Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Stephen Herek

Writers (WGA):

Neil Landau (written by) &
Tara Ison (written by)

Release Date:

7 June 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

No rules. No curfews. No nagging. No pulse.

Plot:

Five kids are left home when their mother leaves town on a three-month vacation, only to have their geriatric babysitter die of a heart attack, leading to the eldest teen, Sue Ellen, to scam her way into taking a job at a hip Los Angeles fashion company to feed and support her needy siblings.

Plot Keywords:

Babysitter | Job | Fashion | Fast Food Restaurant | Deception

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Christina Applegate	...	Sue Ellen Crandell
Joanna Cassidy	...	Rose Lindsey
John Getz	...	Gus
Josh Charles	...	Bryan
Keith Coogan	...	Kenny Crandell
Concetta Tomei	...	Mrs. Crandell
David Duchovny	...	Bruce
Kimmy Robertson	...	Cathy
Jayne Brook	...	Carolyn
Eda Reiss Merin	...	Mrs. Sturak
Robert Hy Gorman	...	Walter Crandell
Danielle Harris	...	Melissa Crandell
Christopher Pettiet	...	Zach Crandell
Chris Claridge	...	Lizard
Jeff Bollow	...	Mole

Also Known As:

The Real World (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M (TV rating) | Netherlands:AL | South Korea:12 | Australia:PG | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 | Sweden:7 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Cinema Plus

Trivia:

Production was nearly halted towards the end of shooting due to Christopher Pettiet's drug addiction, which was just starting to get out of control. The producers wound up cutting a few of his scenes to keep the film on schedule.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Kenny goes to the window to see that Walter has fallen from the roof he clearly has to rips in the seat of his jeans, just below the pockets. Later at the hospital he only has one rip in his jeans, much lower on the left leg.

Quotes:

Rose Lindsey: Where is Carolyn?
Sue Ellen "Swell" Crandell: Mouse brown hair, gives you a headache? Talks like she's chewing her face?
Rose Lindsey: That's her.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Animaniacs: De-Zanitized/The Monkey Song/Nighty Night Toons (#1.1)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

VIVA LA VOGUE

Really stupid bit I LOVED it!

OK the premise is dumb, the babysitter dies within the first 15 minutes and the kids basically have to live alone all summer. Applegate easily gets an executive position (just like real life, right?) and, naturally, is incredible at her job. And her brothers and sisters learn values from her example...yadda, yadda, yadda. Sounds horrible, but it's well-acted (especially Applegate and Cassidy), it moves quickly, it is very funny and I enjoyed every minute of it! Not a great movie by any means, but if you can turn off your brain for 2 hours, you'll really enjoy it!