Adventures in Babysitting (1987)

Director:

Chris Columbus

Writer:

David Simkins (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

1 July 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Thriller

Tagline:

She thought babysitting was easy money - until she started hanging out with the Andersons.

Plot:

Chris Parker agrees to babysit after her "dread" date stands her up. Expecting a dull evening, Chris settles down with three kids for a night of TV...

Plot Keywords:

Bus Station | Flat Tire | Party | Tow Truck | Babysitter

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Elisabeth Shue	...	Chris Parker
Maia Brewton	...	Sara Anderson
Keith Coogan	...	Brad Anderson
Anthony Rapp	...	Daryl Coopersmith
Calvin Levels	...	Joe Gipp
Vincent D'Onofrio	...	Dawson / 'Thor' (as Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio)
Penelope Ann Miller	...	Brenda
George Newbern	...	Dan Lynch
John Ford Noonan	...	Handsome John Pruitt
Bradley Whitford	...	Mike Todwell
Ron Canada	...	Graydon
John Davis Chandler	...	Bleak (as John Chandler)
Dan Ziskie	...	Mr. Anderson
Allan Aarons	...	Janitor #1
Marcia Bennett	...	Nurse
Rummy Bishop	...	Janitor #2
David Blacker	...	Cleminski
Lolita Davidovich	...	Sue Ann (as Lolita David)
John Dee	...	Old Man
Monica Devereux	...	Teenage Runaway
Clarke Devereux	...	Gangster at Table
Rick Goldman	...	Adulterer
Deryck Hazel	...	Maitre D
John Hemphill	...	Drunk at Party
Frank Hill	...	El Train Attendant
Philip Honey	...	Jock
Clark Johnson	...	Black Gang Leader
Maryann Kelman	...	Passenger
Kirsten Kieferle	...	Sesame Plexor
Peter Lavender	...	Hot Dog Vendor
Kevin Lund	...	Huge Guy
Southside Johnny Lyon	...	Band Leader at Frat Party (as Southside Johnny)
Allan Merovitz	...	Man with Gun
Sam Moses	...	Dr. Nuhkbane
Les Nirenberg	...	Fat Man
Juan Ramírez	...	Chicano Leader
Richard Rebiere	...	Friend
Diane Robin	...	Nurse
Sandi Ross	...	Bag Lady
Charlene Shipp	...	Mrs. Pruitt
Sandra Shuman	...	Mrs. Parker
Linda Sorenson	...	Mrs. Anderson
Walt Woodson	...	Gang Member
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jaap Broeker	...	Maitre'D (uncredited)
Albert Collins	...	Himself (uncredited)
Jordan-Patrick Marcantonio	...	Boy on Street (uncredited)
Andrew Shue	...	Extra (uncredited)
David Simkins	...	Frat Boy with Playboy (uncredited)

Directed by
Chris Columbus

Writing credits
David Simkins		(written by)
Elizabeth Faucher		uncredited

Produced by
Debra Hill	....	producer
Lynda Obst	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Kamen

Cinematography by
Ric Waite		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Fredric Steinkamp
William Steinkamp

Casting by
Janet Hirshenson
Jane Jenkins

Production Design by
Todd Hallowell

Art Direction by
Barbara Dunphy

Costume Design by
Judith R. Gellman

Makeup Department
Linda Gill	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Daniel J. Heffner	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Todd Hallowell	....	second unit director
Madeleine Henrié	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Tory Bellingham	....	assistant property master
Eve Cauley	....	leadperson: Chicago
Bill Harman	....	construction coordinator
Matthew Lammerich	....	key scenic artist
Don Miloyevich	....	property master
Tom Southwell	....	production illustrator
Drew Struzan	....	poster artist
Anthony Joseph Fatigato	....	stand-by painter: Chicago (uncredited)

Sound Department
James Ashwill	....	foley mixer
Jim Borgardt	....	adr editor
David Lee	....	sound mixer
Mel Metcalfe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Terry Porter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Steve Switzer	....	boom operator
William Jacobs	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Carolyn Tapp	....	foley recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Neil Trifunovich	....	special effects supervisor (as Neil N. Trifunovich)

Visual Effects by
John Coats	....	visual effects cameraman
Tim Donahue	....	visual effects art director: Introvision
William Mesa	....	visual effects supervisor
Rick Rische	....	matte painter
David Stump	....	visual effects cameraman
Marcus Tate	....	visual effects cameraman

Stunts
G.A. Aguilar	....	stunts (as George Aguilar)
Allan Angus	....	stunts
Dan Beckon	....	stunts
Eddie J. Fernandez	....	stunt driver (as Eddie Fernandez)
James Fierro	....	stunts
Linda J. Gamboney	....	stunts
Jennifer Granger	....	stunts
Mark Harper	....	stunts
Michael Hernandez	....	stunts
Rick Le Fevour	....	stunts (as Rick LeFevour)
Nina Leone	....	stunts
Stacy Logan	....	stunts
Daniel Maldonado	....	stunts
Leslie Munro	....	stunts
Branko Racki	....	stunt coordinator
Alison Reid	....	stunts
Corinne Stafford	....	stunts
Barry Swatuk	....	stunts
Kay Whipple	....	stunts (as Kay H. Whipple)
Rich Wilkie	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Carl Boles	....	gaffer
Takashi Seida	....	still photographer
Paolo Cascio	....	second assistant camera: second unit (uncredited)

Music Department
Bruce Babcock	....	orchestrator
Seth Kaplan	....	music supervisor
John Moses	....	musician (uncredited)

Other crew
Ron Annabelle	....	mechanic
Kathy Bond	....	production assistant
Linda Callow	....	stand-in: Linda Sorenson
Monica Devereux	....	choreographer
Ron Gwynne	....	location scout
Orest Haba	....	assistant location manager
Deb K. Oyer	....	production coordinator
Sioux Richards	....	script supervisor
Gerry Therrien	....	animal coordinator
Lisa S. Girolami	....	associate production executive (uncredited)
Omar McClinton	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Silver Screen Partners III (in association with)
• Touchstone Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (1988) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Pictures

Special Effects

• Introvision International

Other Companies

• Buena Vista Sound  re-recorded at (as The Disney Sound Facility)
• Filmextra Services  extras casting canada (as Film Extra Services)
• Illinois Film Commission  special thanks to
• Inter Video  24 frame video services
• Ontario Film Development Corporation, The  special thanks to
• Pacific Title  opticals by
• Segue Music  music editing
• Video Options  video playback by

Also Known As:

A Night on the Town (Australia) (UK)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

UK:15 (TV rating) | UK:PG (original rating) | USA:PG-13 (Certificate #28566) | Australia:M | Finland:K-10 | Iceland:L | Sweden:11 | UK:12 (video re-rating) (2003) | UK:15 (video rating) (1988)

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Silver Screen Partners III

Trivia:

Chris Columbus's directorial debut.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Chris and the children start walking on the I-beam above the bad guys hideout, from the kids' point of view looking down, there is a metal chain hanging over the I-beam that they have to walk over. From the camera angle from below looking up at the kids, there is no chain.

Quotes:

Mike: Girls like you come along once in a lifetime.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Facts of Life: Adventures in Baileysitting (#9.9)" (1987)

Soundtrack:

I Just Can't Stop

Brenda Brenda Brenda!

"Adventures in Babysitting" is an underrated gem featuring a very strong young cast. The movie opens with Chris Parker (played by Elizabeth Shue in a very early starring role) first finding out that her boyfriend can't make their big date that night. So she agrees to babysit Sara and Brad Anderson, played by Maia Brewton and Keith Coogan (both of whom have dropped off the face of the earth, apparently, in the last 10 or 15 years). Sara's kind of a brat, and Brad has a crush on Chris. Brad's best friend Daryl (played by Anthony Rapp, who went on to appear in "Dazed and Confused" and "Road Trip"), who is an annoying wise-ass, also drops by. Things go okay until Chris gets a call from her best friend Brenda (Penelope Ann Miller), who says that she ran away from home, and is now stuck at a bus station in the city with no money and no way home, and of course she can't call her parents. This prompts Chris to take the kids (including Daryl) on a little trip, and of course, hilarious hijinks ensue.

They have a tire blow-out, and are helped by a mechanic with a hook for a hand. Their car is then stolen, and they go to try to get it back. They're caught by the mobsters running the car ring, and have to escape (which they achieve by walking along a very thin metal beam overhead). But the mobsters catch them trying to leave, forcing them on the run and leading to one of the funniest scenes in the movie: going through a blues club, the singer stops them, saying "Ain't nobody leaves here without singing the blues." So they do, Chris leading, singing a song about their predicament. It's both cute and hilarious, with the others joining in singing back-up ("And we should be in bed!").

The rest of the movie is about them being chased through the city by these mobsters, and of course, there's one funny bit after another, with some suspenseful bits thrown in for good measure. This is all hilarious, but the best scenes are the ones interspersed throughout with Brenda trying to get along at the bus station. Penelope Ann Miller truly steals the show; scared out of her skull, she has to contend with such problems as a bum yelling at her to get out of his "house" (a phone booth); getting her glasses stolen by a bag lady (the look on the bag lady's face when she puts them on and realizes she can see is priceless); a hot dog vendor who won't help her out ("Then I don't have a wiener!" he says when she says she doesn't have any cash); and a jumbo-sized sewer rat she tries to rescue, thinking it's a cute little kitty cat (because she can't see). This is probably the best part Penelope Ann Miller has ever had, and she demonstrates a surprising talent for screwball comedy.

Like I said, the rest of the young cast is great; Shue pretty much began her career here, and Coogan, Rapp, and Brewton (who was also very funny on the also underrated TV show "Parker Lewis Can't Lose", which I'm dying to see come out on DVD) put in funny, though clichéd, parts. "Adventures in Babysitting" is one of those movies that just sounded kind of dumb based on the title (like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), but if you haven't seen it, give it a try anyway; the brilliant gags and the strong acting made it work.