'Adventures In Babysitting' Stars Still Shine 35 Years After Cult Classic Was Released

Jul 15, 2022 by apost team

The 1980s saw the rise of the "Brat Pack" (Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Molly Ringwald, etc.) While the John Hughes catalog created plenty of roles for up-and-coming actors, there was still a notable lack of characters that gave storylines and spotlight to women. They were, instead, perpetually the girlfriend, the love interest, the girl next door. 

This pattern is part of what drew actress Elisabeth Shue to audition for "Adventures in Babysitting." Now a staple film at any sleepover, the movie was then just a sleeper hit that finally gave Shue the exposure she deserved. Audiences had previously seen Shue in "Karate Kid," but merely as the girl whose attention gets the main character in trouble. While the role earned Shue a "Best Young Supporting Actress" award, she was more remembered for her cheerleading outfit, not her acting prowess. 

In "Adventures in Babysitting," Shue got to metaphorically and literally take the wheel as she evaded disaster after disaster during the course of one wild night in Chicago. Afterward, Shue found herself slowly becoming "typecast as someone who looked good on other people’s arms." She recalled, "It took me doing 'Leaving Las Vegas'" -- a role which earned Shue an Oscar nomination and solidified her as so much more than just the babysitter. 

She would go on to continue to grow beyond the stereotype-casting. Shue accepted roles, most notably in "Battle of the Sexes" (2017) with Steve Carell and Emma Stone, as well as "House at the End of the Street" (2012) with Jennifer Lawrence. More recently, she starred in "Greyhound" (2020) alongside Tom Hanks.

Anthony Rapp played the other stereotypical role in "Adventures"- the best friend of the hot guy. However, like Shue, he similarly outgrew the non-threatening nice guy box and flourished as an actor after the success of "Adventures."

In the 1990s, Rapp accepted roles in "Dazed and Confused" (1993), "Six Degrees of Separation" (1996), as well as "Twister" (1996.) This would be followed by more minor roles in "A Beautiful Mind" (2001) and "The X-Files" (1997) and "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" (2004.)  

Most notably, Rapp starred in the 2005 film version of the Broadway hit "Rent." Playing the main character, Mark Cohen, Rapp reunited with director Chris Columbus, who had also directed him in "Adventures." Rapp had previously starred in the original stage production of the play in 1996, which is loosely based on Puccini's "La Bohème."

Having also already performed on Broadway in "The Little Prince and the Aviator" -- a musical based on the classic Antoine de Saint-Exupéry children's novel "The Little Prince" -- Rapp was already accustomed to the stage and audiences were used to seeing him take the spotlight. In the Jonathan Larson role, Rapp quickly became its most iconic iteration. Much like Shue in "Adventures," Rapp is remembered as The Mark Cohen. In 2007, Rapp reprised the role, joining former fellow cast member Adam Pascal.

More recently, Rapp has starred in the television series "Star Trek: Discovery" (2017-present), playing series regular Lieutenant Commander Paul Stamets. He also appeared in a few episodes of "The Good Fight" (2017) and "13 Reasons Why" (2018).

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The film itself has also grown in the decades since it was released. Surprisingly, it has proven itself to be something of an un-rebootable classic. Part of its staying power and charm, suggested Shue, is a certain "’80s innocence that can’t be redone now." The movie centers around Shue's character getting lost in Chicago with the kids she's supposed to be babysitting - a premise that exists frozen in the amber of the pre-Internet era.

Admittedly, the trouble that befalls the ragtag gang would have easily been solved, if not completely avoided, had anyone had a cell phone. "It would be doo-doo-doo 9 (dialing) on the phone, yelling, 'Please help us!' And done!" Shue remarked in a recent retrospective interview on "Adventures." However, recreating the magic of "Adventures" has proved that perhaps surviving such a slew of near disasters is not so simple.

Recent filmmakers have tried to add the advantages of an iPhone to the storyline. In 2016, a reboot was released on Netflix, but it wasn't nearly as charming despite the inclusion of the iconic camel coat. Additionally, actor Jonah Hill starred in "The Sitter," a comedy loosely based on "Adventures." Hill's iteration was admittedly darker and less prone to hijinks, but even so, it lacked the heart of the 1988 original. 

In the 30-odd years since "Adventures" was released, Shue has remained the one true Chris and proven that it takes more than a good coat to survive. Maybe she and Rapp will reunite, this time playing the unsuspecting parents, in some future "Adventures." 

What's your favorite role of Rapp or Shue? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends, family, and fellow 1980s fans!