 SPOILER: Both Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood were trained by the  stunt coordinator, Jack Gill and rehearsed for 6 weeks prior to this  scene so that they could be comfortable and act while hanging 180  feet above the water. When Macaulays character was dropped by his  mother (Wendy Crewson) the movie needed a shot of the real Macaulay  and not a stunt double falling away from camera on the actual cliff.  After discussions with Macaulays parents and with Macaulay, he  agreed to do a 30 foot fall on a cable on the actual cliff, 180 feet  above a freezing Lake Superior, but he wanted one thing in return  for this act of bravery; a BB gun. Macaulay performed the cable fall  perfectly and was given his BB gun.