enthused by this film, with most saying that the story was poor and did not make much sense.

Iris writes for the society column at The Daily Telegraph.

At the beginning of the film, the camera pans across her desk, showing scattered marriage announcements and photos.

These are all visible before her job title is actually mentioned during the company holiday party, so eagle-eyed viewers may have already figured it out. 

At the beginning of Amanda and Ethan's argument, she throws two sneakers at him.

Both shoes land behind him in the hallway outside their bedroom.

Throughout the next few shots, the shoes seem to disappear and reappear on the floor behind him. 

Amanda's gardener overhears the conversation between Amanda and Ethan when their argument continues outside.

Amanda asks Ethan to admit to having an affair with his secretary and says she really wants to know the truth. 

Before he answers, the gardener looks at Ethan and shakes his head, presumably to warn Ethan against confessing.

It's hard to miss Lohan's uncredited cameo in "The Holiday" — she appears in Amanda's movie trailer alongside James Franco. But there's a story behind her appearance in the film. 

Nancy Myers, the writer and director of "The Holiday," also created Lohan's first feature film, "The Parent Trap."

In a 2006 interview with ComingSoon.net, Meyer's said, "I know Lindsay because I directed 'The Parent Trap' and I told her she owes me everything so I made her do it."

The director added, "I called her and said, 'You have to do this for me,' but she was sweet about it, she was totally there."

The trailer Amanda works on at the beginning of the film and the one she dreams later on are both narrated by recognizable voice actor Hal Douglas.

Before his death in 2014 at the age of 89, he was well-known for narrating thousands of movie trailers, including those for "Forrest Gump" and "Lethal Weapon."

Amanda and Iris find each other through the house-swapping website HomeExchange.

It's a real company and website that's still running today. It continues to offer the experience shown in the film, where two users agree to stay at each other's homes for a set amount of time.

The site even credits the film for really putting it on the map. x

Amanda brings a big stack of books on her vacation, featuring many popular reads from the late 1990s and early 2000s. 

The pile includes the spiritual book "The Power of Now" (1997), young-adult fiction novel "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (1997), and Alice Munro's short-story collection "Runaway" (2004).

When Iris first arrives at Amanda's house, she excitedly explores each room.

For most of the tour, her scarf is loosely looped around her neck once.

However, there are a handful of shots where her scarf is instead tied in a double layer around her neck.

Amanda has a massive DVD collection at her house, which isn't surprising seeing as she makes movie trailers for a living. 

Based on various shots, the DVDs seem to be sorted in alphabetical order. When Iris looks more closely at the shelves, she's near the "G" section. 

"Enigma" (2001) can also be spotted on one shelf, which is a bit of a pop-culture paradox since Kate Winslet (who played Iris) starred in the movie.

After excitedly looking through Amanda's impressive DVD collection, Iris settles on "Punch-Drunk Love" (2002).

The choice pretty perfectly coincides with her plot in "The Holiday" as the 2002 rom-com follows an American man who falls for an English woman.

When Iris and Arthur have their meet-cute, he asks her where in England she's from, and she says, Surrey. 

He excitedly responds that Cary Grant was from Surrey, which he knows because the famous actor told him.

However, Grant was actually from Bristol, another English town. 

Arthur explains the concept of a meet-cute — the moment in a rom-com when a couple meets for the first time — to Iris.

He then gives an example of a man and a woman meeting at a store while trying to buy separate halves of the same pajama set.

This exact scenario is the meet-cute in "Bluebeard's Eighth Wife" (1938).

Graham and his daughters, Olivia and Sophie, tell Amanda that they always drink hot cocoa with five marshmallows each.

Whenever the shot shows a clear view of their mugs, there are indeed five marshmallows in each cup.

When Amanda hangs out with Graham and his daughters, Olivia comments that they never have girl visitors at the house.

But their aunt Iris lives nearby, and judging by their reaction to seeing her at the New Year's Eve party at the end of the film, they're fans of hers. 

Just like Amanda's wall of DVD shelves, Graham has a wall of bookcases in his house. This is equally fitting since he works as a book editor. 

His collection seems to include a number of classics — there's a Tennessee Williams collection visible on the same shelf as a Dylan Thomas book.

However, there are also multiple travel guides on the shelves.

While perusing Blockbuster with Iris, Miles picks up a copy of "Driving Miss Daisy" and tells her the iconic score was done by Hans Zimmer.

Zimmer actually composed the score for "The Holiday" as well.

Miles continues pulling multiple movies from the shelves of the video store to comment on the different scores, including "Jaws."

The movie was sorted in the "drama" section, but it's most commonly referred to as an adventure/thriller.

During the video-store scene, when Miles picks up "The Graduate" (1967) and starts singing Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson," the camera flashes down the row to Dustin Hoffman perusing the shelves. 

Hoffman starred as Ben Braddock in the 1967 film, and his cameo in "The Holiday" was actually happenstance. 

In the DVD commentary, Meyers said they were filming at a Blockbuster in the Brentwood neighborhood of LA, and Hoffman was having lunch next door. Meyers knew the actor, so she invited him on set, and he jumped into the scene. 

They didn't even change his clothes or give him any makeup. 

This story was originally published in December 2022 and most recently updated on December 19, 2024.

In "You've Got Mail," Hanks' character, Joe, is a third-generation businessman who opens a commercial chain bookstore called Fox Books on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

By the time Hanks — one of America's favorite actors — landed the part, he had been appearing in movies and TV for nearly 20 years, beginning with roles in sitcoms like ABC's "Bosom Buddies" and NBC's "Family Ties."

In the 1990s, Hanks impressively earned two consecutive Oscars for his performances in the dramas "Philadelphia" (1993) and "Forrest Gump" (1994), which was based on Winston Groom's novel of the same name.

He also received best actor award nominations for "Big" (1988) and "Saving Private Ryan" (1998).

In addition to appearing in the baseball film "A League of Their Own" (1992) and the NASA biopic "Apollo 13" (1995), Hanks was in "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993), another iconic Ephron rom-com in which he starred opposite Ryan.

Additionally, he voiced Woody, a Wild West action figure, in Pixar's "Toy Story" (1995).

Following "You've Got Mail," Hanks had starring roles in late-1990s and early-2000s hits such as "The Green Mile" (1999), "Cast Away" (2000), and "Catch Me If You Can" (2002). 

He also lent his voice to the conductor in "The Polar Express" (2004) and reprised his role as Woody in all the "Toy Story" sequels, most recently "Toy Story 4" (2019). 

Hanks has notably portrayed a number of real-life figures on the screen, too.

He played Walt Disney in "Saving Mr. Banks" (2013), pilot Chesley Sullenberger in "Sully" (2016), Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee in "The Post" (2017), and Fred Rogers in "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" (2019), which scored him an Academy Award nomination.

He also held roles in the Apple TV+ war drama "Greyhound" (2020) and Amazon's "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" (2020). 

His most recent projects include "Elvis" (2022), Disney's live-action "Pinocchio" (2022), "A Man Called Otto" (2022), and "The Bloody Hundredth" (2024). 

Ryan played Kathleen, the owner of an independent children's bookstore called The Shop Around the Corner. After joining an over-30 chat room online, Kathleen unknowingly starts an epistolary romance with Joe, her business rival. 

Like Hanks, Ryan began professionally acting in the early 1980s.

Some of her first credits include lead roles in the long-running CBS soap opera "As the World Turns" — her character, Betsy Stewart, was a fan favorite whose on-screen wedding garnered 20 million viewers — and in the Western ABC series "Wildside."

Leaving TV for Hollywood, Ryan had a supporting part in "Top Gun" (1986) as Nick "Goose" Bradshaw's wife, Carole. But it was her roles in romantic comedies that earned her a reputation as "America's sweetheart." 

Opposite Billy Crystal, she charmed viewers in Rob Reiner's friends-to-lovers romance "When Harry Met Sally…" (1989). In "Sleepless in Seattle," she played a journalist who falls for a single dad (Hanks) after his young son calls into a radio talk show.

Ryan went on to star in the drama "When a Man Loves a Woman" (1994) and appeared opposite Nicolas Cage in the romantic fantasy "City of Angels" (1998).

She also provided the speaking voice for the title character in "Anastasia" (1997), the animated musical inspired by the Russian royal family. 

In 2001, Ryan starred in "Kate and Leopold," a romantic drama that centers on a 19th-century duke (Hugh Jackman) who time-travels to present-day New York.

A few years later, she pivoted to roles in independent films such as "In the Land of Women" (2007) and "Serious Moonlight" (2009).

Ryan's projects in the 2010s have ranged from Lisa Kudrow's improvisational Showtime comedy series "Web Therapy" about a psychologist's teletherapy practice to the film "Fan Girl" (2015), which stars Kiernan Shipka as a teen who wants to make a movie about All Time Low, her favorite band. 

On top of making her directorial debut with "Ithaca" (2015), a drama based on William Saroyan's novel "The Human Comedy," she also starred in it alongside Hanks and her son, Jack Quaid.

She most recently directed and starred alongside David Duchovny in a romantic comedy called "What Happens Later" (2023).

Although better known as a comedian, Chappelle had several film credits to his name by the time he played Kevin, Joe's best friend and a store manager at Fox Books.

Chappelle was in Mel Brooks' musical parody "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" (1993) and the 1996 remake of the sci-fi comedy "The Nutty Professor."

He also appeared in the action-thriller "Con Air" (1997). 

Chappelle recorded his first hourlong HBO stand-up special, "Dave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly," in 2000.

Three years later, he launched "Chappelle's Show," a weekly sketch series on Comedy Central that aired until 2006. 

In addition to touring his stand-up act around the country, he has earned three consecutive Grammy awards for best comedy album. 

Although mainly focusing on stand-up, Chappelle still acts from time to time. He played Morris in Spike Lee's "Chi-Raq" (2015) and George "Noodles" Stone in "A Star is Born" (2018). 

In recent years, he has appeared in his own TV comedy specials.

Kinnear played Kathleen's boyfriend, Frank, a New York Observer writer who loves analog technology, especially typewriters, and decries the computer revolution. 

Kinnear had a number of small parts in shows and in made-for-TV movies in the late 1980s before making his feature-film debut in the superhero parody "Blankman" (1994).

His first major role was in Sydney Pollack's remake of the romantic drama "Sabrina" (1995) opposite Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond. 

In 1997, he starred in "As Good as It Gets" as Simon Bishop, a painter who lives next door to a reclusive romance novelist (Jack Nicholson). Kinnear earned his first and only Oscar nomination to date for that performance. 

Kinnear's biggest roles in the 2000s spanned from baseball coach Roy Bullock in Richard Linklater's remake of "Bad News Bears" (2005) to pageant dad Richard Hoover in the hit independent film "Little Miss Sunshine."

He also played Tina Fey's romantic interest in "Baby Mama" (2008). 

He also starred as Jack Kennedy in Reelz's "The Kennedys," played billionaire Bill Shepherd in season six of Netflix's "House of Cards," and made a cameo as himself in Netflix's "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt."

Additionally, he portrayed a young Joe Biden in "Confirmation" (2016), which chronicles Clarence Thomas' Supreme Court nomination hearings, and has starred in festival-favorite indies such as "Little Men" (2016) and "Brigsby Bear" (2017). 

Kinnear appeared in the thriller "Dreamland (2019)," costarring Armie Hammer, Gary Oldman, and Lily-Rose Depp. He also held roles in the Apple TV series "Black Bird" and season four of Netflix's "You."

Posey played one of the most misunderstood characters in "You've Got Mail" — Patricia, a high-powered book editor who Joe dates for most of the movie. 

Despite coming off as aloof and self-absorbed, the ambitious Patricia offers to give Kathleen a job when The Shop Around the Corner is jeopardized by Fox Books. 

Posey gained name recognition in the 1990s from appearing in Richard Linklater's "Dazed and Confused" (1993), "Kicking and Screaming" (1995), and the cult classic "Party Girl" (1995). 

She also portrayed art dealer Mary Boone in the biopic "Basquiat" (1996) and starred in the mockumentary "Waiting for Guffman" (1997). 

Posey's movie roles in the 2000s ranged from Fiona, a conspiracy-spouting record company executive, in "Josie and the Pussycats" (2001) to Kitty Kowalski, Lex Luthor's nurse and eventual girlfriend, in "Superman Returns" (2006). 

More recently, she appeared in Woody Allen's "Café Society" (2016), a romantic drama set in the 1930s, and "Columbus" (2017), filmmaker Kogonada's feature directorial debut. 

Posey also starred as June Harris, also known as Dr. Smith, in the Netflix sci-fi reboot "Lost in Space," which aired from 2018 to 2021. 

She has also played recurring parts in ABC's "Boston Legal," CBS' "The Good Wife," and TBS-HBO's "Search Party" in addition to making guest appearances on series like NBC's "Will and Grace," "Parks and Recreation," and "New Girl."

Posey also played Blair in AMC's "Tales of the Walking Dead" and is set to appear in season three of HBO Max's "The White Lotus."

Zahn played goofy bookseller George in "You've Got Mail." 

Prior to acting on screen, Zahn cut his teeth onstage. In 1991, he helped form the Malaparte Theatre Company with Ethan Hawke and playwright Jonathan Marc Sherman. The collective focused on works about male anxiety.

In 1994, he appeared with Hawke in the cult classic "Reality Bites," a film focusing on recent college grads in Houston.

He also starred alongside Hanks in "That Thing You Do!" (1996), Hanks' directorial debut about a fictional 1960s band.

Zahn provided the voice for the cat Monty in "Stuart Little" (1999), played Rosencrantz in Michael Almereyda's contemporary version of "Hamlet" (2000), and starred as Drew Barrymore's ex in the coming-of-age film "Riding in Cars with Boys" (2001). 

His movie roles in the 2010s have included parts in "Dallas Buyers Club" (2013), "Captain Fantastic" (2016), "Where'd You Go, Bernadette" (2019), and the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" film series, based on the books by Jeff Kinney. 

Also known for his work as a TV actor, Zahn starred in the New Orleans-set HBO drama "Treme" as Davis McAlary and in the ABC sci-fi thriller "The Crossing" as Jude Ellis.

Additionally, he played the Dunphys' neighbor, Ronnie, in ABC's "Modern Family."

Zahn also voiced an emotional support dog that helps an anxious preteen in Netflix's family comedy "The Healing Powers of Dude." Zahn appeared as Mark, a father with an inferiority complex, in season one of HBO Max's "The White Lotus" and most recently held a role in season two of the Apple TV+ show "Silo."

Burns played Christina Plutzker, George's droll coworker at the bookstore.

Before appearing in "You've Got Mail," Burns had small parts in NBC's "Law and Order" and ABC-Hulu's soap opera "One Life to Live." 

Burns has acted in multiple films with Sandra Bullock, beginning with her performance as Miss Rhode Island, Cheryl, in "Miss Congeniality" and continuing with "Two Weeks Notice" (2002) and "Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous" (2005).

She is also known for her roles in "Bewitched" (2005) and "What's Your Number?" (2011). 

Burns also starred in the HBO comedy "Bored to Death" and the NBC sitcom "Save Me."

She also had recurring roles and guest parts in shows such as NBC's "Blindspot," Amazon's "Sneaky Pete," and Netflix's "The Politician." 

She appeared most recently in an episode of the timely Netflix anthology "Social Distance." Since then, she's held roles in the Paramount+ drama "The Good Fight" and HBO Max's "Julia."

Stapleton played Birdie, the eccentric and sage bookkeeper at The Shop Around the Corner who Kathleen confides in about her personal life. 

Stapleton, who had a background in theater, began acting in movies and TV shows in the 1950s. Her first film role was in the musical "Damn Yankees" (1958).

She went on to star in "Up the Down Staircase" (1967), a drama based on the novel of the same name by Bel Kaufman.

She's perhaps best known for her role as matriarch Edith Bunker in the CBS sitcom "All in the Family," which earned her three Emmys.

She  guest-starred in hit CBS series in the 1990s and early 2000s like "Murphy Brown," "Everybody Loves Raymond," and "Touched By an Angel." 

In 2013, Stapleton died of natural causes at age 90. Her final movies included the direct-to-video sequel "Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World" (1998) and the rom-com "Pursuit of Happiness" (2001).

This story was originally published in December 2020 and most recently updated on December 18, 2024.

No, Ferrell wasn't belching on-screen for an impressively long time in the film. Instead, the long burp was recorded by Maurice LaMarche.

Better known as the voice of Brain from "Pinky and the Brain," LaMarche's vocal contributions to the film were uncredited, but his belch will live on in cinematic history.

Although Buddy is one of Ferrell's most well-known roles, Vulture reported that when the script was first circulating in 1993, Carrey was the first choice to play the curious elf.

Many scenes from "Elf" were set in New York City, but a lot of the production actually took place in Canada.

VFX supervisor Joe Bauer told Creative Planet Network in 2012 that "Elf" director Jon Favreau wanted to use "analog techniques" to bring the magic to the North Pole.

The crew used techniques like forced perspective to make Buddy look bigger than the elves around him.

Bauer also told Creative Planet Network that the sets for the North Pole were meant to establish a scale for the elves in the film. The teams worked with a two-thirds scale to allow Ferrell to seem bigger than his elven counterparts.

Afterward, the crew would adjust the height of the cameras and objects to bring the optical illusion to life.

Even though it might not seem obvious, CGI was used in some parts of the film — including the snowball scene.

Naturally, the miraculously long throw during this scene was CGI, as were any snowballs you didn't see thrown by someone.

Actor Peter Billingsley played the iconic role of Ralphie in classic holiday movie "A Christmas Story." He also made an uncredited appearance in "Elf" as Ming Ming the elf.

This story was originally published on November 27, 2018, and most recently updated on December 12, 2025.

"Elf" director Favreau makes an appearance in the film as Buddy's doctor.

"Elf" has a lot of great scenes, but the one of elves playing hockey wasn't meant to be one of them. This scene was cut from the film, but you can still watch it online.

For just a few short weeks at the end of 2010, "Elf" was transformed into a Broadway musical that brought in a reported $1.4 million in just one week.

In a 2015 interview with Good Morning America, Ferrell said he's surprised that "Elf" has continued to be successful years after its release.

He joked that it could have been his last movie, but instead, the film has become a cult classic.

According to Esquire, the famous "throne of lies" scene was filmed in one take. This was due to a tight budget and because production had little time to rebuild such an intricate set. 

In 2006, Ferrell told The Observer he turned down a reported $29 million offer to star in the sequel. He said he didn't want to do it just for the money. 

"I remember asking myself: could I withstand the criticism when it's bad and they say, 'He did the sequel for the money?' I decided I wouldn't be able to," he told the publication. 

Later, in 2013, Ferrell reaffirmed his decision to People, saying he wouldn't make another "Elf" movie. He said it would look "slightly pathetic" if he tried to "squeeze" back into his elf tights.

After receiving the heartbreaking news, Iris is depressed and distraught. However, after getting a request from Los Angeles movie trailer executive Amanda, played by Cameron Diaz, to switch homes for the holidays, everything starts to look up for Iris. 

While in Los Angeles, she befriends an elderly neighbor who wrote for many old Hollywood movies and gains self-confidence. She also meets a film score writer, played by Jack Black. Their adorable friendship turns romantic at the end of the movie.

After "The Holiday," Winslet starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in "Revolutionary Road," for which she won a Golden Globe award for best actress in a leading role. She also won an Academy Award for best actress in a leading role for "The Reader" in 2009.

More recently, Winslet starred alongside "Little Women" star Saoirse Ronan in "Ammonite," a period drama released in 2020, and multiple television series, including "Lee." Winslet also received an Emmy Award in 2021 for her role on HBO's "Mare of Easttown."

Winslet also starred in "Avatar: The Way of Water," the highly anticipated sequel to James Cameron's "Avatar," which was released in 2022.

After breaking up with her unfaithful boyfriend and switching homes with Iris for the holidays, Amanda enters a whirlwind romance with Iris' brother, Graham. They fall head over heels for each other but recognize their relationship will be complicated if they're living on opposite sides of the world. 

Amanda leaves to go back to Los Angeles but finds herself crying over the idea of leaving Graham. In the end, they decide they'll try to make it work.

In addition to her decades-long acting career, Cameron Diaz has also worked as a producer and an author. The star announced her retirement from acting in 2014. 

"I got a peace in my soul, because I finally was taking care of myself," Diaz told Gwyneth Paltrow on her Goop podcast in August 2020. "It's a strange thing to say; I know a lot of people won't understand it; I know you understand it, but it's so intense to work at that level and be that public and put yourself out there."

Diaz and her husband, Benji Madden, announced the birth of their first child, Raddix, in 2019.

After an eight-year hiatus from Hollywood, Diaz returned to acting to star alongside Jamie Foxx in the upcoming Netflix movie "Back in Action."

Graham is a widower and explains that he never introduces anyone to his two children, or even tells the women he sees that they exist. He prefers to be seen as a young, single guy with no attachments or complications.

However, this changes when he meets Amanda and they fall in love.

Law also co-starred with Robert Downey Jr. in the Sherlock Holmes films and Keira Knightley in "Anna Karenina."

In 2016, Law starred in the title role in HBO's "The Young Pope." The actor has also played prominent roles in "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" and "Captain Marvel."

His most recent acting credits include appearing again as Albus Dumbledore in "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" and as Captain Hook in "Peter Pan & Wendy."

Miles is originally introduced as one of Amanda's ex-boyfriend's friends and his friendship with Iris grows throughout the movie. They connect by watching old Hollywood movies, many of which were written by Arthur.

Their friendship turns romantic after they decide to help prepare Arthur for an event in his honor. Miles breaks up with his actress girlfriend Maggie, who has said she's been filming on location but has instead been cheating on him. In the end, Miles asks Iris if she will be his date on New Year's Eve and she says yes.

After "The Holiday," Black starred in films like "Tropic Thunder," "Gulliver's Travels," and "Goosebumps." He also held starring roles in the "Kung Fu Panda" franchise and in the two most recent "Jumanji" movies. 

In 2018, Black was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Most recently, he starred as Satan in the 2024 holiday comedy "Dear Santa" and reprised his role as Po in "Kung Fu Panda 4." He also voiced the role of Bowser in "The Super Mario Bros. Movie."

In addition to his acting career, Black is the lead singer of the band "Tenacious D." The band, which formed 30 years ago, continues to tour, although their 2024 tour was cut short in light of a comment Black's bandmate, Kyle Gass, made about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump in July. Gass apologized for the remark, and Black told Variety in August, "We'll be back."

He also runs the YouTube channel Jablinski Games.

After befriending his new next-door neighbor Iris and Miles, he attends an event celebrating his achievements in the film industry. 

Wallach's prolific acting career spanned more than six decades, with his most notable film appearances including roles in "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," "The Godfather: Part III," "How to Steal a Million," and "The Misfits," which is most commonly known as Marilyn Monroe's last completed film.

"The Holiday" was one of Wallach's final film appearances.

After leading Iris on for years, Jasper gets engaged and announces it in front of his and Iris' entire office at a Christmas party. Iris tells Jasper she is going on holiday to get over him.

However, instead of leaving her alone, Jasper asks Iris for notes on his manuscript while she's on vacation. He also shows up in Los Angeles unannounced to tell Iris he's afraid of losing her but is still engaged. Finally, Iris breaks it off.

Sewell has appeared in "The Man in the High Castle" and "Victoria," and he guest-starred in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" as a stubborn but genius artist.

His most recent acting credits include roles in "Kaleidoscope" and "The Trouble with Jessica," and he stars alongside Keri Russell in Netflix's "The Diplomat," which is in its second season.

After a rip-roaring fight in one of the first scenes of the movie, Ethan tells Amanda he has cheated on her with his secretary but blames it on the fact that he doesn't feel connected to Amanda. He also points out that she doesn't "even shed a tear" during their breakup. 

In recent years, Burns has directed and produced several of the projects he's acted in, including "27 Dresses," "Public Morals," "Summertime," "Beneath the Blue Suburban Skies," and "Bridge and Tunnel." 

He is married to model Christy Turlington — they wed in 2003. They have two children, Grace and Finn.

Not much about Maggie is known other than the fact she's beautiful, likes to talk on the phone while Miles is listening to classical music in the car, and she cheats on him while pretending to be acting on location.

In the end, Maggie tries to win Miles back, but they break up.

Her most recent television credits included roles in "Mistresses," "Wayward Pines," and "Sleepy Hollow." She's also acted in several indie movies.

As of 2020, Sossamon was working on a project called "The Maude Room," a short-form variety show that she described as "a little picture show theater."

"What I wanted to do is to create a space that's like film school in a way. I'm doing mostly everything myself, holding the camera and doing all the post [production], and I'm loving it," she told Refinery 29 in September 2020.

However, the project has yet to be released.

Sophie appeared in adorable scenes alongside her younger sister, Olivia.

Englefield, 6, was living with her dad when filming started and had only recently become permanently housed after being homeless, the actor told Vulture in 2020.

According to her Instagram page, Englefield, now 25, lives in West Sussex, England. In April 2020, she welcomed her first child. 

"She has the largest and most loving family with the most ridiculous mix of beautiful people around her," she wrote in an Instagram post at the time. The former actor's account has since been set private. "We cannot wait for you all to meet her once the world begins to return to a more normal state."

Englefield, who now has dark hair and tattoos, said in a 2019 Instagram story that she struggled to find acting gigs because of her new look, People reported.

"As an adult, I've found that casting directors aren't overly seeking people who 'look like me' to play roles, even though body modifications aren't rare these days and are the most common they have ever been," she said.

Englefield has also shared a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to work on "The Holiday" on her TikTok page.

In a 2022 TikTok video, she answered frequently asked questions about starring in the film and said she hasn't stayed in touch with any of her costars, but that "they were all so lovely."

One of Pritchard's character's most notable scenes is the one where she and Sophie beg their father to "do Mr. Napkin Head." Graham hilariously places a napkin and his glasses over his face, much to the delight of his daughters and Amanda.

Pritchard has kept a low profile and does not have any public social media accounts.

It took several weeks for the director Chris Columbus and his crew to find the McCallister house for "Home Alone."

Ultimately, they chose a house in Winnetka, Illinois, because they thought it was both warm and menacing.

"I took some pictures and sent them over to John, and I remember John saying: 'This is perfect. This is exactly how I imagined the house,'" he told Entertainment Weekly.

Though the film was ultimately produced by Hughes Entertainment and presented by 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers initially had rights to the project.

According to an article in Chicago magazine, a budget dispute occurred three weeks before the production of "Home Alone" was set to start.

"The question was, 'Do we lay everyone off?'" the associate producer Mark Radcliffe told the publication. "John [Hughes] said to just hold tight."

Luckily, 20th Century Fox acquired the rights to the film and production continued as planned.

Per Us Weekly, during a 2015 interview on "Watch What Happens Live," Catherine O'Hara told Andy Cohen that she and Culkin had a sweet interaction at an art event.

"I haven't seen him for years and years, but I saw him two years ago — a year and a half ago? — at a Martin Mull art opening, and he was coming out, and he went, 'Mommy!' And I said, 'Baby!'" she recalled.

She added that her husband made them take a picture and that she was happy to see him.

Forbes reported that until 2017, "Home Alone" had the highest single-territory total for a live-action comedy, with $285.7 million.

The film held this impressive record for 27 years, until the Chinese film "Never Say Die" surpassed it in 2017 (without accounting for inflation).

Regardless, "Home Alone" is still one of the highest-grossing live-action comedies in the US.

In his first acting credit, Culkin's younger brother Kieran appeared as Kevin's cousin, Fuller, in "Home Alone."

The brothers appeared together on-screen again in "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York."

John Hughes, who also wrote 1980s blockbusters like "The Breakfast Club," "Pretty in Pink," and "Sixteen Candles," crafted the first draft of the screenplay for "Home Alone" in just nine days.

According to the same Chicago magazine article — which was written by his son, James — the film was written after a family trip to Europe in response to his father's severe traveler's anxiety.

"I was going away on vacation,'" Hughes told Time magazine in 1990, "and making a list of everything I didn't want to forget. I thought, 'Well, I'd better not forget my kids.' Then I thought, 'What if I left my 10-year-old son at home? What would he do?'"

In a 2018 interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Culkin said he couldn't watch "Home Alone" without remembering a bunch of personal context. 

"When I'm watching it, I'm seeing like — I'm remembering that day on set. You know, like, how I was hiding my Pepsi behind the couch," he said. "I can't watch it the same way other people can."

In the same interview, he referred to the film as "background radiation at Christmastime."

Columbus was originally working on "Christmas Vacation" — which was also written by Hughes — but he eventually called the writer to tell him he couldn't work with the actor Chevy Chase.

"John was very understanding. About two weeks later, I got two scripts at my in-laws' house in River Forest. One was 'Home Alone,' with a note from John asking if I wanted to direct," he told the publication. "I thought, 'Wow, this guy is really supporting me when no one else in Hollywood was going to.'"

Columbus told Business Insider's Jason Guerrasio in 2020 that the legendary comedic actor John Candy came on set ready to improvise.

"He was on the movie for only one day, but it resulted in so much great improvisation. None of that stuff was in the script," he said. "The funeral-parlor story, that was all improvised at 4:30 in the morning. We could barely keep a straight face on set just listening to John."

Beyond Candy's cameo, Hughes didn't allow for a ton of improvisation or tweaks to his script, but Columbus had a sweet vision for the character of Old Man Marley that he was able to sneak into the film.

Though the scene in the church was always in the script, the director added to the conversation between Kevin and Marley. 

"I added the moment when Marley talked about not being able to see his granddaughter. I also added the very end of the movie when Kevin sees that Marley is reunited with his granddaughter," Columbus told BI. "That is probably my proudest addition to the movie."

Before Joe Pesci took on the role of Harry in "Home Alone," the production team had its eyes on Robert De Niro.

However, Columbus said, the actor never seriously considered taking the role. 

"It was talked about a little internally, but when Pesci said yes, I was stunned," he told BI.

Kevin's reaction to putting on aftershave is arguably one of the best-known scenes of the film — and it's since become one of the most iconic moments in movie history.

However, Culkin apparently didn't do it the way Columbus told him to. 

"If you put something on your face that burns, most people move their hands right away. So my direction to him was when you pat your face, move your hands and scream. And I think it was the first take, he kept his hands on his cheeks," the director told BI.

He added, "It's funny, the iconic moment from 'Home Alone' was an accident."

When "Home Alone" came out in 1990, CGI wasn't the norm on film sets. Since the movie was already working on a tight budget, the production team had to get creative with special effects. 

During the scene in which Kevin shoots Marv in the head with a BB gun, the pellet is actually animated. 

"We paid a guy living in his mother's basement in Chicago $600 to hand-paint that BB going into Marv's head. So that was an animated effect. A guy with a paintbrush in a basement for six frames hand-painted a BB," Columbus told  BI.

He continued: "This was an $18 million film, so, for our budget, I'm pretty happy how it turned out."

Kevin uses a black-and-white movie called "Angels With Filthy Souls" to aid in his defense plan against the Wet Bandits, and many people — including Seth Rogen and Chris Evans — were shocked when they learned it wasn't a real film. 

The scene was created specifically for "Home Alone," but there's a reason it looks so real. 

"'Home Alone' is one of the last films shot with an old carbon-arc lighting system that was popular back in the 1940s through 1960s for Technicolor films," Columbus told BI.

He explained that they used the same technique for "Angels With Filthy Souls."

"That richness of black and white made it look like a movie from that era, and I think that's why some people think it's a real movie," he added.

A year before "Home Alone," Culkin starred alongside Candy in Hughes' "Uncle Buck."

After watching the actor play Miles Russell, Hughes was inspired to write a film with a young boy at its helm.

Once the idea started taking shape, he thought Culkin would be great in the role. 

The production team shared stories about working at New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Illinois.

Hughes liked to make his movies in the Chicagoland area, so they set up their production offices in the same building where some of his other classics, such as "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Uncle Buck," were shot.

They also ended up building the interior sets for the McCallisters' house in the school's gym, and they inventively built the set for the Murphys' house — which floods at the end of the film — in the swimming pool.

Candy filmed all his scenes during one 23-hour day on set, but he didn't get much in return as far as compensation.

The actor did the cameo as a favor to Hughes, and he received "scale" pay — the minimum pay rate that a studio agrees to.

In the end, Candy ended up making less than Danny Warhol (aka Dan Charles Zukoski), who played the pizza boy.

"Home Alone" was shot in Chicago in February, and the crew was hoping for snow.

Fake snow can eat away at a budget, so when a snowstorm rolled in on the second day on set, everyone jumped at the chance to film the "money shot" where Kevin wakes up on Christmas morning and reunites with his family.

To enhance the natural flurries, the crew used potato flakes to make it look as if snow was blowing around — which was said to be effective but left them with a whole heap of rotting starch when the snow melted a few days later.

Though Culkin, Pesci, and Daniel Stern weren't responsible for all of the falls and hits their characters took throughout the film, their stunt doubles did them for real. 

They didn't use any special-effect tricks, and there weren't any pads built into the ground, so the film crew was under a lot of pressure to get the shots right on the first take. 

Pesci's stunt double for the film, Troy Brown, said on the docuseries that for his first fall on the icy stairs, he "just launched myself as far and as high as I could." 

The film's wild stunts had a long-lasting impact.

"Now when someone does a fall where they get a lot of air, and they fall on their back, they'd call it the 'Home Alone,'" the director of photography Julio Macat said on an episode of "The Movies That Made Us."

"Home Alone" was only the third feature-length film that Columbus directed, but he's since gone on to direct popular movies like "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."

In addition to taking on some fantasy classics, Columbus directed Netflix's "The Christmas Chronicles 2" (2020), marking his return to holiday films.

An earlier version of this story was published in November 2018, and it was most recently updated on December 11, 2024.

Read More:

• 'Home Alone' at 30: Director Chris Columbus talks Trump 'bullying his way' into a cameo and more never-before-told stories
• 13 surprising things you might not know about 'Elf'
• 19 of Netflix's original holiday movies, ranked from worst to best
• 15 of the best and 15 of the worst holiday movies of all time

When the prime minister shows up for his first day of work, some of the people he walks by have ID cards, but others don't.

It appears that anyone visiting him or on his security team has a badge clipped to their top, but the members of his house staff don't.

Although his morality is called into question throughout the film as he's tempted by his assistant, Mia, in his first scene, Harry is introduced as a family man.

In his office, there's a wall of family photos and pictures that seem to have been drawn by his children. 

Daniel and his stepson Sam grow closer throughout the movie, but at the start of the film, Sam hides away in his room.

His bedroom door is decorated with stickers and a chalkboard, which he uses to tell Daniel to leave him alone. But he writes different messages on it later in the film. 

Some of the stickers say "Don't drop anything, you won't find it again" and "If your name's not Sam, you're not getting in."

When Jamie is working on his book outside by the lake, most of the pages that fly away as Aurelia lifts his cup seem to be blank.

There's a handful with words typed on them, but even the piece of paper in his typewriter looks like it's empty at the top.

When Aurelia and Jamie go to grab his book pages out of the lake, they struggle to swim around.

There are some moments where Jamie is clearly just laying on his back, doing more floating than swimming.

The awkward swimming is probably because of how shallow the water was. Director Richard Curtis told Montclair Film in 2016 that it was actually just 11 inches deep.

When the president arrives at Downing Street, his car can be seen pulling into the gates.

The black car has American flags on the side of it, but it doesn't have the proper government plates that are on the real president's car, Cadillac One or "The Beast."

The license plates shown on the car in the film aren't even for Washington DC, they're for Washington state. 

Karen holds up two dolls that she's gift wrapping for her daughter's classmates and insults both of their looks.

They appear to actually be male Ken dolls restyled and dressed in drag before being packaged in unlabeled boxes. 

Mark is watching a Billy Mack interview on TV before Juliet comes over.

He grabs the remote and shuts the television off immediately after the TV announcer says, "Do not switch off!"

When Sarah and Karl are in Sarah's bedroom, a small clock can be seen on the nightstand to the left of her bed.

When the couple is first in her room, the clock reads five minutes to 12. But later in the scene, the clock goes back in time to about 10 minutes to 12.

Billy Mack's manager, Joe, has a ton of the singer's memorabilia in his home.

There are Billy Mack posters and pictures all around, including one poster that shows an album cover titled "Moments of Madness."

One of the few posters in Joe's home that doesn't feature his rock-star client is a large "Jaws" one.

Natalie confesses her feelings for the prime minister in a Christmas card.

She writes about being sorry about what happened and ends by saying that she's his.

The letter is a nice romantic gesture, but there's a pretty big spelling error — Christmas is missing its "r."

When John and Judy go on a date the day before the Christmas play, John is wearing a green jacket and dark pants and Judy is wearing a floral skirt with a pink top and pink jacket.

When they show up at the play the next day, the couple is wearing the exact same outfits they had on the night before — perhaps implying that the date went very well. 

While he's giving the eulogy, Daniel mentions that his late wife jokingly suggested he bring German model Claudia Schiffer as his date to her funeral.

Schiffer's name is brought up again when Sam asks Daniel about his love life.

At the end of the movie, Schiffer actually appears on screen as Carol, the mother of Sam's schoolmate, and she and Daniel immediately hit it off.

During the final airport scenes, Billy Mack stands in front of an ad for "the new iMac."

It's for the iMac G4, which debuted in January 2002.

The movie didn't come out until 2003, so the ad was probably a bit dated even then. 

This story was originally published in December 2021 and most recently updated on December 10, 2024. 

The long-awaited Tim Burton sequel was a big hit in theaters earlier this year, arriving 36 years after the first movie.

Catherine O'Hara and Winona Ryder reprise their roles from the original, with Jenna Ortega joining as Astrid Deetz, the daughter of Ryder's character Lydia Deetz.

Streaming on: Max

Keira Knightley plays Helen Webb, a spy whose cover is threatened after her secret lover is murdered. The show is a quick six-episode binge, but it is already set to return for a second season.

Streaming on: Netflix

If you want another flavor of spy thriller, good news: Michael Fassbender is also leading one. He plays a covert CIA agent who's called back to London.

Streaming on: Paramount+ with Showtime

Yes, a third new thriller!

This one stars "Sing Sing" star Colman Domingo as Muncie Daniels, a writer who's forced to go on the run after being framed for killing a well-known white supremacist.

Streaming on: Netflix

Scoot McNairy and James McAvoy shine in this remake of the 2022 Sundance horror hit "Speak No Evil." And yes, it does make some significant diversions from the original.

Streaming on: Peacock

"Smile" was one of the most successful horror films of 2022 — and even more impressive, it was an original story, not a reboot or something based on existing IP.

Writer-director Parker Finn returned to helm the sequel about troubled pop star Skye Riley, which leveled up in almost every way. Prepare yourself for an absolutely bonkers ending.

Streaming on: Paramount+

Ben Stiller stars as a man who's unexpectedly thrust into a caregiver role for his four nephews after his sister and her husband die.

Streaming on: Hulu

Lindsay Lohan's latest Christmas movie will scratch that itch if you're looking for something of the more light-and-fluffy holiday romcom variety. She plays Avery, a woman who's unexpectedly reunited with her ex 10 years after their breakup when they realize their new significant others are siblings.

Streaming on: Netflix

Oscar-nominated documentarian Joe Berlinger takes a fresh look at the infamous murder of 6-year-old pageant queen JonBenét Ramsey.

Streaming on: Netflix

After the success of "The Golden Bachelor" and "The Golden Bachelorette," Netflix is also hopping on the older-daters bandwagon. "The Later Daters" focuses on six baby boomers looking for love, with some help from their family, friends, and dating expert Logan Ury.

Streaming on: Netflix

If you prefer your reality dating more traditionally messy, there's also "The Ultimatum," arguably the streamer's messiest dating show — and that's saying something.

The series, now in its third season, focuses on couples who disagree about whether to get married. They each get the opportunity to undergo a trial marriage with a new partner while they decide if their original partner is their forever person.

Streaming on: Netflix

The new documentary, released theatrically earlier this year, recounts the "Superman" star's life story from his early success through the near-fatal horseback riding accident that paralyzed him to his death.

Streaming on: Max

"A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter" features special musical guests like Chappell Roan. This one's for the pop girlies.

Streaming on: Netflix

Before they head to France without him, Kevin's siblings and cousins are constantly teasing and mocking him.

While he's going around trying to figure out what to pack in his suitcase, one of his sisters tells him that he's "what the French call les incompétents."

Linnie was probably just brushing up on her basic French before their trip to Paris, but since "les incompétents" just translates to "the incompetent ones" it's not as impressive as she makes it seem — even if it does confuse Kevin. 

Like writer John Hughes' "The Breakfast Club," "Sixteen Candles," and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Home Alone" is set in the Chicagoland area. 

It's clear from the mention of a Chicago airport and the Chicago Bulls decor in Buzz's room.

The night before Kevin's family leaves for their trip, everyone is busy finishing up packing, eating dinner, and finalizing their plans — which results in a lot of chaos. 

After Kevin spills a bunch of milk, Mr. McCallister jumps to clean up the mess and wipe down the passports and plane tickets that are piled on the table. 

As he throws away a bundle of napkins, he accidentally picks up and tosses one of the passports. A shot of the garbage can also shows that he threw away an American Airlines booklet that most likely contained a plane ticket. 

If we assume it was Kevin's passport and ticket, this clever detail helps to explain why no one realized he didn't get on the plane.

Before loading up into the vans to go to the airport, Kevin's oldest cousin takes a quick head count of her siblings and cousins.

In the rush of trying to get to the airport on time, she accidentally counts a neighbor boy — who is curiously climbing through the van — which brings her total to the correct number even though Kevin is still sleeping in the attic. 

After the McCallisters board their plane, Kevin's mom is struck with the feeling that she forgot something.

After a moment of thought, Mr. McCallister tries to calm her nerves by saying he forgot to shut the garage door — which turns out to be true. 

There are plants throughout Kevin's house, including in the dining room and kitchen.

However, no one ever comes by the house to water them, which seems like something the family should've planned for before they left for the trip.

If they had hired a neighbor to look after their plants, they might have been able to help Kevin when he got left home alone. 

While looking through his family's belongings, Kevin finds a Playboy magazine in Buzz's room.

He opens it to a page in the middle before throwing it on the floor behind him. Judging by the way it lands, though, it seems like the rest of the pages were stuck together.

A 2017 Bustle article said the prop was a real edition of Playboy from 1989, so the crew may have taped everything else so that Macaulay Culkin (who played Kevin) wouldn't see any inappropriate content while they filmed the scene.

In certain kitchen shots, there's a decorated gingerbread house visible on the counter.

Like the plants, this seems like an odd thing to leave unattended while going on a long trip.

Kate, Kevin's mom, also made a point of asking people to finish the milk the night before, so it wasn't like she was oblivious to the perishable food in her house. 

Throughout "Home Alone," Kevin watches a black-and-white film called "Angels With Filthy Souls" and later uses it as part of his defense plan against the Wet Bandits. 

Although it looks pretty realistic and its lines have since become famous, the movie isn't real. The scenes were made specifically for "Home Alone."

After realizing he's home alone, Kevin runs around the house doing whatever he wants, including jumping up and down on his parents' bed while eating popcorn.

Later, when he hides under their bed when a police officer knocks on the door, there's popcorn on the floor from his earlier antics.

When Kevin first goes down into his basement, he walks past a couple of mannequins as well as other storage items. 

These later prove useful when he rigs them up near the windows to trick the Wet Bandits into thinking there are adults in the house.

Marv and Harry, the robbers who try to break into Kevin's house throughout the movie, go by the nickname the Wet Bandits.

Marv explains at one point that the name fits their signature move of flooding the houses that they steal from, but the nickname can also be a reference to the fact that they drive around in a plumbing van.

When Kevin showers and styles his hair in the bathroom, there are at least 20 visible light- and dark-green towels all around the room.

Seeing as there were just a bunch of people in the house, it makes sense that there are multiple used towels hanging to dry. But there are also a number of clean towels stacked on the shelves.

The McCallister's house is fairly large, so this probably isn't the only bathroom, making the sheer number of towels even more absurd.  

The airport-shuttle driver, police officer, and pizza deliverer all knock over the statue next to the McCallister's driveway.

The pizza boy even drives into it a second time when he brings Kevin a pizza. 

"Home Alone" has a PG-rating, but one of the robbers can be heard cursing during a scene. 

When Marv loses his shoe in the dog door, he says "shit" in a low voice. It's even confirmed in the movie's subtitles.

The pizzeria featured multiple times in the film is called Little Nero's.

It isn't a real restaurant, but it seems to be a spin on the popular pizza chain, Little Caesars. 

Like Julius Caesar, Nero was a Roman political head, and both the fictional and real pizza chains feature Roman mascots. 

There's also a legend that Nero fiddled while Rome burned, making the pizzeria's tagline — "No Fiddlin' Around" — a clever joke.

The plans and traps that Kevin arranges to outsmart the robbers throughout the movie are pretty brilliant.

But despite how clever he is, Kevin stills misspells "ornaments" on his battle plan — which is a helpful reminder that the character is, in fact, only 8.

One of the many traps Kevin sets for the robbers includes placing ornaments under a window so that Marv will step on them when he tries to break in.

The decorations on the tree seem to be shaped like candy canes, presents, and 2-D stars. However, the ornaments that Marv steps on are more colorful and shaped much differently. 

The ornaments on the floor were reportedly made of candy to help prevent any serious injuries, and actor Daniel Stern (who played Marv) wore rubber feet just in case. 

Old Man Marley scares Kevin at the beginning of the film, especially when he walks up behind him at the drugstore and places a bloody, bandaged hand on the counter. 

Throughout the movie, though, Kevin interacts with him and learns that the rumors about him aren't true. He also finds out that Mr. Marley is estranged from his son and granddaughter — a plotline that director Chris Columbus added to the film. 

When Kevin and Mr. Marley talk in the church, the heavy, white bandage on his hand has been replaced with a smaller, tan one. At the end of the film, when he patches up his relationship with his son, his hand is completely healed. 

This story was originally published on December, 14, 2020, and most recently updated on December 6, 2024. 

Read More:

• 20 things you probably didn't know about 'Home Alone'
• 15 of the best and 15 of the worst holiday movies of all time
• 19 details and references you probably missed in 'Elf'
• 19 of Netflix's original holiday movies, ranked from worst to best

Rotten Tomatoes score: 4%

Summary: In "Serving Sara," attorney Joe Tyler (Matthew Perry) works with Sara (Elizabeth Hurley) to get back at her husband (Bruce Campbell) and his new girlfriend Kate (Adams) during their unexpected divorce proceedings.

Although "Serving Sara" is a comedy, reviewers thought the laughs were few and far between. 

"Romantic comedy ought to have some romance and laughs, but this extraordinarily flat effort has neither," Hank Sartin wrote for the Chicago Reader.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 11%

Summary: After Kat's (Debra Messing) sister Amy (Adams) sets a date for her wedding and she realizes that her ex-boyfriend will be the groom's best man, she decides to hire a male escort (Dermot Mulroney) as a wedding date to make her ex jealous. 

Most critics wrote "The Wedding Date" off as a forgettable and boring affair. 

"This is a charmless, lifeless affair that had me leaving the theater in a mood more appropriate to a funeral than a wedding," James Berardinelli wrote for ReelViews.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 14%

Summary: After a lab accident, a beagle (voiced by Jason Lee) becomes a crime-fighting superhero overnight. With his newfound powers, Underdog defends his home of Capitol City and falls for Polly Purebred (voiced by Adams). 

The majority of film critics thought that "Underdog" was cute but too formulaic. 

"At just over 80 minutes it feels not so much like a proper film as a piece of extended filler for slow afternoons on Disney's TV channels," James Rocarols wrote for BBC.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 18%

Summary: In the prequel to "Cruel Intentions" (1999), Kathryn Merteuil (Adams), the daughter of a wealthy socialite, attends an upscale prep school and plays mind games with her new stepbrother Sebastian Valmont (Robin Dunne).   

The direct-to-video prequel was originally meant to be a TV series. When the show was canceled, the footage was reconfigured into a film, and critics agreed that the movie suffered because of the format change. 

"If he intended to produce a straightforward two-hour original prequel, the writer-director would have made certain that the script was less meandering," Ted Murphy wrote for Baseline Hollywood.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 18%

Summary: In "The Ex," Tom Reilly (Zach Braff) starts a new job to support his family but soon realizes that his boss (Jason Bateman) was his wife's (Amanda Peet) high-school sweetheart. 

Adams had a brief appearance as Abby March.

Although some critics admired the leading cast's acting ability, "The Ex" was largely panned for its over-the-top plot.

"Braff has a natural likability, but the screenplay gives him so many stupid, far-fetched and annoying things to do that 'The Ex' loses credibility quickly," Hap Erstein wrote for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 24%

Summary: When Anna (Adams) learns of an Irish tradition in which women propose to their partners on leap day, she flies to Ireland to surprise her boyfriend (Adam Scott). But along the way, Anna meets the cynical Irishman Declan (Matthew Goode), who makes her rethink her relationship. 

Most critics considered "Leap Year" to be a generic romantic comedy that wore thin toward the end, but Adams' performance was seen as a silver lining. 

"The bright spot in this boggy botched mess is Amy Adams, a fine and always interesting actress who sparkles and shines here despite the stilted storyline," Neil Pond wrote for American Profile.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 24%

Summary: Based on the memoir by JD Vance, "Hillbilly Elegy" centers on three generations of an Appalachian family — Mamaw (Glenn Close), Bev (Adams), and JD Vance (Gabriel Basso) — through the perspective of the youngest member as he's forced to return home from Yale Law School. 

Critics weren't impressed with the Netflix film, citing its unlikable characters and uneven performances as some of its downfalls. 

"'Hillbilly Elegy' isn't as terrible as the trailers make it look, but as an enterprise it's just all — around sad, a movie that courts sympathy for its characters yet ends up only as a requiem for itself," Stephanie Zacharek wrote for Time magazine.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 25%

Summary: Based on the novel by AJ Finn, "The Woman in the Window" follows agoraphobic child psychologist Anna Fox (Adams) as she accidentally witnesses a crime while keeping tabs on the family across the street through her window. 

Most critics found the thriller to be lacking in substance. 

"As it is, you get a good cast working with a good director and screenwriter on a story that just doesn't have enough to offer," Linda Holmes wrote for NPR. 

Rotten Tomatoes score: 29%

Summary: Based on the Broadway musical of the same name, "Dear Evan Hansen," follows anxious high schooler Evan (Ben Platt) as he navigates fitting into his social-media-driven world. 

Adams appeared in the film as Cynthia Murphy. 

Most critics didn't think the successful musical adapted well to the big screen. 

"An adaptation that's alternately baffling and cringeworthy, with only the occasional emotional highpoint for balance," Caroline Siede wrote for AV Club. 

Rotten Tomatoes score: 29%

Summary: In the aftermath of Clark Kent's (Henry Cavill) citywide battle in Metropolis, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) starts to view the superhero as a threat and plans a way to take out his new adversary. 

Adams appeared as Lois Lane in the DC superhero flick.

Critics felt like their senses were bombarded by the endless action in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." 

"If only the film actually had depth, along with a little levity to lighten the bulk in the script, the visual murk and the sonic overkill," Peter Howell wrote for The Toronto Star.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 29%

Summary: After his father (Richard Jenkins) announces his plans to take himself off life support, Jonathan (Garrett Hedlund) uses his precious time left with his dad to reconnect with his family and his lost love Emily (Adams). 

Critics blamed the poor reception of "Lullaby" on its low-level cinematography and cardboard-thin characters. 

"A film like 'Lullaby' should both enlighten and inspire debate," Christy Lemire wrote for Roger Ebert. "Instead, it feels simultaneously superficial and overbearing, albeit with a few moments that do indeed resonate."

Rotten Tomatoes score: 36%

Summary: In "Pumpkin," sorority girl Carolyn McDuffy (Christina Ricci) tries to score brownie points at school by helping athletes with disabilities. Although her mission is initially misguided, she soon falls for shot-put athlete Pumpkin Romanoff (Hank Harris). 

Adams had a small supporting role in the film.

Unapologetically profane, "Pumpkin" was largely panned for grossly mishandling its subject matter. 

Film critic Emanuel Levy wrote, "Rambling and diffuse, this debut film vacillates between the Farrelly brotthers' gross-out comedy and a softer, kinder message film, an incoherent blend that proves frustrating and not particularly enjoyable either."

Rotten Tomatoes score: 38%

Summary: "Disenchanted" picks up a few years after "Enchanted" as Giselle (Adams), Robert (Patrick Dempsey), and Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino) start a new life in the suburb of Monroeville. But things quickly turn sinister after Giselle wishes their lives were more like her fairy-tale upbringing. 

Many critics felt like the sequel's story didn't fit with the original world, but others enjoyed seeing the actors back together on the screen. 

"Does 'Disenchanted' live up to the lightning-in-a-bottle magic of 'Enchanted?' No," Hoai-Tran Bui wrote for Inverse. "But does it lose the magic of the original? Not quite."

Rotten Tomatoes score: 39%

Summary: In "Justice League," Batman (Affleck) calls upon Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), the Flash (Ezra Miller), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) to face off against the supervillain Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds)

Adams returned as Clark Kent/Superman's girlfriend, Lois Lane. 

Although most film critics liked "Justice League" more than its prior installment, "Batman v Superman," they still found it overlong and imperfect. 

"'Justice League' clears the spectacularly low bar set by 'Batman v Superman,'" Matthew Norman wrote for the London Evening Standard. "Whether bare adequacy is a compelling reason to extend the franchise is another matter."

Rotten Tomatoes score: 40%

Summary: In "Standing Still," old friends come together to celebrate the wedding of Elise (Adams) and Michael (Adam Garcia) during a weekend packed with wild bachelor parties and a whirlwind of secrets. 

The majority of critics said that "Standing Still" plodded along with a drawn-out narrative. 

"The aptly named 'Standing Still,' about postcollegiate 20-somethings, has the dramatic momentum of a daisy-picking toddler," Jeannette Catsoulis wrote for The New York Times.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 43%

Summary: In "Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian," Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) returns to help the living exhibits — including Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams), Amelia Earheart (Adams), and Ahkmenrah (Rami Malek) — at the Smithsonian when the source of their magic is threatened. 

The "Night at the Museum" sequel earned mixed reviews from critics, but many welcomed Adams' presence in the film. 

"Amy Adams is the lone saving grace to be found herein, which is a nice way of saying she's all that kept me from pondering 'to be or not to be,'" Rob Humanick wrote for The Projection Booth.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 46%

Summary: Based on the real-life experiences detailed in the novel by Jack Kerouac, "On the Road" follows writer Sal Paradise (Sam Riley), Dean Moriarty (Hedlund), and Marylou (Kristen Stewart) as they embark on a cross-country road trip. 

Adams played Jane, who is based on the real historical figure Joan Vollmer. 

Although most critics loved Kerouac's classic novel, many felt that it translated poorly to the screen. 

"Walter Salles's warm but strangely staid adaptation of a piece of literature that was never meant to be tamed as cinema," Ann Hornaday wrote for The Washington Post.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 47%

Summary: In the dark comedy "Drop Dead Gorgeous," beauty contestants in the small town of Mount Rose, Minnesota, vie for the crown in a cut-throat competition.

Adams appeared as contestant Leslie Miller, starring alongside Kirsten Dunst and Brittany Murphy.

Critics fell in love with the cast of "Drop Dead Gorgeous" but felt like some of the dark humor fell flat. 

"Energetically acted but too in love with its own outrageousness, 'Drop Dead Gorgeous' goes for the jugular of beauty pageant culture and ends up leaving only a hickey," Brian Farnham wrote for Citysearch.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 51%

Summary: In the sports drama "Trouble With the Curve," Mickey (Adams) joins her father, Gus Lobel (Clint Eastwood), on a scouting trip to North Carolina to recruit new baseball players. Along the way, they meet rival scout Johnny (Justin Timberlake).

Although the script and story left something to be desired, the star-studded cast elevated the film, in critics' opinions. 

"The narrative feels almost intentionally hokey and diagrammatic, a framework that gives the actors freedom to display their best-known qualities," Jake Wilson wrote for The Age.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 53%

Summary: In "Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny," wannabe rock stars JB (Jack Black) and KG (Kyle Gass) set their sights on fame and stardom after JB is inspired by Black Sabbath front man Ronnie James Dio. 

Adams had a brief cameo in the film that was credited as "Gorgeous Woman."

Film critics had mixed feelings about "Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny," which was called enthusiastic, lazy, and overtly silly. 

"'The Pick of Destiny' ain't going to win any awards, and the girls don't get much of a look-in, but it will strike a few power chords with a certain generation that is too old to disco and too young to die," Paul Arendt wrote for the BBC.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 54%

Summary: Set in 1962, the slasher comedy "Psycho Beach Party," follows Florence "Chicklet" Forrest (Lauren Ambrose) as she flirts and surfs in a small beach town. But when Florence starts blacking out while severed body parts start popping up on the beach, she wonders if she's responsible. 

Adams had a supporting role as Marvel Ann, the girlfriend of surfer dude Starcat (Nicholas Brendon). 

"Psycho Beach Party" split critics down the middle, with some loving the campy humor and others feeling like the satire was laid on a little too thick. 

"It's all enjoyable enough, but it's played so broadly that it loses whatever impact it might have had," David Nusair wrote for Reel Film Reviews.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 57%

Summary: In "Man of Steel," superhuman Clark Kent (Cavill) discovers more about his past as he takes on his role as Superman on Earth. At the same time, news reporter Lois Lane (Adams) tries to piece together the man behind the myth. 

Serviceable but hardly a crowd-pleaser, "Man of Steel" had a lot of critics longing for the earlier versions of Superman.

"Cavill broods handsomely as Superman, but this reboot skimps on fun and romance," Rafer Guzmán wrote for Newsday.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 60%

Summary: Based on the novel by Rachel Yoder, "Nightbitch" follows a new stay-at-home mom (Adams) who's looking to change up her life. However, things quickly become surreal when she starts to think she's a dog. 

Although not every critic praised the film's somewhat odd plot, the consensus was that Adams' acting talent shone. 

"Though oddly restrained at times, 'Nightbitch' is a bold, thoughtful, and often funny exploration of a side of parenthood that's rarely shown," Linda Marric wrote for HeyUGuys. 

Rotten Tomatoes score: 64%

Summary: The partially biographical drama "Vice" details the political career of former Vice President Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), including the influence of his wife Lynne Cheney (Adams).  

Some critics were unimpressed with the winding direction of "Vice," but most praised the range of the lead performances. 

"What is perhaps most remarkable about Bale's and Adams's performances is that they supply depth and nuance to a film whose director appears to have had no appetite for either quality," Christopher Orr wrote for The Atlantic.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 72%

Summary: In the comedy "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) has to crawl his way back to the top when his record-winning streak is broken by French rival Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen). 

Adams starred alongside Ferrell as Susan, Ricky Bobby's former assistant. 

Relentlessly silly and full of heart, "Talladega Nights" was best enjoyed by critics when they turned their brains off and just went with it. 

"Broad but not crude, dumb but not witless, clever but still snot-spittingly funny," wrote the staff of Time Out magazine. "Stupidly brilliant, in other words."

Rotten Tomatoes score: 71%

Summary: "Zack Snyder's Justice League" is director Zack Snyder's cut of the 2017 superhero movie and follows Batman (Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gadot), Aquaman (Momoa), Cyborg (Fisher), and the Flash (Miller) as they come together to save the world. 

Adams once again played Lois Lane in the superhero flick. 

Critics preferred this cut of the film over "Justice League," but it still didn't win over everyone.

"Four-plus hours is plenty of time for Snyder to have his say, yet he doesn't appear willing to let it go. But justice has been served, and it's time to move on," Adam Graham wrote for The Detroit News. 

Rotten Tomatoes score: 72%

Summary: Based on a true story, "Big Eyes" centers on painter Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz) and his meteoric rise to fame in the art world after he claimed ownership of the paintings created by his wife Margaret (Adams). 

Critics admired director Tim Burton's more subtle approach to directing and the nuanced performances he captured from his leads in "Big Eyes."

"It's not the kind of performance that screams for attention," Wendy Ide wrote for The Times. "But as the artist Margaret Keane, Amy Adams is quietly extraordinary."

Rotten Tomatoes score: 74%

Summary: In the romantic thriller "Nocturnal Animals," based on the book by Austin Wright, gallery owner Susan Morrow (Adams) tries to move on from a hidden past with her new husband. But after her ex, Edward Sheffield (Jake Gyllenhaal), releases a haunting novel, Susan finds old secrets rising to the surface. 

Some reviewers felt like the narrative of the film was messy, but the majority of critics marveled at the cinematography and visual spectacle of "Nocturnal Animals." 

"Just in case the theme isn't clear, midway through Adams becomes unnerved while standing in front of a painting with 'Revenge' sprawled on it," Mara Reinstein wrote for Us Weekly.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 74%

Summary: In the dramatic comedy "Sunshine Cleaning," Rose (Adams) and her sister Norah Lorkowski (Emily Blunt) make extra cash by cleaning up crime scenes. Although they couldn't be more different, the tough job helps them grow closer as siblings. 

Several critics felt like the film could have benefited from better plotting, but most lent particular praise to Adams' strong lead performance. 

"'Sunshine Cleaning' will be the sleeper of this year, a movie soon to be talked about in the same breath as 'Sideways,' 'Juno' and 'Little Miss Sunshine.'" Andrew O'Hagan wrote for the London Evening Standard. 

Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%

Summary: After receiving devastating family news and getting cut from his high-school football team, Roy Chutney (Ryan Gosling) gets a chance at redemption when a local semipro coach recruits him for a six-man team.  

Adams had a supporting role in "The Slaughter Rule" as Roy's classmate, Doreen. 

Critics were blown away by the debut effort of the directors and impressed with the young but talented cast at the helm of "The Slaughter Rule." 

"The writing and directing team of twin brothers Alex and Andrew Smith have made an astonishingly good first feature," Marjorie Baumgarten wrote for The Austin Chronicle.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%

Summary: Based on the autobiographical novel by Julie Powell, "Julie and Julie" compares the interconnected lives of chef Julia Child (Meryl Streep) in 1950s Paris and writer Julie Powell (Adams) in 2002 New York as Julie tries to tackle every recipe in Child's famous cookbook within a year. 

With a pair of lovable leads and witty writing, "Julie and Julia" received high praise from critics. 

"I left feeling surprisingly buoyant, with a warm heart, and a smile," Kate Rodger wrote for Newshub.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%

Summary: After governess Guinevere Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) is unceremoniously let go from her job, she quickly picks up a secretary position working for American actor Delysia Lafosse (Adams). As Delysia builds up Miss Pettigrew's confidence, she helps the actor sort out her love life in return. 

Although the film was light and airy, sometimes to a fault, critics still adored McDormand and Adams in the romantic comedy. 

"It's lucky that Amy Adams and Frances McDormand lend their best charms to 'Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day,' otherwise this featherweight Art Deco fancy might drift away like a soap bubble, and go 'pop!'" Anthony Quinn wrote for the Independent.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 79%

Summary: In "Doubt," elementary-school instructors Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Streep) and Sister James (Adams) receive backlash from the congregation after they accuse Father Brendan Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) of sexual assault. 

Critics said the film's slow buildup rewarded patient viewers with an emotional conclusion. 

"It is an acting showcase with big questions and few answers, but for those willing to take the journey, it is an experience well worth having," wrote film critic Matthew Lucas.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%

Summary: Set in the early 1980s, "Charlie Wilson's War" details the real-life efforts of US Congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) and CIA operative Gust Avrakotos (Hoffman) to help Afghan freedom fighters during the Soviet-Afghan War. 

Adams had a supporting role in the film as Wilson's assistant, Bonnie Bach. 

With strong writing and a well-balanced script, "Charlie Wilson's War" was received as a winning picture. 

"Aaron Sorkin has written an acute, hilarious, and informative screenplay which is rich with character, and is perfect fodder for director Mike Nichols, who has a knack for meshing comedy and drama," wrote film critic Matthew Pejkovic.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%

Summary: In the aftermath of World War II, veteran Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) thinks he's returning home to an empty future until charismatic cult leader Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman) and his wife Peggy (Adams) welcome Freddie into their community. 

Critics said that although "The Master" was a heavy drama, the story and performances made it worth watching. 

"In the end it may not have the emotional uplift the Academy or a popular mainstream audience craves, but make no mistake, this is an enthralling drama about a peculiarly American restlessness, and the striving for insight and grace," Tom Charity wrote for CNN.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%

Summary: In "Junebug," art curator Madeleine (Embeth Davidtz) experiences culture shock when she visits her husband's large Southern family in North Carolina and befriends her new sister-in-law Ashley (Adams). 

Critics clamored to praise Adams' performance in "Junebug," a role that led to her first Academy Award nomination. 

Kathy Cano Murillo wrote for the Arizona Republic, "Thanks to Adams' performance and [a] strong story, it makes for a mildly entertaining Southern-fried experience."

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Summary: In the sports drama "The Fighter," welterweight boxer Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) hires his half-brother Dicky Eklund (Bale) as his boxing coach to train for the Intercontinental Lightweight title. 

Adams starred alongside Wahlberg as Micky's girlfriend, Charlene Fleming. 

With brutal action sequences and breakneck pacing, "The Fighter" was a hit with critics, mostly due to its talented cast. 

"The performances from Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, and Amy Adams in 'The Fighter' are the very definition of a masterclass in acting," Danielle Solzman wrote for Solzy at the Movies.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

Summary: Inspired by a true story, "American Hustle" follows 1970s con artists Sydney Prosser (Adams) and Irving Rosenfeld (Bale) as they find themselves in hot water with the mafia and are forced to cooperate with FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper).

Critics called "American Hustle" an imperfect but electrifying crime film.  

"The story stumbles ever so slight but it is ultimately fun, brilliantly acted and incredibly stylish," wrote film critic Katie Smith-Wong.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

Summary: When she falls from the magical land of Andalasia into the chaotic world of Manhattan, bubbly Princess Giselle (Adams) struggles to adapt to life in the city as she befriends cynical lawyer Robert (Dempsey).

Led by the energetic and infectious charm of Adams, "Enchanted" was hard for critics to resist. 

"Like the Cinderella figure she plays in Disney's 'Enchanted,' Amy Adams spreads a contagion of delight," Joe Morgenstern wrote for The Wall Street Journal. "The movie is great fun, but she's enchanting."

Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%

Summary: When an otherworldly spaceship makes contact with Earth, linguist Louise Banks (Adams) and her team of scientists attempt to communicate with the alien species and decipher their language in "Arrival."

Reviewers praised "Arrival" as an intelligent and affecting science-fiction film. 

"'Arrival' plays with your head as gently as any sci-fi thriller I can remember," Will Leitch wrote for The New Republic.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%

Summary: In "Her," reserved writer Theodore Twombly (Phoenix) develops romantic feelings for his artificially intelligent computer system named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). 

Adams had a supporting role in "Her" as Theodore's neighbor and friend Amy. 

Thoughtful and warm, "Her" was praised for its clever send-up of romantic-comedy tropes. 

"It is a sweet-natured and melancholy film, beautifully directed, that manages to be satirical about love in a digital, distracted age without losing its heartfelt quality," Geoffrey Macnab wrote for the Independent.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%

Summary: Muppet fans Gary (Jason Segel), Mary (Adams), and Walter (voiced by Peter Linz) travel to Los Angeles to get the Muppets back together for one last show after a conniving oilman threatened to tear down their beloved Muppet Theater. 

Colorful, cheerful, and simply fun, "The Muppets" was a winning film for all ages, according to critics. 

"A film bursting at the seams with sheer, unadulterated joy: watch it, and the world seems just that little bit brighter," Tom Huddleston wrote for Time Out.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%

Summary: Based on a true story, "Catch Me If You Can" details the unbelievable life of Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio), a con artist who posed as a pilot, doctor, and lawyer for years as he evaded the FBI.

Adams had a supporting role as Brenda, a young nurse who falls for Frank. 

With a winding narrative and charismatic leads, "Catch Me If You Can" was praised across the board. 

"Spielberg rediscovers his sense of fun with this funny, frivolous con caper," Nev Pierce wrote for the BBC.

Note: All scores were current on the date of publication and are subject to change. Films without critical scores were not included.

This story was originally published in August 2020 and most recently updated on December 6, 2024.

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The latest sequel in the long-running "Alien" movie franchise was a hit in theaters earlier this year. Now, it's finally available to stream at home.

Brace yourself for a gnarly birth scene and an incredible new creature design that arguably blows the Xenomorph out of the water.

Streaming on: Hulu

The beloved Starz historical fantasy drama premieres the second half of its seventh season over a year after we last saw Jamie and Claire Fraser on our screens. (Here's a refresher on where we left off with every "Outlander" character.)

Streaming on: Starz+, Hulu with Starz, or Prime Video with Starz

The comedic thriller stars Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina as married true-crime enthusiasts who find themselves tangled up in a new series of murders in the second season.

Streaming on: Peacock

The comedy about four college students returns for its third season. We'll see how Renee Rapp's character is written off after the singer revealed she'd be exiting the show.

Streaming on: Max

Netflix's latest Christmas movie stars Chad Michael Murray as a small-town handyman who joins an all-male dance revue to help save his love interest's family bar. And yes, there's lots of shirtless dancing.

Streaming on: Netflix

Showrunner Charles Yu adapted the action-comedy series from his own 2020 novel. The show centers on Willis Wu (Jimmy O. Yang), a background character stuck in a police procedural.

Streaming on: Hulu

"The Good Place" creator Mike Schur re-teams with Ted Danson for this series about a widowed and retired professor turned amateur detective.

Streaming on: Netflix

The new HBO documentary follows The New Yorker journalist Ronan Farrow as he investigates the espionage cybertechnology industry.

Streaming on: Max

Saoirse Ronan plays a single mother in World War II-era London who makes the difficult choice to send away her 9-year-old son (Elliott Heffernan) during the German bombing campaign against the city.

Streaming on: Apple TV+

Based on August Wilson's 1987 play about a family and their heirloom piano, the new adaptation marks the feature directorial and writing debut of Malcolm Washington (Denzel Washington's son) and stars his brother, John David Washington.

Streaming on: Netflix

The new docuseries explores the kidnapping of Anabel Segura, who was held captive for 900 days in Spain.

Streaming on: Netflix

The new movie from "Shrek" director Vicky Jenson features a star-studded voice cast, including Rachel Zegler as a heroic princess who sets out to save her parents (Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem) after a spell turns them into monsters.

Streaming on: Netflix

This coming-of-age drama is about Melody Brooks, a sixth-grader who uses a wheelchair and has cerebral palsy. Melody develops more independence with help from supportive adults and friends around her.

Streaming on: Disney+

"Joy" tells the story behind the birth of the first IVF baby, Louise Brown, focusing on the three British medical professionals who pioneered the groundbreaking technology.

Streaming on: Netflix

The historical drama starring Jude Law and Alicia Vikander tells the story of Henry VIII's final and least-chronicled wife, Katherine Parr.

Streaming on: Hulu

Prior to rocking out and pretending to be Mr. Schneebly in "School of Rock," Jack Black already had an impressive career.

He'd been acting since 1984 and was known for films like "The Cable Guy" (1996), "High Fidelity" (2000), "Orange County" (2002), and "Ice Age" (2002).

The actor also starred on HBO's "Tenacious D," which chronicled a fictionalized version of his rock duo with Kyle Gass.

After "School of Rock," Black went on to star in major films like "King Kong" (2005), "Nacho Libre" (2006), "Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny" (2006), "The Holiday" (2006), "Tropic Thunder" (2008), the "Kung Fu Panda" franchise, and the "Jumanji" reboots.

He's also made several TV appearances on shows like Fox's "The Simpsons," Nickelodeon's "iCarly," and HBO's "The Brink." 

Outside of acting, Black and Gass have released several Tenacious D albums and videos. The duo recently suspended their 2024 tour after Gass joked about an attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

In 2023 alone, Black appeared in Hulu's "History of the World: Part II," "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," and Disney+'s "The Mandalorian." 

In March, Black told Ireland's JOE he'd love to work on a "School of Rock" sequel but said that the original screenplay's writer, Mike White, might be too busy with his huge hit "The White Lotus."

Miranda Cosgrove played the precocious band manager Summer Hathaway in "School of Rock."

Her only acting credit before the film was a brief appearance on The WB's "Smallville."

After the movie, Cosgrove landed a leading role on Nickelodeon's "Drake and Josh" before starring on the network's "iCarly." 

She's also worked on movies like "Yours, Mine and Ours" (2005), the "Despicable Me" franchise, "3022" (2019), and "North Hollywood" (2021). 

Cosgrove has released albums and singles in between acting roles as well. 

The actor reprised her starring role in the recently canceled Paramount+ "iCarly" revival series and was a lead alongside Brooke Shields and Benjamin Bratt in Netflix's "Mother of the Bride" (2024).

Joey Gaydos Jr. played Zack Mooneyham, a shy student who's coaxed out of his shell to play guitar for the band. 

This was his only acting role. He went on to release a self-titled rock album in 2004.

He has also had a few legal troubles over the years. 

In 2009, Gaydos was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence at 17 years old. In 2019, he was arrested after he was accused of stealing several guitars in the state of Florida, authorities said at the time. 

He still makes music and released a few EPs in 2020, including "Dogtopia" and "Calm Weather." He regularly posts videos of himself playing guitar on Instagram.

Robert Tsai played Lawrence, the band's demure yet talented pianist.

"School of Rock" was Tsai's only acting credit.

After the film, he went on to study at Dartmouth College where he continued performing as a pianist.

Rivkah Reyes' first acting role was as bassist Katie in the film. They landed the role after playing classical bass on an episode of NPR's "From the Top."

Since "School of Rock," the actor has been open about experiencing the negative effects of child stardom. In a 2020 Medium article, they wrote about developing an eating disorder; turning to drugs, alcohol, sex, and self-harm; and attempting suicide. 

They said they entered recovery for alcoholism and addiction in 2018. 

After taking a hiatus from acting, Reyes moved to LA and started working for a skincare company while performing gigs. They also traveled as a stand-up comedian and competed on NBC's "Bring the Funny."

The actor went on to appear in several movies, including "Bad Animal" (2021), Lifetime's "A Picture Perfect Holiday" (2021), and "A Holiday I Do" (2023).

In recent years, Reyes hosted a podcast where they interviewed former child stars, gained a following on TikTok, and performed live play readings with Acting for a Cause.

Their latest acting credit was an episode of the OUTtv series "Off Shoot"  (2024). Reyes also continues to perform music and recently released a single titled "another vice."

Kevin Clark played Freddy Jones, a rebellious student who played drums for the band. 

"School of Rock" was Clark's only acting credit. 

After filming the movie, he pursued a full-time music career and drummed for Chicago-based bands Dreadwolf and Jess Bess and the Intentions. 

He also taught students at a local "School of Rock" location, The Chicago Sun-Times reported.

In 2021, Clark died at 32 after a driver hit him while he was riding his bike.

Costar Reyes recalled that Clark suggested the film's ending, with the band losing the contest but winning over the audience and getting to play an encore.  

Aleisha Allen played Alicia, one of the band's singers.

Before lending her vocals for the film, the actor voiced Sidetable Drawer on Nick Jr.'s "Blue's Clues." She also appeared in "The Best Man" (1999). 

After "School of Rock," Allen starred alongside Ice Cube in the family comedies "Are We There Yet" (2005) and "Are We Done Yet" (2007), and she appeared in "Young Adult" (2011).

Her last acting credit on IMDb is "You're Nobody 'til Somebody Kills You" (2012).

In a shift from her acting career, Allen attended Pace University and Columbia University, and she's now a speech-language pathologist.

Maryam Hassan played Tomika, another one of the band's singers who surprised everyone with her powerful voice. 

Like many of the young stars, "School of Rock" was her only acting role. 

Since then, she's been working as a singer under the name Mayhrenate. Her latest song, from 2022, is called "Feel a Way."

In 2021, Hassan told Vulture that over a dozen members of the cast remained close.

"We have a group chat," she said. "We keep in touch pretty frequently and drop in our projects. I drop my music in, Miranda drops her acting projects in, stuff like that. Others have left the industry and talk about their families."

Caitlin Hale played Marta, the band's third singer. 

Hale voiced a character on two episodes of "Blue's Clues" before joining "School of Rock."

After the film, she left Hollywood and became a registered diagnostic medical sonographer and an OB-GYN ultrasound technologist.

Hale is also currently dating her "School of Rock" costar Angelo Massagli.

Brian Falduto played Billy, the fashion-forward costume designer for the band. 

"School of Rock" is one of the young actor's only credits on IMDb. After the role, Falduto said he was in denial about his sexuality. "I didn't come out until my senior year of college," he said on the "Cooper and Anthony Radio Show" in 2021.

He pursued degrees in theatre performance and arts administration at Wagner College before landing a number of off-Broadway and regional theater roles. 

He also launched a career as a country musician, releasing an EP in 2017 and an album in 2018. His most recent single, "Same Old Country Love Song," came out in 2023. Earlier this year, he covered Dolly Parton's "Why'd You Come Here Lookin' Like That." 

Outside of performing, Falduto is a life coach, primarily for LGBTQ+ individuals. He launched a podcast, The Gay Men's Self-Help Book Club, and The Gay Men's Mindfulness Collective.

He was also the first guest on Reyes' "Where Are We Now" podcast in 2021.

Cole Hawkins played Leonard in the movie, one of the students in the class. 

Before "School of Rock," he appeared in "Big Daddy" (1999), "Meet the Parents" (2000), and "Kate and Leopold" (2001).

But he wasn't a musician. "The only thing that they had taught us to play in a New York City public school was a recorder, so I faked it," he told Rolling Stone in 2023.

Hawkins went on to appear in NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie" (2005), and "The Water is Wide" (2006).

His last acting credit on IMDb was in 2006 on NBC's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."

Angelo Massagli played Frankie, another student in the class. 

Before "School of Rock," the young actor had a few film and TV credits, including CBS' "Cosby" and "Stuart Little 2" (2002). 

Between 2002 and 2007, he played Bobby Baccalieri Jr. on HBO's "The Sopranos." 

Massagli graduated from the University of Miami School of Law in 2019 and works as a music product counsel for TikTok, according to his LinkedIn page. He is dating his "School of Rock" costar, Hale.

Before filming "School of Rock," Joan Cusack was well known for blockbusters like  "Addams Family Values" (1993), "Grosse Pointe Blank" (1997), "Runaway Bride" (1999), and "Toy Story 2" (1999).

She also acted in "Working Girl" (1988) and "In and Out" (1997), both of which earned her Academy Award nominations for best supporting actress. 

On TV, Cusack had roles on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" and ABC's "What About Joan?" before joining the cast of "School of Rock."

After the movie, she continued to star in family films like "Ice Princess" (2005), "Chicken Little" (2005), "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl" (2008), the "Toy Story" sequels, and "Klaus" (2019). 

She also went on to roles in "Confessions of a Shopaholic" (2009), "My Sister's Keeper" (2009), "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" (2012), "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping" (2016), and "Instant Family" (2018).

Cusack also continued her TV career on Showtime's "Shameless," Netflix's "A Series of Unfortunate Events," and, most recently, Amazon Prime's "Homecoming" in 2020.

Mike White played Ned Schneebly, the friend and teacher that Dewey impersonates throughout the movie. He also wrote the film's screenplay.

Prior to "School of Rock," he wrote and appeared in movies like "Chuck and Buck" (2000) and "Orange County" (2002). 

Since the film, White has been a writer for several movies, including "Nacho Libre" (2006), "Pitch Perfect 3" (2017), and "Despicable Me 4" (2024).

He's also written for several TV series throughout his career, such as The WB's "Dawson's Creek," NBC's "Freaks and Geeks," HBO's "Enlightened" (which he also acted in), and Nickelodeon's "School of Rock" series. 

White recently won several Emmy Awards for his HBO series "The White Lotus."

Sarah Silverman played Patty Di Marco, Ned's responsible girlfriend. 

The comedic actor got her start writing and performing on "Saturday Night Live" in the 1990s before landing roles in films like "There's Something About Mary" (1998), "The Bachelor" (1999), and "Heartbreakers" (2001).

After "School of Rock," Silverman continued to work on TV, starring on Comedy Central's "The Sarah Silverman Program" and voicing characters on Fox's "Bob's Burgers."

She also worked on "Rent" (2005), "The Muppets" (2011), "Wreck-It Ralph" (2012), "A Million Ways to Die in the West" (2014), "Battle of the Sexes" (2017), "Space Jam: A New Legacy" (2021), and "Marry Me" (2022). 

Most recently, she returned to her cartoon role in "The Bob's Burgers Movie" (2022), starred in "Menorah in the Middle" (2022), and appeared in the 2023 Leonard Bernstein biopic "Maestro." 

This story was originally published on May 22, 2021, and most recently updated on November 19, 2024.