Columbus directed his own screenplay for "Heartbreak Hotel" (1988), a whimsical romp set in 1972 about an Ohio teen who kidnaps Elvis Presley to cheer up his divorced Mom (Tuesday Weld). That feature bombed but Columbus explored the box-office heavens as the director of "Home Alone" (1990), the most popular comedy in movie history. Produced and scripted by John Hughes, another kidcult auteur, this sentimental yet amazingly violent Christmas adventure made adorable blond tyke Macaulay Culkin a male Shirley Temple for the times. He also handled similar chores on the inevitable sequel, "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" (1992).

Between blockbusters, Columbus discovered a flair for gentle romantic comedy, scripting and directing "Only the Lonely" (1991), an uncharacteristic film for grown-ups from producer John Hughes. John Candy and Ally Sheedy were the romantic leads and the lovely Maureen O'Hara returned to the screen after an 18-year absence to play Candy's emotionally dependent mother who finds romance with Anthony Quinn. Returning to his roots as an animation maven, Columbus contributed to the script of the Japanese feature "Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland" (1990; released in the USA in 1992), inspired by Windsor McCay's celebrated comic strip from the early 1900s.

The director again hit box-office gold when he directed "Mrs. Doubtfire" (1993), a nuanced if extremely mild family comedy starring Robin Williams as a divorced dad who dons drag to see his kids. The actor, who was in top form (underneath Oscar-winning makeup) disguising himself as a dowdy sixtyish British housekeeper, also provided the high points for Columbus' next project , "Nine Months" (1995), this time in a small role as a Russian obstetrician. Unfortunately, its story of a five-year marriage blind-sided by an unexpected pregnancy was a bit too pat, and Hugh Grant's boyish charm and Julianne Moore's radiant beauty were not enough to raise it above mediocrity.

Having produced the Brian Levant-directed Christmas comedy "Jingle All the Way" (1996) and tried his hand at a failed ABC pilot (1996's "For the People"), Columbus returned to the director's chair putting Susan Sarandon, Julia Roberts and Ed Harris through their paces in the maudlin "Stepmom" (1998). Once again, though, the helmer proved a master with his younger stars, Jena Malone and Liam Aiken, both of whom gave unaffected performances. A reteaming with Robin Williams, "Bicentennial Man" (1999), an adaptation of an Isaac Asimov short story, proved ill advised, though. After a promising start, the film devolved into the kind of sentimentality that marred "Stepmom".

From his early career penning screenplays for Spielberg through such directorial efforts as the "Home Alone" series and "Mrs. Doubtfire", Columbus has shown an ease with younger actors that few can match, except perhaps his mentors Spielberg and Hughes. His incredible success in the family genre may well be a blessing and a curse: despite trying to explore other areas of filmmaking like sci-fi and horror, Hollywood appeared to have pigeonholed him as the director of "Home Alone" and its ilk. All that was altered, however, when he landed the plum assignment of directing the first two feature adaptations of the popular series of books about a young British boy named Harry Potter who discovers that he is actually a wizard and not just a mere mortal. While many wanted to handle the directing chores (including Spielberg), Columbus emerged as something of a surprise victor. It was his dedication and his passion that won over producer David Heyman and author J.K. Rowling. When "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" opened in November 2001, it set box-office records (grossing a record $93.5 million in its opening weekend). Having had the near impossible task of crafting a film that honored its source material, Columbus more than succeeded (although some critics carped because he did not put his imprint on the material, feeling a stronger directorial hand was required). Within days of the first film's opening, Columbus was back on set shooting the second in the series "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (2002). When it was released the sequel was largely received as an improvement on the first instalment, brisker and bolder while still exceedingly faithful to the source material. His next project was equally daunting: bringing the beloved smash Broadway hit "Rent" to the big screen, and the end result was also a mixed bag. Visually uninspired, only a portion of the pathos and electrifying moments that defined the live version successfully translated to the big screen, despite the fact that Columbus' cast was largely assembled of performers from the landmark show's original performers.