The Babysitter main poster

The Babysitter

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5.6/10 • 12

1980-11-281h 36m

TV MovieThrillerDrama

She drove the mother mad. She seduced the father. Now, what's going to happen to little Tara?

Overprotective mother Liz Benedict meets 18-year-old orphan Joanna Redwine and hires her as house help and live-in companion to rambunctious daughter Tara. Liz's husband Jeff isn't too thrilled with the arrangement, and his fears soon prove justified when Joanna begins to manipulate everyone and to slowly destroy the family. Meanwhile, next-door neighbor Dr. Linquist investigates and discovers Joanna has a disturbing past.

Directors
Peter Medak
Writters
Jennifer Miller
Editors
Jennifer Miller, Melvin Shapiro

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Patty Duke

    Patty Duke

    Liz Benedict

  2. William Shatner

    William Shatner

    Dr. Jeff Benedict

  3. Quinn Cummings

    Quinn Cummings

    Tara Benedict

  4. Stephanie Zimbalist

    Stephanie Zimbalist

    Joanna Redwine

  5. David Wallace

    David Wallace

    Scotty

  6. Kenneth Tigar

    Kenneth Tigar

    Tom Montgomery

  7. Virginia Kiser

    Virginia Kiser

    Mrs. Welford

  8. John Houseman

    John Houseman

    Dr. Lindquist

  9. Hildy Brooks

    Hildy Brooks

    Barbara

Reviews1

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Wuchak Avatar

Wuchak

Mar 13, 2022

6/10

One of the first lethal Lolita flicks A wealthy couple and their daughter (William Shatner, Patty Duke & Quinn Cummings) move to Bainbridge Island across from Seattle wherein they enlist the services of an 18 year-old who has befriended their daughter (Stephanie Zimbalist). Big mistake. John Houseman is on hand. "The Babysitter" (1980) is a drama/mystery with a bit o’ thriller/horror that influenced future movies like “Summer Girl” (1983), “Poison Ivy” (1992) and "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle" (1992). Patty Duke was 33 during shooting while Zimbalist was 23. Anyone who’s enamored by the latter will like this flick more than me (I think she needed to eat some cheeseburgers). It’s well done for a television production and has a sense of artistry (like “Poison Ivy,” just less so), but there’s also some tedious drama. I appreciated the fact that at least one boating outing was shot in the rain, which is apropos for the region. The movie runs 1 hour, 36 minutes, and was shot in Burnaby and Deer Park, British Columbia, with some 2nd unit shots of Puget Sound around Bainbridge Island and Seattle. GRADE: B-

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    Status
    Released
    Original Language
    English
    Budget
    --
    Revenue
    --
    Keywords
    psychopathseductionbabysitter