 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Adventures in Babysitting
- Review Date: October 19, 2007
- PG-13
- Genre: Comedy
- 1987
Common Sense Media says
Sitter's misadventures are mostly light fun.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this movie does include some violent scenes, but they're mostly fodder for jokes that center on the vivid imaginations of kids from the 'burbs. A "stab wound" results in just one stitch; criminals chase the kids through the city, but not for the sinister reason they think. You'll also find some guns, fistfights, and one scary moment where a little girl tries to escape a high-rise building by climbing out a window. The movie is also a little racy, with talk of Playboy magazine and a surprising number of sexual innuendos.
What's the story?
ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING gets rolling when suburban high school senior Chris Parker (Elisabeth Shue) takes a last-minute babysitting gig. Shortly after the parents leave, Chris gets a frantic call from her best friend, who is stuck at the bus station with no money. Chris loads her young charges into her station wagon and heads for the big city. They quickly get into in one scrape after another, starting with a tire blowout that leaves them stranded on a busy freeway. By the time the car is fixed, they have been held hostage in a chop shop, performed onstage at a blues bar, been pursued by criminals, and narrowly escaped street gangs on the subway. Although they seem to be magnets for mishaps, Chris and the kids manage to keep outwitting the bad guys -- with a little help along the way.
Is it any good?
As perky as its heroine, ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING is a madcap dash through the mean streets of Chicago. This frothy, utterly '80s comedy manages to remain light-hearted and breezy despite several potentially dangerous situations that the main characters face.
Shue is especially fun to watch, and the film features a number of other actors who went on to bigger and better things, including Penelope Ann Miller, Vincent D'Onofrio, Lolita Davidovitch, The West Wing's Bradley Whitford, and red-haired Anthony Rapp of the Broadway and screen versions of Rent.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about whether Chris made the right decision by taking the children into the city. What could she have done differently when her friend calls her from the bus station? What would have been the sensible, "grown-up" thing to do?
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- Teens & kids
AGE
Really bad Language and sexual themes
The TV version of this is fine to watch with kids as young as 8. I wish that version was available on DVD For some reason movies of this era thought it necessary to include profanity and this one will teach your little ones all the worst ones.
I was really shocked and embarrassed when I watched this with my 7 year-old. By the way at the time there was no review on CSM.
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AGE
Well...I think this is a cute movie, but there are some pitfalls that parents need to watch out for. First of all the babysitter takes the children into the city, without permission to do so. This isn't the best lesson to teach your kids. But Elisabeth Shue is a darling actress! The children always manage to get out of the trouble they get into to. The violence can be comedic, but there's also some scenes that would scare younger children. As far a sexual content goes there's some kissing, and between a girl and someone younger than her. Playboy is mentioned often throughout the movie. You also see a prostitute proposition a young boy. Profanity wise there are a lot of inappropriate language that children and teens shouldn't be exposed to. Some commercialism, but nothing most children haven't seen just living in the real world. There's some drinking with adults and you see teens drinking at a college party.
Overall 14+
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AGE
Love this movie!
I saw this movie a few weeks ago on Nick @ Nite, it's very funny and instantly became a favourite of mine. Nothing too inappropriate-- a boy gets in a weird situation in a party scene, that's probably the worst of the movie. Another boy gets stabbed in the toe on a train, and of course the kids are being pursued by another gang throughout most of the movie. Despite all that, most kids and teens will love this.
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AGE
Amazing
This movie was really good! To me there wasn't anything bad in this only a little bit of language. But this the kind of movie the whole family would like.
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Kid, 12 years old
June 24, 2009
AGE
It depends on what you consider appropriate.
I liked this movie when I first saw it. Although, for kids 8 and under, there is a scene where the main characters meet up with a gang and a guy gets stabbed in the toe. Plus, some guy brought a Playboy mag in the car and it was stolen from his father. I LOL'd at this film.
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AGE
cool as ice
i haven't watched thi movie for 2 years but i still remember how laugh out loud funny it was and I also remember how confused I was since i was only 9 at the time
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AGE
Not for kids under 13
I was quite surprised at the language in this movie. All swear words are found in this movie that I thought was "safe" for kids. "son of a b" is found at least five times, "Sh_t" is found at least three times, "as_hole" is found twice and "as_" is also said a couple of times, "bast_rd" is found at least once and the "F" word is used at least twice. Other words that are a concern for younger kids would be "H0m0" found 3 times, "r_pe" found once, "sex fiend" is also mentioned. "Jes_s" and "Chr_st" are also said many times throughout this movie.
There are many conversations in this movie that are sex related and not for younger veiwers.
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AGE
very funny, if sort of inappropriate
This movie isn't meant to make you think. This movie isn't meant to tug on your heartstrings. This movie isn't made to have you on the edge of your seat. It is meant to make you laugh. And it does. The whole movie is a barrel of non-stop laughs and it is a good, fluffy movie to see at girls-night-out. However, some inappropriate content and language makes it inappropriate for anyone under 12. (me included). Overall, great move!
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Kid, 10 years old
April 4, 2009
AGE
Inappropriaite for kids under six and very very funny
I love the movie it is very funny but if you want to know a part that might scare your kids a tween gets a knife super close to his foot it go's in his shoe
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| Studio: | Walt Disney Pictures |
| Director: | Chris Columbus |
| Cast: | Anthony Rapp, Elisabeth Shue, Penelope Ann Ann Miller |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 102 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | July 1, 1987 |
| DVD release date: | January 18, 2000 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
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