Review of Adventures in Babysitting (1987) by Alex R — 09 May 2011

This is a sweet, fairly innocent, good-natured movie. It's one of those goofy 80s kids-getting-into-trouble movies, like Ferris Bueller's Day Off or Home Alone (which was directed by the same guy, Chris Columbus, who also did the first two Harry Potter movies). It just has an overall very amiable feel to it, as well as some genuinely extremely funny moments.

The plot starts with a babysitter (played by a plucky and charming Elisabeth Shue) having to take her young charges with her to pick up a friend in the city of Chicago. Soon, of course, one mishap leads to another, and the kids are on the run from Mafiosos. One crazy event leads to another, but you always have the feeling that somehow things will end up okay. One particular scene, when the blonde babysitter is forced to sing the blues in an all African-American blues joint, is pure comedic gold.

The movie works because you like the kids at the center of it. Elisabeth Shue is a good center to the movie, reacting to the outrageous events as any harried babysitter might. Keith Coogan is the embodiment of earnest teen-boy awkwardness, and Maia Brewton is quite funny as his little sister, who has a knack for saying exactly what her brother does not want her to say. Anthony Rapp is also very funny as the obnoxious and somewhat pervy friend. Also, Vincent D'Onofrio shows up in a random but hilarious bit part. Adventures in Babysitting isn't as famous as Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but I would say it is about on a par with it. If you like goofy 80s teen movies (and really, who doesn't?), I would definitely recommend Adventures in Babysitting.