ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Copyright 1987 Mark R. Leeper
Capsule review: In spite of the title, this is a fairly
enjoyable summer film that the adults in the audience seemed
to appreciate as much as the younger viewers. Spielberg
writer Chris Columbus has not directed before but shows
talent.
Back in the 50s and 60s, society seemed safe and simple. With the exception of a few crime and juvenile delinquent films it seemed that if you simply behaved yourself you would lead a calm and placid existence. As we perceive society getting weirder, we see more films of people doing normal things that wind them up in the middle of real chaos, particularly over a single night. In INTO THE NIGHT a man who is simply at the wrong airport parking slot at the wrong moment finds not only his night but his whole life turned inside out as a result. Well, that's not too different from NORTH BY NORTHWEST after the main character runs across the wrong people (in this case, criminals). The classic "night of pure chaos" film is AFTER HOURS. There aren't even dangerous criminals in AFTER HOURS; it is mostly paranoia and just the general weirdness of people that creates all the danger.
Well, of late Hollywood has been doing films in all kinds of popular sub-genres, but with teen-age main characters instead of the usual adults. The newest "night of chaos" film has three teenagers and an adolescent going through a night of chaos in Chicago. Chris Parker (played by Elisabeth Shue, who was also in THE KARATE KID) is baby-sitting for Sara (played by Maia Brewton) when a friend who desperately needs a ride calls her. Against her better judgement she packs Sara, Sara's older brother Brad (played by Keith Coogan, formerly of THE WALTONS), and his friend Daryl Coopersmith (played by Anthony Rapp) into her mother's station wagon and heads for the city. Add one flat tire and one weirdo with a tow truck and the film is off and running. What follows is a lot of fun and adventures nowhere nearly as puerile as the regrettable title might indicate.
This film is the directorial debut of Chris Columbus, who wrote the screenplays for three Steven-Spielberg-produced films: GREMLINS, THE GOONIES< and YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES. Columbus gets his young cast to act and turns out a fluff film, but good fluff. Rate it a low +2 on the -4 to +4 scale.
Mark R. Leeper
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