Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead

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source: Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead

Sue Ellen Crandell (Christina Applegate) a 17-year-old high school graduate who fakes her resume and gets a job as an executive assistant in the clothing industry. All because her mother has gone to Australia for a vacation and left an elderly lady in charge of her and four siblings. However the babysitter soon dies and Sue Ellen has to make ends meet for the rest of the kids. What I thought would be a zany comedy in the style of Weekend at Bernie's turns out to be Working Girl lite for teenagers. A bait and switch from what you expect from the movie poster. Applegate is winsome but this is a half baked story which is a teen girl romantic comedy than something aimed at a wider child audience.

This really should've been 2 movies. There are 2 great premises here that are almost completely unrelated that are just squashed together into 1 not-so-good film. We have the hilarious slapstick comedy of covering up the death of an elderly babysitter, and a woman trying to find a way to save the company she works for (which is a movie that I personally wouldn't have cared for, but probably would've made a great chick flick), both of which could've easily carried themselves over an hour and a half each. Instead, all we get is a half-hour of comedy and an hour of boring Yuppie-ville Corporate America, with the plot of the first half-hour poking it's head every so often, mercilessly trying to remind us that we're supposed to be watching a comedy. But just as quickly as those every-so-often's come up, they disappear back into the void. And they should've done away with the 'no money, gotta get a job' plot device, as that was pretty much what killed the rest of this film. They could've developed a lot more comedy just out of them say... having a party and trashing the house, or relatives come looking for the babysitter, or mother comes home early, or from the fact that they should've just called an ambulance in the first place seeing as how the babysitter really did die of natural causes and they wouldn't have been in any trouble anyway, or any number of possible plot devices that could've been so much funnier than Christina Applegate parading around in Yuppie-land. And as for that part of the film being it's own movie, this section has a lot more detail than the first half. Just add a bit more character development to the supporting cast, and bam, you got that film. The acting is overall fairly decent though. Christina Applegate is definitely convincing as both the valley girl and the yuppie. Keith Coogan as Kenny and the hilarious pranks that him and his gang pull are sadly underused in my opinion, although his transformation from stoner slacker to Julia Child-obsessed chef throughout the film is one of the best parts of the film. Josh Charles (whom everybody would remember as anchor Dan Rydell from the show Sports Night) as the boyfriend Bryan does a fairly decent job here as well. Eda Reiss Merin as the elderly babysitter had me scared stiff. The actress also was sadly underused before the character's untimely death. I mean, come on. The title of the movie is based on this character. Had that been it's own movie (forsaking the Corporate America bit, as I suggested earlier), they could've developed the character a lot more. Maybe have her dole out some worse embarrassments and harsher punishments to the children before her death. Most of the actors in the latter part of the film were pretty stiff. The actress who played Carolyn should've been replaced, as it seemed that she read her lines like a wannabe actress in a poorly written commercial. I was however surprised to see David Duchovny (long before his triumphs on The X-Files & Californication) with the worst hair cut the 80's had to offer, and stiff as a board in the acting department. So basically that's it. 2 good premises, but one overall lousy film.

How could you NOT like this movie! I am watching it right now, and it has inspired me to write a review, and hopefully give it more recognition and more importantly, a higher rating!!!! Kids home alone with no parents, free to do whatever, but also trying to maintain living! Each character has their own stereotype- Walter the youngest: a handful, Melissa: the disobedient tomboy, Kenny: the headbanging rocker drop-out, Zachary: the calm, but sneaky love struck teen and Sue-Ellen: the responsible, yet hip mother of her siblings. This movie is full of much excitement and a great plot. You cannot go past this underrated classic!

Whenever a debate about movies turns to which movie is the worst ever produced, Don't Tell Mom . . ., is always my nominee. This is the only movie where I actually bolted during the final scene, because I just couldn't take it any more. Bad acting. Bad premise. Bad writing. DTMTBD makes Home Alone look like Gandhi. Avoid this movie at all costs. Seriously. Christina Applegate should have been run out of Hollywood, never to return, for participating in this piece of garbage.

I was young. I loved Home Alone 1 and 2. I was disappointed that I didn't see this one in the theaters because of the previews. I had to rent it. Back then, I tried to convince myself that this movie was good, that I've never seen a bad movie. This was a complete waste of two bucks that could've gone to more useful things (gum?). I can't recommend that anyone should waste any time or money on it. Let's just say that Police Academy 5 is more worthwhile.

I loved this movie, I found it very entertaining and would recommend it. I'm often surprised at the points people get hung up on in reviewing movies. They are, after all, FICTION. The main "controversy" surrounding this plot seems to be Sue Ellen's job. I have done office work for over 25 years and yes, it is entirely possible that Sue Ellen could have landed that position without too much trouble. Maybe not inside of five minutes at the first firm she walked into, but using a faked resume, as she was, she could have obtained a pretty soft office job without too much trouble. Some firms I've worked for would verify your more recent work experience, but many others never verify anything on a resume, and I've never once in all my years known of anyone to verify the education one claimed to have. Indeed, I've often kicked myself that I could have claimed to have some precious, worthless high dollar degree and no one would have questioned it. Beyond this, the movie is awfully good for this genre of film. We see the children unexpectedly learning valuable life lessons and it changing them into better people. It's really a rather wholesome movie considering the time period and target audience. I've let my nephews, nieces, and grandchildren watch in my home, there is nothing more objectionable than the very occasional swear word in it. One of my favorite movies from an otherwise dry period in Hollywood, highly recommended.

"Christina Applegate should have been run out of Hollywood, never to return, for participating in this piece of garbage." - Tony "Police Academy 5 is more worthwhile." - Norm from IL Need I say more? The only reason anyone would even put this movie in their player is to see Christina Applegate. We loved her on Married with Children, but the only thing she has done since that is worthwhile is to play Amy on Friends. Want a babysitter movie? Go rent Halloween, aka "The Babysitter Murders."

Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead (1991): Christina Applegate, Joanna Cassidy, John Getz, Keith Coogan, Josh Charles, Concetta Tomei, David Duchovny, Kimmy Robertson, Jayne Brook, Eda Reiss Merin, Robert Hy Goman, Christopher Pettiet, Chris Claridge, Danielle Harris, Jeff Bollow, Alejandro Quezada, Michael Kopelow, Wendy Brainard, Sarah Buxton, Laurie Morrison, Kawena Charlot, Deborah Tucker, Sydney Lassick, Michelle Mais, Oscar Jordan, Marc Epstein, Frank Dent, Steve Ruggles, Kristen Corbett, Carl Tramon, Ethan Wilson, Logan Duncan, Robert F. Newmeyer....Director Stephen Herek, Screnplay Neil Landau, Tara Ison. Comedy on film was much better 16-20 years ago, as with this 1991 film from Director Stephen Herek. "Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead" was successful at the box office and before long it was not only on VHS but even on television (Fox 11 aired this film owing to the fact its star Christina Applegate was a cast member in their hit show "Married With Children".) Applegate portrays Sue Ellen Crandell, the spoiled daughter of a single mother (Concetta Tomei) who takes off on much needed three-month vacation for the summer. The siblings are unruly, the eldest is lazy, irresponsible freeloading "rocker" type, and when the mother takes off on her vacation, they are confident they will enjoy freedom. But the mother hires a babysitter, an elderly woman, who is tough on them. It's not long before she has a heart attack and dies. It's up to Sue Ellen to support her siblings by taking a job in clothing/fashion production. Lying in her resume, she accidentally lands a job as the personal assistant to the editor Rose Lindsey (Joanna Cassidy), striking up jealousies and rivalries with co-workers Carolyn and Bruce (Jayne Brook and David Duchovny). It's nice to see David Duchovny before his X-files fame but the part is no big thing. The real star here is Christina Applegate who matures from irresponsible teen to working adult. The plot may be far-fetched but it works owing to a good script and fine acting. Plenty of funny lines, a little romance, and a coming-of-age story makes this a winning comedy.