The Babysitter's Seduction (1996) (TV)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

David Burton Morris

Writers (WGA):

Shirley Tallman (written by) &
Nancy Hersage (written by)

Release Date:

22 January 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

She was hired to watch over the kids. But who was going to watch over her?

Plot:

The mother of the family for which Michelle baby-sits dies unexpectedly. Michelle is asked to take over...

Plot Keywords:

Woman In Jeopardy | Female Nudity | Erotica | Lolita | Detective

Cast

Stephen Collins	...	Bill Bartrand
Keri Russell	...	Michelle Winston
Phylicia Rashad	...	Det. Kate Jacobs
Tobin Bell	...	Det. Frank O'Keefe
John D'Aquino	...	Paul Richards
Linda Kelsey	...	Alice Winston
Arian Waring Ash	...	Tracy Butler
Dawn Lambing	...	Sally Bartrand
Roger Floyd	...	Danny Bennett
Adam Crosby	...	Kyle Bartrand
Kristie Horton	...	Jennifer Bartrand
Travis Robertson	...	Jeff Winston
Bob Roitblat	...	Waiter
Kristian Truelsen	...	Desk sergeant
Kimberly Kashani	...	Amy

Also Known As:

Death Pays the Sitter (USA) (working title)
The Baby-Sitter's Nightmare (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

UK:85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Jacksonville Beach, Florida, USA

Company:

Hearst Entertainment Productions

Trivia:

Actual students attending Mandarin High School in Jacksonville, Florida were used as extras in the filming. All students came on a volunteer basis and none were paid for the days spent shooting at the school.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Michelle jumps out of the water with the knife, she's wearing a light gray bra under her white shirt. Later, when she's out of the pool, her bra is white.

Who's Seducing Whom

"The Babysitter's Seduction" makes a nifty little TV thriller. It starts out as a very good mystery with absolutely no suspects in who killed Bill Bartrand's wife and made it look like a suicide. Then we begin getting suspect after suspect. Alas, the identity of the culprit is given away much too soon. Director David Burton Morris must rely on suspense, chills, and thrills for the rest of the film. As the movie progresses one wonders if the babysitter is seducing Bill Bartrand or if Bill Bartrand is seducing the babysitter. Slowly we get the drift of what is really taking place. This part of the story is well written and directed. Some reviewers found it repulsive and unbelievable that a 50 year old man and a 20 year old woman (in the movie 40 and l8) could get it on. Have they not heard of sugar daddies and now sugar mamas? The babysitter wants to fill the dead wife's shoes, car, house, jewelry, and become the mother of her two children. Because of this, she doesn't see what others see, especially Det. Kate Jacobs, until it is almost too late. The final scenes in Bill Bartrand's house are edge of the seat suspense, particularly for a television movie.

The acting is above average for a TV movie. Keri Russell made her character believable once she got warmed up to the part. Stephen Collins was just right for his role, a charming creep who becomes very menacing. I prefer seeing Tobin Bell as a heavy, but he does fine as Bill Bartrand's detective friend. They played football together in school and he was close to Bartrand's wife.