The final season of Friends has a clever connection to the Home Alone film franchise.
“So, I just learned that Chandler and Monica from Friends moved into the McCallister family’s house from Home Alone,” Instagram user Scott Westwood stated in a recent video, suggesting that the characters portrayed by Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox, respectively, live in the same home featured in the Christmas movies.
Using a clip from season 10, episode 14, of Friends as evidence, Westwood points out that the view outside of Chandler and Monica’s home matches up to the first Home Alone film. The house that can be seen out of their window appears to be the same one Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) rob before nearly hitting Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) with their van.
Adding to the theory, Westwood notes that another house seen outside Chandler and Monica’s window is the one directly across from the McCallister’s. The blue house, which has a Christmas wreath on the door, is prominently seen in the Home Alone scene where Kevin sleds down the stairs and into the front yard.
Westwood’s evidence suggests that Chandler and Monica do, in fact, live in the McCallister’s home. The timeline of Chandler and Monica’s move could suggest the family eventually moved away, as Friends ended in 2004, 12 years after the release of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
“The Bings could’ve just adopted Kevin after he inevitably gets taken away by child services due to parental neglect,” Westwood joked in the video’s caption, poking fun at the Home Alone films’ plots.
However, the TV show and the movie series take place in two different states. Chandler and Monica’s house is located in upstate New York, while Home Alone is set in Chicago.
Friends production designer Daren Janes confirmed the backdrop used on the set of Chandler and Monica’s house was, in fact, the Home Alone neighborhood. (Janes worked on nearly every season of the hit sitcom, according to his IMDb page.)
“I was the Art Director on Friends & the house was a set. The actors walked in the front door, so we saw outside,” Janes commented on Westwood’s video. “We used the backing from a company called Pacific Studios, which was made for Home Alone because it looked the best through the door & windows. Great eye, my friend!!!!”
Stars of both Friends and Home Alone made headlines throughout 2023. Perry died at the age of 54 in October after being found unresponsive in his home hot tub. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office reported that the actor died of “the acute effects of ketamine,” Us Weekly confirmed earlier this month.
Cox, 59, honored her former TV husband with a sweet tribute. “I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day,” she captioned an Instagram clip on November 14, featuring a video of the live studio reaction to the first time Chandler and Monica slept together on season 4 of Friends. “When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share. … He was funny and he was kind 🤍🕊️.”
Meanwhile, Culkin, 43, earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December. He concluded his speech by quoting one of Kevin’s most iconic Home Alone quotes, stating, “Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals.”
