ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING

1987 / Director. Chris Colombus.

While Ferris Bueller was spending a day gallivanting through the streets of Chicago in the mid 80s, Elizabeth Shue was running amok on the same streets at night. She plays Chris, a seventeen year old babysitter who's night turns to shit when she's left with no choice but to rush to the city to rescue her best friend... the problem is that she's in charge of 3 kids with a keen sense of adventure. And so begins a night of danger, music, excitement and high-rise antics. It's a fantastic movie which, for the exception of some course language, is a perfect family comedy. It was also Chris Colombus' directorial debut having previously written a string of hits such as Gremlins, The Goonies and Young Sherlock Holmes. By the time he hit this film, his talent and flair for adolescent adventure was obvious. Those who know his name will now that he went on to direct Home Alone, Mrs Doubtfire, Harry Potter... amongst others. The cast is great and their dynamics keep the film always amusing and somewhat irreverent. There's also a great cameo from a then unknown Vincent D'Onofrio as a mechanic who is mistaken for the Marvel hero Thor. A recurring commentary on this site is that family adventure films aren't what they used to me. Movies like this challenged kids and gave them some credit. These young characters are put into some really hairy situations and predicaments and with heavy underworld figures out to kill them, there's some dark themes here for young viewers to digest. Of course, it is also a comedy and so all peril is defused eventually. There's a distinct John Hughes-esque flavour about this movie and the structure and conventions are suspiciously similar to Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I guess that's proof of a winning formula. ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING was a staple part of my childhood and I just watched it on Blu-Ray. Holy crap, it's never looked better!! Rumours of a remake have been fluttering around for years. I hope it never happens. I wish instead of remaking great movies that Hollywood would just re-release the originals to new cinema audiences. 

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