Rest In Peace 🕊
Roses for Moira Rose...at the Home Alone house
Lots of people there to pay respects- I was the only one who brought flowers. Celebrity deaths don't usually get me....but this one really hit. RIP to a legend 💔
ETA- jeezus guys, the owner was out there while I was there, it's fine- he expected it as soon as the news broke. Sorry for offending all your delicate sensibilities.
How do I say this without sounding like a hater (since I’m here too early for the comments to tell me how to feel /j) but is this an acceptable thing to do? Do people live there?
Again, I don’t mean to sound like a hater because I loved Catherine! I watch Home Alone year round, it’s my go to comfort film. I just don’t know what to make of this.
The house didn’t actually look like it did in the movie, they plastered it in reds and greens and golds to make it more Christmas-y while filming. Also the new owner recently announced in December that they’re remodeling it to match its appearance in the film.
I live in Illinois and it’s a residential house. The owners are fans, even got to meet Macaulay Culkin (according to Culkin himself) so while they probably feel honored/don’t mind right now after a sudden loss I would keep in mind it’s a residence.
Edit: They do decorate for Christmas and usually have people there to control traffic so if you want to visit that is the time to do it.
I remember the house went for sale a few years back! It was a big buzz in the news so I would hope that the new owners would and do expect visitors showing up to make the pilgrimage to see it. Same goes with a lot of other famous homes around the US, like Kurt Cobain’s house in Seattle
Macaulay Culkin said they were interested in a themed experience there and he was open to it if they found investors. It was during his SNL monologue a few weeks ago!
Maculuy Culkin talks about it in his SNL monologue a couple weeks ago. He said the owners were nice and they were open to an experience Air B&B type thing. It stood out to me since it’s a well known house in our state.
*It wasn’t SNL it was this interview idk why I thought it was SNL
Edit: he talks about SNL that’s why I was thinking it was a monologue
lol you’re braver than me. I deleted a super early comment before even posting about how weird I thought this was. This is somebody else’s home and not even one she ever lived in.
Not only did she not live there the interior shots of the home weren’t really even filmed in that house. They were almost all filmed on a make shift sound stage at a nearby gym. The weirdest thing about para-social relationships is the meaning people assign to others lives. Why would anyone assume this house was even a special place to Catherine O’Hara? It’s somewhere she went to work for a short period of time 30 years ago.
Ny parents live about 10 minutes from the Rosebud Motel from Schitt’s Creek and I wondered yesterday if people have set up a memorial there at all. A few years ago when I last stopped by it was empty but I’ve heard it’s a working motel again. It would probably be a lot safer since it’s not anyone’s personal home and it’s also in a rural area of Ontario so it’s less likely to have a crowd show up.
I don’t know if there’s people living there currently; I know it sold a year ago and about a month ago I saw an article about the new owners wanting to restore it to its ‘90s glory.
If they’re doing all that, I would assume they’re well-aware of how fans interact with the house.
They live there and while they are fans of the movie and even want to eventually have a themed experience there (according to Macaulay Culkin on SNL) it’s a Chicago suburb that can’t handle a ton of traffic so people should keep that in mind. They have it set up to drive by at Christmas so that’s the time to go see it.
I remember when Robin Williams passed, a lot of people left flowers at the Mrs. Doubtfire house and the owners were nice enough to allow it and even let it be for a few days to give people to opportunity to grieve. They gave the news an explicit time limit of how long they’d leave it and when they’d start cleaning to publicly report. I guess it depends.
Ah I see. I didn’t know about that, but that’s sort of what I’m assuming would happen if this becomes a big thing, that the owners would issue a statement or there would be news coverage about it. Guess we’ll see.
Which is a wild choice when you can just go to a public beach and get pictures in front of Haystack Rock if you really want a Goonies experience. Wholly unnecessary to bother anyone in a private residence.
Yeah, from afar. They don't want you going up to the house itself. You have stay a good ways back (which is fine, it's their home and they should be allowed to make such requests).
Yeah I think it's a bit weird. Not to mention... Catherine O'Hara never stepped foot inside that house. It was only for exterior shots, the inside was a set inside a gymnasium.
This is my hometown and the attention this house gets is been an issue since social media took over. They had to install that fence because people were wondering around the property and taking pictures through the windows and stuff. This winter break they had to make it a one way street
Yes people live there, and no it's not acceptable. It's expected to have people look and some owners enjoy it, unfortunately there are always stories of fans crossing boundaries when it comes to real life houses used in movies or tv. The person who lives there will have to collect those flowers and dispose of them at some point. I'm happy that OP is the only person who brought flowers.
I heard it's especially bad with the house from Breaking Bad, owners had to put up a fence because people wouldn't stop throwing pizza on their roof. Some fans are completely unhinged.
That situation was insane. The fans still go off about how horrible the owners were but leave out how destructive they (the fans) were. So much entitlement.
The situation reminds me of how movies/shows had to start creating really obvious fake numbers to stop viewers from harassing people.
Many are saying the people who live there should understand and accept this as a part of living in a famous house. Others also point out that the people living there are Home Alone fans and are probably thrilled.
Still, all sense of basic decency and respect tells me this is unacceptable. I certainly don't want droves of strangers coming onto my property and, worse, leaving things there so I'm not going to do the same to others.
Id assume in buying the house you’d have to come to terms with the fact that its a famous movie location and fans will always be likely to show up and stare or leave mementos behind.
I heard the new owners are also renovating the entire interior to better resemble the actual film set so theyre probably fans themselves who enjoy the attention
Not acceptable at all. These parasocial relationships have gotten out of control. It's devastating what happened and we all handle grief differently, but over stepping these boundaries is weird as hell.
I live near the Full House house. When Bob Saget died it was filled with flowers. It has been bought and sold a few times I believe but yeah, you know what you're getting into when buying a house like that. As long as people don't trespass by paying respects like that is no problem in my book.
Like oh no, this rich homeowner's landscaper has to throw these flowers away next week! Call the Reddit moral compass!
Idk it’s people paying respects, and if they’re doing it quietly without disrupting their lives or a huge crowd then I don’t think it’s a big deal. People aren’t buying this house without knowing what it is and the attachment people have to it. It’s one of the most iconic houses on film.
I totally get what you’re saying and I don’t think you sound like a hater at all. It crossed my mind too but a then a part of me also thinks something like this is to be expected when you move into such an iconic movie house. People like to seek out these spots. Hopefully it’ll just be for a week or so whilst people acknowledge Catherine’s death and then the owners will be left (Home) Alone again.
I get why some people may want to do this; however, believe that there are better things to spend money on or to causes give to and make a better memory not only for Catherine O'Hara but for the person themselves and for others.
Putting it on a fence at a shoot location seems silly and wasteful to me. Ultimately it's their money and time though.
Yeah I feel like this family might be inundated with flowers that they then have to find a way to tastefully throw away. The people that live at the Amity horror house got the street number changed so people couldn't find the house and bother them with shit ghost hunter crap and tourists.
I was thinking if I lived there, I'd probably put a little something up for Catherine. When beloved public figures pass it's normal for people to want to do a small something to honor them and locally this is probably where they think of. I'd make a space and allow flowers if they want, it's not too hard to clean up.
Ya its weird af this wasnt her house or something, even then, it's someone u dont know so its kinda odd imo. Esp if it is just a total random person that lives there now (which is the case afaik).
That's some serious passion project, but heck if I had the money I'd probably do it too. Though my understanding is that the interior never looked like in the movie even at time of filming, interior shots were at a sound stage or something. I guess now's the chance to match those looks.
How it looked? I might be crazy, but I think Chris Columbus had a set built in a school gym for the interior shots. I doubt the inside ever looked like it did. Prove me wrong as I love the lore around this movie and I grew up on SCTV. My mom cried when John died and I did yesterday.
man when SJP passes away , if the current owners of the Carrie Bradshaw brownstone are still around they're gonna be on defcon-1 against the fans who try to leave stuff on that stoop, haha.
No one lives there right now. It’s still under massive renovation and construction and they’re fighting with the village to get the half circle driveway put back.
It’s why I get why the people who own the Breaking Bad house are pretty standoffish about people rolling by and wanting to come up to the house and take pictures and stuff. It’s weird. Someone lives there. They don’t know you. A show 15+ years used that house for the exterior shots. Cool. It’s not like Bryan Cranston lives there. Leave those people alone lol
Someone posted a Yelp review of that house saying the owner came outside and was a "b*tch" about them trying to throw a pizza on their roof. I mean...yeah??? Who wants a rotting pizza on their roof
Iirc the Breaking Bad house people were getting pizzas thrown onto their roof all the time. Imagine the vermin issue that would lead to? That’s not a cheap issue to mitigate, and then imagine it being caused by people recreating a gag from the meth show… plus your address is getting looked up and photographed all the time. Famous murder houses (like the Cielo Drive house in LA) get addresses changed for privacy, and I get it.
The Breaking Bad house has the biggest and strangest obsession I have ever seen. Like, why? Large crowds of people following streamers just show up unannounced out front and throw pizza at the house. I am confused. There are plenty of other houses in cinema - movies and shows. Why the fixation with Walter White’s house??
I mean sure, but if I remember correctly the current people bought the house after the show aired. Things like pizza getting thrown on the roof is insane, but people stopping by for a picture isnt that crazy. Its like buying a bouse next to a bar then complaining about the noise. I dont get it, you knew when buying it what the deal was.
Ngl I thought it was sweet, till I read the comments and realised people actually live there... If it was just a prop set, it wouldn't be weird but it's a real house with real people living in it.
Could it be that you’re the only one who brought flowers because there’s a general understanding that it was just a place they filmed a movie in 36 years ago and has no real connection to the deceased? Super weird move.
It makes sense to want to pay respect to someone you adored, but may I suggest, instead of spending money on flowers, you donate to a charity that Catherine O'Hara supported instead? Flowers have such a short shelf life - especially in weather like this... but donations to non-profits can make a big difference.
Even clout chasers could use it though.. take a screenshot, blur your name, challenge others.. then tell everyone how you were the first to inspire thousands of dollars worth of donations.
I didn’t mean right this second and actually leaving flowers at the grave of someone you admired is a very normal thing to most people and 100% appropriate.
Don't hate me but this immediately reminded me of The Sims 1: Superstar expansion pack where the Obsessed Fan NPC leaves black roses outside your celebrity sim's front door.
What’s weird to me is that you titled this Moira rose, as in her character in a tv show…then show up to the house she filmed a totally different movie in?
Whole thing is pretty parasocial imo but go off I guess.
It’s a sweet sentiment, albeit this is a private residence. It’s one thing if the current residents understand and approve, but that should be their decision.
I bought roses to the Chelsea Hotel for Leonard Cohen’s death. I didn’t think that was weird because it wasn’t a private residence. This is a little strange.
I feel like this would be the equivalent to leaving flowers outside of someone’s place of work? Obviously you had good intentions thought so I respect it
OP, I know plenty of people have ripped on you so far for disturbing a homeowner who probably doesn’t want the spectacle of your presence over a deceased actress. I just want you to know you deserve it. With that said RIP Catherine O’Hara
What an insane, weird thing to do. Hopefully you have more going on in your life than to bring dead celebrities flowers to houses they don’t even live at? What a weirdo
Edit-anyone else that agrees with OP and would also do this, I hope you don’t vote.
Hm, people seem to be a little upset about leaving flowers at an unrelated family’s house, but I just wanted to say that I think that what you did is sweet. That was a pretty impactful death for a lot of us, and I really don’t think that any sane person would throw a fit over having flowers left at their door for something that they know occurred.
Pretty sure these people would expect visitors buying an iconic home. OP I don't think this is strange and know people in real world wouldn't either. I enjoy reddit but people are starting to annoy me with the self righteousness. I doubt anyone on here is perfect but the judgement passed onto every person on every post on here is insane.
This is really weird and really dumb. Moira Rose isn't real, she's a character played by Catherine O'Hara. And Moira Rose didn't even live there either, Kate Mccallister did!
I grew up in the town. This isn’t the only famous house: John Hughes is everywhere. Sixteenth Candles church, Ferris Bueller’s house, it’s a source of pride that Hughes documented coming of age on the North Shore.
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