Adventures in Babysitting (1987)
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A babysitter's night out with three kids turns into a chaotic odyssey through the streets of Chicago.
The story
After her boyfriend Mike cancels their anniversary date, seventeen-year-old Chris Parker invites her friend Brenda over to her Oak Park, Illinois house. However, Chris's mother convinces her to babysit their neighbors' daughter, eight-year-old Sara Anderson, while the parents attend a party in downtown Chicago. When Brenda runs away to a downtown bus station, Chris sets out to find her. She is coerced into taking Sara, Sara's brother Brad, and Brad's best friend Daryl with her. The group's journey quickly spirals into a series of mishaps involving a flat tire, a tow truck driver, and a multi-state car theft operation.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After her boyfriend Mike cancels their anniversary date, seventeen-year-old Chris Parker is persuaded by her mother to babysit her neighbors' daughter, Sara, while the parents attend a party in Chicago. When Chris's friend Brenda runs away to a bus station, Chris sets out to find her, coerced into bringing Sara, Sara's brother Brad, and their friend Daryl along. Their journey is interrupted by a flat tire, leading them to hitch a ride with 'Handsome' John Pruitt, who is involved in a domestic dispute. After Pruitt accidentally damages Chris's mother's car, the kids hide in a stolen Cadillac, only to discover they've stumbled into a multi-state car theft ring. They navigate a blues club, a gang fight on the 'L' train, and a fraternity party. Along the way, Chris meets Dan Lynch, who helps them with money. After a series of dangerous encounters with the crime ring's leaders, Bleak and Graydon, the kids eventually rescue Sara from a building. They retrieve Brenda from the bus station and return home just as the Andersons arrive. Chris eventually confronts her boyfriend, Mike, who is with another girl, and ends the night with a kiss from Dan.
- First release year
- 1987
- Runtime (minutes)
- 102
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Chris Columbus
- Writers
- David Simkins · writer; Greg Antonacci · writer
- Cast and characters
- Elisabeth Shue · Christina "Chris" Parker; Keith Coogan · Brad Anderson; Maia Brewton · Sara Anderson; Anthony Rapp · Daryl Coopersmith; Penelope Ann Miller · Brenda; Bradley Whitford · Mike Todwell; Calvin Levels · Joe Gipp; George Newbern · Dan Lynch
- Genres
- Sitcom; teen comedy
- Themes
- Coming of age; Adolescent rebellion; Friendship
- Tone and mood
- Amicable; Unpredictable; Warm-hearted
- Premise and plot tags
- Teen Comedy; Road Movie; Babysitting; Chase Film
- Source material / true-story basis
- Adventures in Babysitting
- Content notes
- Strong language; Sexual references
- Reception
- The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics and is considered by some to be a cult classic.
- Production trivia
- It was the first Walt Disney movie to receive a PG-13 rating.; The singing scene at the Blues House was an idea from director Chris Columbus.; The film was adapted into an unsold television pilot for CBS in 1989.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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