Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead

Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead, released in 1991 is a movie for people that want a movie with a plot that is not overly too meaningful. Starring Christina Applegate, the film focuses on the exploits of the Crandell children who are left in the care of a horrible babysitter while their mother takes a summer vacation to Australia. Shortly after the story begins, the children, fed up with the cruel treatment they are receiving from their babysitter, Mrs. Sturak, hatch a plan to confront her. After they discover that she has passed away, the children are left to fend for themselves.

Over the course of the movie the siblings bond together while Sue Ellen (Applegate) seeks a job to fund their survival over the summer. I am a bit of a Christina Applegate fan, so my opinion may be a bit biased, but I felt that she did a great job in this movie. Her character goes through some ups-and-downs that as a girl I can relate to, even though the wardrobe is a bit dated since the movie came out a while ago. The clothing may have seemed hip and cool back then, but is definitely out of style by now, which is something that the fashion conscious may have to simply tune out.

Co-starring with Applegate is Joanna Cassidy in the role of Rose Linsdey, Sue Ellen’s boss at a fashion company in the city. Cassidy’s style of taking an emotion and running with it I felt helped this movie a lot. She is very expressive, like when she is ecstatic and her smile conveys how excited or happy she is. She really lets the viewer know how her character feels at all times.

Also appearing in the movie is Keith Coogan as Sue Ellen’s brother Kenny. At the beginning of the film he is a complete stoner who manages to avoid the domineering path of Mrs. Sturak, the babysitter, but gradually over the course of the movie becomes a more developed person with individual thoughts and even helps the family clean the house. The scenes between him and Sue Ellen are great, and he even manages to steal the spotlight a few times through his dialogue, like when he is learning to cook and complains that the casserole he was making is a mess because she didn’t call him.

In a nutshell: Is this movie Oscar worthy? Not really, but if you are looking for a fun movie to turn on and enjoy without having to do a whole lot of thinking, microwave yourself some popcorn, open a box of your favorite candy, and enjoy Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead.