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MONEY
Did you know
Made its money back 4.9× over at the box office.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
Adventures in Babysitting
"She thought babysitting was easy money - until she started hanging out with the Andersons."
1987 1h 42m EN
👍
6.9
SOLID
🍅
73%
FRESH
😬
45
METACRITIC
⭐
6.9
IMDB
★6.9TMDB · 800🍅73%Rotten Tomatoes●45Metacritic★6.9IMDB · 53,665
Comedy
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
When plans with her boyfriend fall through, high school senior Chris Parker ends up babysitting the Anderson kids, Brad and Sara. What should be a quiet night in, however, turns into a series of ridiculous exploits, starting when they leave the house to pick up Chris' friend Brenda. Soon, Brad's buddy Daryl is involved, and the group must contend with car thieves, blues musicians and much more.
“She thought babysitting was easy money - until she started hanging out with the Andersons.”
Cast
Elisabeth Shue
Chris
Keith Coogan
Brad
Maia Brewton
Sara
Anthony Rapp
Daryl
John Davis Chandler
Bleak
Calvin Levels
Joe Gipp
Penelope Ann Miller
Brenda
George Newbern
Dan
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Chris Columbus
- Writers
- David Simkins
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- United States of America
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
ERA
Did you know
39 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Chris Columbus, shot by Ric Waite. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Michael Kamen. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Fredric Steinkamp shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Elisabeth Shue and Keith Coogan and Maia Brewton carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Marketing tagline: "She thought babysitting was easy money - until she started hanging out with the Andersons.".
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
WILD
Did you know
IMDB entry: tt0092513 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Chris Columbus directs. Ric Waite behind the camera. Michael Kamen scores. Fredric Steinkamp cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Made its money back 4.9× over at the box office.
- 239 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
- 3Directed by Chris Columbus, shot by Ric Waite. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 4Original score by Michael Kamen. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 5Editor Fredric Steinkamp shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 6Elisabeth Shue and Keith Coogan and Maia Brewton carry the top of the cast.
- 7Marketing tagline: "She thought babysitting was easy money - until she started hanging out with the Andersons.".
- 8IMDB entry: tt0092513 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 9Classified under 13 themes, including "babysitter", "unfaithful boyfriend", "misadventure", "one night".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Ric Waite
- Original score
- Michael Kamen
- Editing
- Fredric Steinkamp
- Production design
- Todd Hallowell
- Costume design
- Judith R. Gellman
- Makeup / hair
- Linda Gill
- VFX supervisor
- William Mesa
- Sound
- Terry Porter
- Stunt coordinator
- Branko Racki
- Runtime
- 102 min · 1h 42m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $7,000,000
- Box office
- $34,368,475
- Return
- 491% of budget
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- PG-13
- Rotten Tomatoes
- 73% 🍅 Fresh
- Metacritic
- 45/100
- IMDB rating
- 6.9/10 · 53,665 votes
- MPAA
- PG-13
Awards
2 wins & 4 nominations total
Also by
Chris Columbus
Stills · wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Community reviews
What people are saying
- Wuchak
RELEASED IN 1987 and directed by Chris Columbus, “Adventures in Babysitting” (aka "A Night on the Town") is a teen dramedy about 17 year-old babysitter, Chris (Elisabeth Shue), from the suburbs of Chicago who has no choice but to take the siblings she’s babysitting (Keith Coogan & Maia Brewton) and their friend (Anthony Rapp) into the big city whereupon they have many misadventures. Penelope Ann Miller plays Chris’ geeky friend (at the bus station), Calvin Levels a car thief, John Davis Chandler the main heavy and George Newbern a helpful college dude with eyes for Chris. I was surprised at how entertaining this movie is. It has the tone of an Indiana Jones flick, but with teen protagonists and taking place in a modern USA city. The Thor element was a unique surprise and the little girl is cute and spry. The protagonists are likable and you can sense the warmth in their relationships, e.g. Brad’s infatuation with Chris. Unfortunately, the movie fumbles the ball on the female front a little bit. There are quality women in the cast, for sure, but the director never milks these resources for their worth (and I’m not tawkin’ bout nudity or sleaze). Take Shue, for example (who was 21 during filming); she’s dressed in a looong sweater or jacket that covers her figure the entire film. Compare this with her role in “The Karate Kid” (1984) where her beauty is well displayed and tastefully so. THE FILM RUNS 1 hour & 42 minutes and was shot in Toronto and the Chicago area. WRITER: David Simkins GRADE: B+/A-
Production companies
Who made it
- SI
Silver Screen Partners III
US
Touchstone Pictures
US
Key crew
- ProducerDebra Hill
- ProducerLynda Obst
- StuntsG.A. Aguilar
- StuntsEddie J. Fernandez
- StuntsJennifer Granger
- StuntsStacy Logan
- StuntsKay Whipple
- StuntsJames Fierro
- StuntsMark Harper
- StuntsLeslie Munro
- StuntsDaniel Maldonado
- StuntsRich Wilkie
- Stunt CoordinatorBranko Racki
- StuntsRick LeFevour
- EditorFredric Steinkamp
- EditorWilliam Steinkamp
- Executive In Charge Of ProductionDaniel J. Heffner
- Sound EditorDavid M. Ice
- Sound EditorHoward Neiman
- Production ManagerDavid Coatsworth
- Post Production SupervisorJayne Armstrong
- Assistant Art DirectorGregory P. Keen
- Unit Production ManagerJohn G. Wilson
- Supervising Sound EditorTom C. McCarthy
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- babysitter
- unfaithful boyfriend
- misadventure
- one night
- car theft
- suburbanite
- chop shop
- homeless man
- frat party
- criminal gang
- held hostage
- norse mythology
- aftercreditsstinger
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical1987-07-01PG-13
Also known as
International titles
- En Natt På StanSE
- A Night on The TownGB
- Escapade d'un soirCA
- Una noche por la ciudadSV
- Uma Aventura de BabásBR
- Una noche por la ciudadMX
- 逃家一夜亲CN
- ベビーシッター・アドベンチャーJP
- Nianie w akcjiPL
