When I was growing up, I never did any babysitting. Several girls I went to school with did it, but I never had any interest in doing it and I don't regret that I never did it. I have watched some movies and television shows that depicted babysitting. One I have seen several times and still enjoy is Adventures in Babysitting.

Chris Parker was excited about her special date with her boyfriend Mike until he showed up in jeans saying that he had to cancel because he had to take care of his sick little sister. He turned down Chris's offer of help, saying he didn't want her to get sick. Chris's friend Brenda came over and she believed that Mike was lying. She was also upset about things connected to her stepmother. Mrs. Anderson needed a babysitter and Chris ended up agreeing to do it even though she felt like she was too old to still be babysitting. She was going to be looking after Sara, a young girl obsessed with Thor who loved to torment her older brother Brad, who had a huge crush on Chris. Brad changed his plans when he found out Chris was coming.

Things were going fine when Chris got a call from Brenda. She had run away from home and was stranded at the bus station in Chicago and wanted Chris to come get her. Chris ended up going, taking Sara, Brad, and Daryl, Brad’s friend, with her. Their bad luck started when one of the tires blew out and Chris realized that she had forgotten her purse. A tow truck driver arrived to help but things didn’t go well. Chris and the kids ended up dealing with car thieves, a gang fight on a subway, and a college fraternity party all while trying to get the tire fixed and pick up Brenda so Chris could get back to the Anderson’s before they got home.

Adventures in Babysitting wasn’t a serious movie by any stretch of the imagination. This was just a fun, lighthearted movie that is good for when people are in the mood for some mindless entertainment. Chris and the kids ended up in some unusual, unrealistic situations, but those things were a big part of what made the movie for fun and entertaining to watch. The movie was mostly focused on Chris trying to pick up Brenda and then get back before the Andersons got home. Most of the movie showed the different, somewhat strange things, that happened during the attempt to get to the bus station. Every so often, Brenda was shown dealing with her own problems in the bus station. There was also a subplot connected to the car thieves that Chris and the kids inadvertently met. The movie did jump around a bit between the different subplots. It wasn’t hard to keep track of what was happening when that happened.

I thought that Adventures in Babysitting was a fairly funny movie. The first few scenes, when Mike broke the date and everything was set up with Chris taking the babysitting job and Brenda getting stuck at the bus station. Most of what was shown while Brenda was there was very funny since she kept running into strange people and it only got worse once her glasses were stolen. Most of the somewhat strange situations that Chris and the kids ended up in were very funny. I thought the funniest scene was the one that included the use of the word that rhymes with luck. Chris and the kids were on a subway, trying to get to the garage where the car was. Two rival gangs were on there and ready to have a turf war. Chris tired to get them to wait until she and the kids were off the subway to start their fight. One of the gang members threw a knife and told her not to mess (I’m using that word in place of the one that rhymes with luck) with the Lords of Hell. Chris responded by grabbing the knife, sticking it in the guys face, and telling him not to mess with the babysitter. Chris doing and saying that just struck me as really funny. That scene is edited for the television version, with the word fool in place of the original word. The dubbing of the word didn’t sound quite right, so it still made me laugh a bit. There was also something rather funny that happened when Mike turned up again late in the movie.

There was some action in Adventures in Babysitting. All kinds of crazy things happened to Chris, Sara, Brad and Daryl when they headed into the city. They had to deal with all kinds of problems, including some fights and car chases. There was really a lot going on in the movie, so it was fast paced but it didn’t feel rushed. A few scenes also included a little bit of violence. The movie turned up when the few fights happened. At one point, one of the kids was hurt and they had to go to the hospital. The violence wasn’t graphic at all and it shouldn’t bother or upset anyone. It could be a bit too violent for younger children though. The violence and swearing caused the movie to be rated PG-13.

I didn’t think that Adventures in Babysitting was a scary or suspenseful movie overall. There were a few scenes that had a small amount of suspense in them which did help to keep things interesting. Children might be scared or at least slightly disturbed by some of what happened or was shown. The tow truck driver did not look like a nice friendly guy, and he just sort of suddenly appeared and scared Chris and the kids. Dawson, the man who owned the garage where the car was taken to, was a tall, muscled, intimidating looking man who wasn’t too nice at first. Sara was convinced he was Thor and wasn’t scared or wary of him like the others, but he could scare younger children. Parents should probably check out the movie before letting children watch it.

Chris was probably the most developed character in the movie. She was a senior in high school who really wasn’t interested in going to college even though her mother kept pushing for her to go. She thought she was too old to babysit but took the job with the Andersons. She managed to stay calm in most of the unusual situations she and the kids ended up in. I think this was the first movie I ever saw Elisabeth Shue in. I liked her as Chris and felt that she made the character believable. She went on to make many other movies, like Cocktail, Hollow Man, Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story, Soapdish, and Leaving Las Vegas. She was nominated for an Oscar for her role in that one.

Sara, Brad, and Daryl were around for most of the movie without being really developed. They were all likable enough though. Sara was cute with her obsession with Thor. Brad had a huge crush on Chris and he didn’t do a very good job at hiding that. I don’t remember seeing the children in any other movies, but they were good in their roles. The little girl playing Sara wasn’t too annoying like child actors can be at times. Bradley Whitford only turned up briefly as Mike, Chris’s boyfriend. It was clear that he thought he was really cool by the way he acted.

Brenda wasn’t happy at home, which was why she decided to run away. She did seem to be a little dramatic at times and did seem to be on the verge of a breakdown while at the bus station. She really didn’t have much development at all, but she was an entertaining character when she was around. Penelope Ann Miller was really good and believable as Brenda. She has been in many other movies since her role in this movie like Kindergarten Cop and The Shadow.

Dawson was the owner of the garage where the car ended up. He did have a resemblance to Sara’s hero Thor. I actually had no idea until I did some research to double check character names that Vincent D’Onofrio was in this movie. He looked very different with blond hair. He just had one or two scenes, but he was good in them. I think this was one of his first roles. Dan Lynch was a college student who ended up helping Chris at one point. He seemed really nice. George Newbern went on to be in Father of the Bride and Father of the Bride Part II.

Main Cast

Maia Brewton - Sara Anderson
Keith Coogan - Brad Anderson
Vincent D’Onofrio - Dawson
Penelope Ann Miller - Brenda
George Newbern - Dan Lynch
Anthony Rapp - Daryl
Elisabeth Shue - Chris Parker
Bradley Whitford - Mike

Chris Columbus - Director

I first saw Adventures in Babysitting on VHS several years ago. That version did have swearing, including the word that rhymes with luck. Most of the times, I have seen the movie on television when it has been edited with that word removed. Some of the minor violence may have been removed as well. The edited version should be fine for children to see, though parents may not want younger children to a few of the things that happen. I don’t know if the movie is available on DVD now or not.

I still really enjoy Adventures in Babysitting. It is worth watching if you are in the mood for a fun, lighthearted movie. It is also interesting to see some people, like Elisabeth Shue, Penelope Ann Miller, and Vincent D’Onofrio, in early roles.


Recommended: Yes