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 | Babysitter | One Night | Thor

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:

Sara wears a backpack with a picture of Gizmo on it. This is a reference to Gremlins (1984) which was written by Chris Columbus.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the scene where the car has been hi-jacked and the kids asked to be dropped off at the nearest mall and the hi-jacker says "This ain't no Boise, ID". At the time, there wasn't a mall in Boise, ID.

Quotes:

Mrs. Parker: That was Mrs. Anderson, she wants to know if you can babysit tonight.
Chris: [sees the look Brenda gives her] No, tell her I can't.
Mrs. Parker: Why not?
Chris: Because I want to sit at home and be depressed.
Brenda: Oh, sit for the Andersons, that'll depress anyone.
Chris: Mom, I'm too old to babysit.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Family Guy: Movin' Out (Brian's Song) (#6.2)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Bring It On Home To Me

This is one awesome movie!

"Adventures in Babysitting" is a movie that I'll never forget. One of the reasons why this film is so memorable is because of the Chicago locations. For the past 25 years or so there have been lots of good movies shot in and around Chicago (as well as the suburbs) such as "Risky Business", "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", and "The Fugitive" just to name a few. But "Adventures in Babysitting" is probably my favorite movie to be made in Chicago. I saw this movie when it first came out in the summer of 1987 (a year after "Ferris Bueller" which "Adventures" bares somewhat of a resemblence to) and while I was watching the film it felt to me like I was part of the adventure. Today, this is still a very entertaining picture, and a lot of fun. Elisabeth Shue is terrific in her first leading role as Chris Parker, a 17-year-old high school senior who prepares for a big date with her boyfriend at the beginning of the film. But he cancels the date, and since she's now free for the night, she's asked to babysit for the Anderson kids. She agrees. Once she gets over there, she gets a frantic phone call from her best friend Brenda (Penelope Ann Miller) who's run away from home and is now stranded at a bus station in downtown Chicago. Terrified after witnessing a shooting, Brenda asks Chris to pick her up because she blew all her money on the cab ride to the bus station. Hesitant, Chris has no choice but to take the two Anderson kids Sara (Maia Brewton) and Brad (Keith Coogan) with her to pick up poor Brenda. Also going along for the ride, Brad's horny best friend Daryl (Anthony Rapp). Once they get on the expressway, things start to go wrong. Very wrong. This is where "Adventures in Babysitting" turns into a fun movie. The foursome experience car troubles; run-ins with a friendly car thief, a mob group the thief works for (who spend most of the movie chasing the kids through the streets of Chicago), and two gangs on a train; a short trip to a hospital (when one of the kids is slightly injured by a member of one of those gangs); a brief stop at a frat party; a chase to the top of a high-rise building; and a show stopping classic scene in a blues bar. And much more happens as the hapless Brenda continues to wait and wait and wait for Chris to come get her. "Adventures in Babysitting" was directed by Chris Columbus in his directing debut after writing screenplays for a couple of Steven Spielberg produced movies ("Gremlins", "The Goonies", and "Young Sherlock Holmes"). Since this film, Columbus has gone on to direct some of the biggest box office hit comedies of all-time such as "Home Alone", "Home Alone 2", and "Mrs. Doubtfire". "Adventures in Babysitting" was nowhere near as big a hit as those films, but it did modestly well. I would have loved to see a sequel to this. It would have been interesting to see what kind of misadventures were next for Chris and company. Shue, Brewton, Coogan, and Rapp all seem to be having a blast on screen, and I would too if I were up their on the screen. Even though Miller doesn't seem to be having a good time, she's a scream as Brenda (she would later show off some real good acting in "Kindergarten Cop" and "Awakenings"). And Vincent D'Onofrio (of "Men in Black" and currently "The Cell") has one of his first film roles in a very small part as the owner of a auto repair shop (where the broken down car gets fixed). "Adventures in Babysitting" is a movie that's great fun from start to finish and never lets up. This comedy/adventure is awesome!

**** (out of four)