The opening scene of Adventures in Babysitting (curiously re-titled A Night on the Town for British audiences) has Elizabeth Shue's character Chris Parker dancing to an old record from the 1960s, as she gears up for a romantic evening out with a partner. It is a scene that perfectly sets the tone for the film: wacky titles, upbeat and likable song, fast edits and happy people dancing as they prepare to be with the one they love. It is a scene that not only sets up the tone of the film but it is also a scene that will come and go; a scene that the film will not revisit or so-much as even reference later on since just minutes later, Chris' bubble will be burst and she will be off down a different path.
Such is the cut and thrust nature of films that rely on cause and effect as their narrative base, it is very rare for a film to refer back to a scene from ten minutes ago because something so drastic would have happened to propel the story into its next situation. I hate to refer to films made since the one I'm talking about but 2005 film Cellular is a good example of a film that presents us with one situation the hero must overcome, before leading into another and then another all the time not looking back; the closing half an hour of Mel Gibson's Apocalypto is another good example. But then again, I'm a big fan of those two films and whilst Adventures in Babysitting is good fun; it does not hold up as a film nor as a realistic piece of entertainment.
The most frustrating thing that glares the most out of the film, for me anyway, were the inconsistencies apparent within the character of Sara Anderson (Brewton) who is the youngest member of the family being babysat at eight years old; she is also the smartest and there's your problem. Unfortunately, most of the logic in this film is replaced for good excuses to try and get laughs out of the audience. Sara is smart enough to have the dialogue to make us think she is clever but is actually foolish enough to climb out of a window on the fortieth floor of a skyscraper; her imperative inclusion to the story is once again utilised as she is able to overcome the plot point that involves being able to turn a money grabbing mechanic into a good Samaritan; this time through innocence. The third example of Sara's inability to be an 8 year old human being, or indeed the writer's inability to create an 8 year old human being is when, shortly after they have been caught carjacking by a carjacker and are hurtling along to a gangster's warehouse, Sara pulls out a chocolate bar and finds it in her heart to offer some to all in the car she is not terrified like her brother, his friend and Elizabeth are even if she should be the most terrified.
But then we have to suspend belief to go along with the film's running gag; that these incompetent human beings can get their way out of any jam, no matter how difficult. Elizabeth is a 17 year old babysitter who has jeopardised everyone's situation at the expense of a friend although you cannot blame her; Brad, 15 (Coogan) is a kid who is attracted to Elizabeth and his friend Daryl (Rapp) who is equally sexually active, at least in his own mind and enough to want Elizabeth to rape him. But while these kids can get out of jams such as escaping a building full of gangsters who will no doubt kill them in due course, the film does not elevate itself above that level of: 'here comes the situation, here is the situation, there goes the situation' which is disappointing as there is a certain likability for all of the characters involved. Daryl may think with a body part that is not his brain on more than one occasion but he carries a degree of innocence that just keeps him from being another one of these American teenagers obsessed with women; something that does not work AS a character, IN a film.
But whilst the characters remain inconsistent and the plot remains basic, the actual cause and effect situations are nothing that special either. The carjacker does not have time to deliver the kids somewhere safe before driving on; the kids actually stop half way through their escape from certain death by singing 'the blues' in a music club and they even find time to go to a student party during the course of their adventure. It's not that these events aren't interesting, they are just too unrealistic and heavy handed to warrant good viewing. If your idea of comedy and tension is to have the kids actually stop and sing to a crowd of blues fans, this is the film for you; otherwise I am surprised they did not merely barge through the barrier and continue to escape maybe they could've even asked for help from the musicians as they outrun the murderous gangsters.
But whilst incompetence would have them go on this adventure in the first place as it is Brenda (Miller) who sparks the journey off, it is incompetence and inconsistency that actually gets them through the journey that matters. The bad guys nearer the end are not waiting for them in the garage despite having the address and would rather follow them to the third act setting than nab them there and then but glaring errors seem to be accepted by director Columbus, embraced even, as these people survive the city streets like cacti survive the blistering sun. It may not be smart nor that funny but the adventure is enjoyable in places, even if you need your brain suspended for the majority of the runtime.
Such is the cut and thrust nature of films that rely on cause and effect as their narrative base, it is very rare for a film to refer back to a scene from ten minutes ago because something so drastic would have happened to propel the story into its next situation. I hate to refer to films made since the one I'm talking about but 2005 film Cellular is a good example of a film that presents us with one situation the hero must overcome, before leading into another and then another all the time not looking back; the closing half an hour of Mel Gibson's Apocalypto is another good example. But then again, I'm a big fan of those two films and whilst Adventures in Babysitting is good fun; it does not hold up as a film nor as a realistic piece of entertainment.
The most frustrating thing that glares the most out of the film, for me anyway, were the inconsistencies apparent within the character of Sara Anderson (Brewton) who is the youngest member of the family being babysat at eight years old; she is also the smartest and there's your problem. Unfortunately, most of the logic in this film is replaced for good excuses to try and get laughs out of the audience. Sara is smart enough to have the dialogue to make us think she is clever but is actually foolish enough to climb out of a window on the fortieth floor of a skyscraper; her imperative inclusion to the story is once again utilised as she is able to overcome the plot point that involves being able to turn a money grabbing mechanic into a good Samaritan; this time through innocence. The third example of Sara's inability to be an 8 year old human being, or indeed the writer's inability to create an 8 year old human being is when, shortly after they have been caught carjacking by a carjacker and are hurtling along to a gangster's warehouse, Sara pulls out a chocolate bar and finds it in her heart to offer some to all in the car she is not terrified like her brother, his friend and Elizabeth are even if she should be the most terrified.
But then we have to suspend belief to go along with the film's running gag; that these incompetent human beings can get their way out of any jam, no matter how difficult. Elizabeth is a 17 year old babysitter who has jeopardised everyone's situation at the expense of a friend although you cannot blame her; Brad, 15 (Coogan) is a kid who is attracted to Elizabeth and his friend Daryl (Rapp) who is equally sexually active, at least in his own mind and enough to want Elizabeth to rape him. But while these kids can get out of jams such as escaping a building full of gangsters who will no doubt kill them in due course, the film does not elevate itself above that level of: 'here comes the situation, here is the situation, there goes the situation' which is disappointing as there is a certain likability for all of the characters involved. Daryl may think with a body part that is not his brain on more than one occasion but he carries a degree of innocence that just keeps him from being another one of these American teenagers obsessed with women; something that does not work AS a character, IN a film.
But whilst the characters remain inconsistent and the plot remains basic, the actual cause and effect situations are nothing that special either. The carjacker does not have time to deliver the kids somewhere safe before driving on; the kids actually stop half way through their escape from certain death by singing 'the blues' in a music club and they even find time to go to a student party during the course of their adventure. It's not that these events aren't interesting, they are just too unrealistic and heavy handed to warrant good viewing. If your idea of comedy and tension is to have the kids actually stop and sing to a crowd of blues fans, this is the film for you; otherwise I am surprised they did not merely barge through the barrier and continue to escape maybe they could've even asked for help from the musicians as they outrun the murderous gangsters.
But whilst incompetence would have them go on this adventure in the first place as it is Brenda (Miller) who sparks the journey off, it is incompetence and inconsistency that actually gets them through the journey that matters. The bad guys nearer the end are not waiting for them in the garage despite having the address and would rather follow them to the third act setting than nab them there and then but glaring errors seem to be accepted by director Columbus, embraced even, as these people survive the city streets like cacti survive the blistering sun. It may not be smart nor that funny but the adventure is enjoyable in places, even if you need your brain suspended for the majority of the runtime.