Rating: PG-13 | Runtime: 102 minutes
Release Date: July 1st, 1987 (USA)
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Director(s): Chris Columbus
Writer(s): David Simkins

You must be from the suburbs.

Adventures in Babysitting was on regular rotation in my house growing up and I remembered all the familiar faces watching it thirty-plus years later except one. Seeing Bradley Whitford when that door opened was a jump scare. I always thought Billy Madison was my first time seeing him. Good to know he’s had “smarmy douchebag” on lock since the beginning.

This aged quite well besides the homophobia (like usual) and urban fear-mongering. And despite being pretty dark at times (generally with tongue mostly in cheek), it carries a pretty great message for teens balancing love, lust, and respect. Add some great humanizing of stereotypical figures usually relegated to villainy (John Ford Noonan’s one-handed Pruitt, Vincent Phillip D’Onofrio as the hulking mechanic, and, especially, Calvin Levels’ carjacker) and it truly has the heart of a PG inside a PG-13 package.

I remembered getting more Brenda, but that might just be having Ari Graynor from Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist fresher on my mind. I don’t think I ever watched through the credits to see them give Ron Canada one last whimper. And I really wish Chris Columbus gave us a parting shot of the kitchen floor after Elisabeth Shue’s Chris quickly wipes off the counters before the Andersons walk through the door. Just blame Brad.

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Anthony Rapp (left) as Daryl, Elisabeth Shue as Chris, Keith Coogan as Brad, and Maia Brewton (front center) as Sara in a scene from ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING; courtesy of Touchstone Pictures.