🚗 Thor, Car Chases & Deeply Questionable Choices
Release Date: 7/8/25
🛎️ Episode Overview
Let’s be real—no one expected a babysitting gig to turn into an urban crime spree. But in 1987, anything was possible. In this episode, we dive into Adventures in Babysitting, where teen babysitter Chris Parker and her young charges face off with mobsters, car thieves, blues musicians, and an inexplicably shirtless “Thor.”
Join Kristin, Carole, and Jeannine as we rewatch this chaotic classic through a 2025 lens, exploring what holds up, what very much doesn’t, and why this film somehow felt like a family-friendly fever dream.
🎬 Movie Synopsis
When her boyfriend bails, 17-year-old Chris Parker (Elisabeth Shue) takes a last-minute babysitting job. What should be a quiet evening turns into a bonkers night through the streets of Chicago after a friend calls for help. The kids—and their smart-mouthed friend Daryl—tag along for a wild ride that includes stolen cars, mobsters, subway fights, and a blues club where no one leaves without singing the blues.
⭐ Cast Highlights
- Elisabeth Shue – Chris Parker
Just off The Karate Kid, on her way to Back to the Future II & III. Iconic 80s queen. - Keith Coogan – Brad
The lovesick brother with great comedic timing (Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead). - Anthony Rapp – Daryl
Future Rent and Star Trek: Discovery star makes his film debut. - Maia Brewton – Sara
Obsessed with Thor and honestly the most capable one in the group. - Penelope Ann Miller – Brenda
The stranded friend at the bus station. Also in Big Top Pee-Wee and Carlito’s Way. - Bradley Whitford – Mike Todwell
Her sketchy ex, later of The West Wing and The Handmaid’s Tale. Already typecast as a jerk by 1987.
🎬 Directed by Chris Columbus in his directorial debut. He later gave us Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
🎥 Behind the Scenes
- Filming Locations: Mostly Toronto with some exteriors shot in Chicago.
- Budget: $7 million
- Box Office: $34.3 million
- Debut: June 19, 1987
- Fun Fact: This was Disney’s first PG-13 movie release.
- Streaming Note: The Disney+ version is edited for content—some key words replaced, and F-bombs scrubbed.
🧠 Our Takeaways
- Chris Parker may be the least responsible babysitter of all time.
- Shout-out to the Babysitting Blues club scene, which we agree is peak 80s chaos.
- Some scenes? Still hilarious. Others? Yikes. Lots of racial and cultural stereotyping that did not age well.
- That “Thor” mechanic (Vincent D’Onofrio!) might’ve awakened something in us. Not sorry.
- The city of Chicago has never looked both more fun and more terrifying.
🔍 Cringe Rating & Verdict
We rate this one:
📉 High on cringe
📈 Surprisingly high on never watching this again
🔁 Still quotable, but definitely problematic
🔗 Dive Deeper
- IMDb: Adventures in Babysitting
- Elisabeth Shue on performing “Babysitting Blues”
- More on Chris Columbus
🛼 If you ever babysat, rode in a station wagon, or had a best friend who stranded themselves at a bus station—you’ll get it.
Thanks for listening to The Shermer High Alumni Association!
