- I was up on 140th Street in Harlem, in 1992. It was 3 in the morning, and I was walking back to get a cup of coffee. These two young kids came up to me and said to me, "What movie is this?" I said, "Home Alone 2," and they said, "What do you do?" And I said, "I'm the director." They said, "Oh, you're John Hughes!"
- I can understand the validity of showing people the ugliness of the world, but I also think there is a place for movies to leave people with a sense of hope. If your film isn't going to do that, I just don't think it's worth making.
- [Macaulay Culkin] An incredibly charming kid.
- [Robin Williams doing standup] I was just blown away at his energy. One of the most brilliant minds I have ever come across in terms of comedy. This ball of fire on stage. It was really impressive.
- Becoming a writer and having films made is probably the best way to become a director.
- [reading Marvel comics as a child] It was the most magical time of my life. It represented to me everything that was exciting about life.
- [Adventures in Babysitting, his directorial debut] It gave me the confidence to be back on the set again.
- [Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid] I had never seen anything like it. It was just such a breath of fresh air. I loved being in that world.
- My first day being on a set was extremely intimidating and frightening. But after a couple of hours, I just eased into it. I felt very secure and comfortable and I realized this is where I really want to be.
- Nobody does anything for free in Hollywood. They have to be paid for everything.
- [Robin Williams improvising in Mrs Doubtfire] Magical.
- [Steven Spielberg and George Lucas] Two of my cinematic heroes.
- Always listen to your own instincts. You can never be intimidated by the people you work with.
- [Robin Williams as Mrs Doubtfire] You never had any concept of where he was going. You just never knew.
- [recommending Pierce Brosnan to play James Bond to MGM] My little contribution to the James Bond saga.
- Movies for adults are still great movies. Now we have a bigger genre of movies being made.
- [Pierce Brosnan] A phenomenal actor.
- [Sideways] A 70s movie made in contemporary times.
- [26th Street in Manhattan in the early 80s] Not a particularly great area.
- There's still an audience for smaller movies.
- Martin Scorsese was a master of visuals while John Ford and Frank Capra were masters of storytelling.
- Great comedy or dramas are made because someone is really passionate or obsessed by it. If not, it won't be a good film. Great filmmaking is something that can be esoteric which is all about the visual side of filmmaking or storytelling. When you develop a hunger for it, and there's something great out there, I want to see it before I find my great reward somewhere.
- [In an interview with British magazine The Face in 2001, on making Home Alone (1990) and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)] You direct these innocent young kids in a movie and then two years later they're spending the weekend at Neverland ranch with Michael Jackson - that's creepy. You don't want that to happen again. With Macaulay [Macaulay Culkin], he went through a tough period with his parents. At the time, I hadn't had enough experience to know what could happen. Dan [Daniel Radcliffe] comes from two loving parents who are so involved with his life and concerned about his well-being. That was instrumental in me wanting to cast him.
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