| Adventures in Babysitting | |
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Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Chris Columbus |
| Produced by | Debra Hill Lynda Obst |
| Written by | David Simkins |
| Starring | Elisabeth Shue Maia Brewton Keith Coogan Anthony Rapp |
| Music by | Michael Kamen |
| Cinematography | Ric Waite |
| Editing by | Fredric Steinkamp William Steinkamp |
| Distributed by | Touchstone Films |
| Release date(s) | July 1, 1987 |
| Running time | 102 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $7 million |
| Box office | $34,368,475 |
Adventures in Babysitting (also known as A Night on the Town in certain countries) is a 1987 American comedy film written by David Simkins, directed by Chris Columbus, and starring Elisabeth Shue, Maia Brewton, Keith Coogan, Anthony Rapp, Penelope Ann Miller, Bradley Whitford, and a brief cameo by blues singer/guitarist Albert Collins. Although it is set in Oak Park and Chicago, Illinois, with much of the action taking place in the city itself, the movie was filmed primarily in Toronto.
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After her boyfriend, Mike Todwell (Bradley Whitford), cancels their anniversary date, 17-year-old Chris Parker (Elisabeth Shue) volunteers to babysit for the Andersons' children, 15-year-old Brad (Keith Coogan) and 8-year-old Sara (Maia Brewton). However, she gets a phone call from her friend Brenda (Penelope Ann Miller), who has run away from home, asking her to come pick her up after running out of money from the cab ride to the bus station. She takes Brad, Sara, and Brad's friend Daryl Coopersmith (Anthony Rapp) and sets out, but they get a flat tire, find the spare compartment empty, and become stranded on the expressway.
A friendly tow truck driver, "Handsome" John Pruitt (John Ford Noonan), offers to replace the tire for free. En route to the garage, he gets a call on his CB that his wife is cheating on him and he heads home. In a brief shootout, the kids climb into a Cadillac which is being stolen by Joe Gipp (Calvin Levels) and are taken to a chop shop where they are briefly detained. Daryl finds a Playboy magazine and steals it before they escape onto the building's roof; however, the magazine contains incriminating notes and the car thieves follow them. They stumble into a Blues club and are forced to sing about their ordeal by Albert Collins, receiving applause from the audience. Billy Branch plays himself as the harmonica player in this scene. When they leave, the thieves are held up when they are prompted to do the same thing.
Their presence on the Chicago 'L' instigates a gang fight in which Brad is injured and taken to the hospital (Mercy Medical Center). They again encounter Pruitt, who is on the run due to his earlier fight. He tells them that his boss Dawson fixed their car, but he will force them to pay $50 for the tire. They then come across a college fraternity party at which Chris meets a new love interest, Dan Lynch (George Newbern), who manages to gather $45 for them. Daryl almost gets into a fight with a jock when the jock's lonely girlfriend attempts to make out with him. Dan then drives them to Dawson's garage.
In the garage, Dawson (Vincent D'Onofrio) appears, and Sara believes he is the superhero Thor. He refuses to release their car due to the $5 shortage, but she pleads with him and gives him her plastic helmet, causing him to change his mind, and he allows them to take the vehicle. On their way through the city, they pass the restaurant that Chris' date was going to take her to and Daryl points out Mike's car. She goes in to find him flirting with the sleazy Sesame Plexer. Brad and Daryl stand up to him when he insults her. Meanwhile, Sara wanders off, is spotted by Graydon, one of the car thieves, and chased to the Smurfit-Stone Building where her parents are attending a party. She goes to the renovated top floor and uses a rope to slip out the window. He discovers her and attempts to climb outside with her as she dangles precariously. Chris, Daryl, and Brad go on to the top floor after seeing her out the window and rescue her.
They successfully pick up Brenda and get home, and Chris sends the kids upstairs while she tidies up the mess left earlier in the day. She settles in just as the Andersons arrive home. She goes up to say good night to the kids and they all thank each other for the greatest night of their lives. As she leaves, Dan shows up to return Sara's skate which she had accidentally left behind, but notes that wasn't the only reason, and they share a kiss.
This was the first PG-13-rated film released by a Disney film division and was released as A Night on the Town in the United Kingdom. In the bus station scene with Brenda, the actor who portrayed the hot dog salesman originally improvised his line as "then I don't have a fucking weiner!" Columbus loved the line, but executives at Disney wanted to keep the picture more family-friendly, so the line was removed (although the word "fuck" is used twice in the final cut[1]). This scene was added to stretch out the bus station segments. It was not in the original script.
Bradley Whitford, who played Mike Todwell in the film, was actually 27 years old at the time of shooting in 1986. He was uncomfortable with the age difference, but director Chris Columbus put him at ease by allowing him to use his own Camaro in the movie. The car is later seen with Whitford's actual license plate "SO COOL."
Valerie Bertinelli was one of the actresses who auditioned for the role of Chris Parker.[2]
Anthony Rapp and director Chris Columbus would reunite 18 years later for the film adaptation of the musical Rent, which originally starred Rapp on Broadway.
Adventures in Babysitting was adapted into an American television pilot[3] of the same name for CBS in 1989. It starred Jennifer Guthrie (who incidentally, would later co-star on Parker Lewis Can't Lose with Maia Brewton) as Chris, Joey Lawrence as Brad, Courtney Peldon as Sara, Brian Austin Green as Daryl, and Ariana Mohit as Brenda. It was not picked up for a series.
A remake is reportedly planned for release in 2012.[4] Disney Channel star Raven-Symoné was going to star in the remake, currently titled Further Adventures in Babysitting, but she decided to withdraw due to other projects.[4] Miley Cyrus has denied involvement.[5]
According to Variety, Tiffany Paulsen is writing the script.[4]
The film has received positive reviews, and it currently earns a "fresh" 76% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes[6]
The movie was a box office success, earning more than $34 million on its $7 million budget.[7]
Adventures in Babysitting has been released on VHS and DVD format. In the United States, Adventures in Babysitting received a VHS release by Buena Vista Pictures on 14 July, 1992.[8] It was released on DVD for the first time on 18 January, 2000 by Buena Vista Pictures.[9]
Although it may still be referred to as A Night on the Town on television airings in the United Kingdom, it has now been released in its original title. The VHS was released on 21 October, 2002 in the United Kingdom by Cinema Club, it received a 15 certificate by the BBFC[10] for strong language and sexual references, it was previously released in an edited PG certificate for family viewing. It was released on DVD in the United Kingdom on 31 May, 2004, again uncut like the 15 certificate VHS, it has been reduced to a 12 certificate.[11]
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