Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead is a 1991 American coming-of-age black comedy film directed by Stephen Herek, written by Neil Landau and Tara Ison, and starring Christina Applegate, Joanna Cassidy, Keith Coogan, John Getz, and Josh Charles.
The plot focuses on a 17-year-old girl who assumes the role as head of the house when the elderly babysitter whom her mother had hired to watch over her kids while she is in Australia suddenly dies.
Much to the kids' dismay, their mother hires a live-in babysitter named Mrs. Sturak, a seemingly sweet elderly woman who assures Mrs. Crandell that she can take care of all five children.
Swell then forges an extensive résumé under the guise of a Vassar-educated young fashion designer and applies at General Apparel West (GAW), hoping to secure a job as a receptionist.
Impressed by her résumé, the company's senior vice president of operations Rose Lindsey hires Swell on the spot as an executive assistant much to the chagrin of Carolyn, a snooty receptionist who was initially in line for the job.
In order to support the family, she obtains the keys to her mother's own Volvo and begins stealing from petty cash at GAW, intending to return it when she receives her paycheck.
Swell is furious when she discovers that her siblings have stolen from the petty cash funds in her purse to buy extravagant gifts including a state-of-the-art home-entertainment center.
When Swell learns that GAW is in danger of going out of business, she takes it upon herself to create a new clothing line with Rose suggesting they hold a fashion show to exhibit their new designs.
With no petty cash left to rent a banquet hall, Swell offers to host the party, convincing her siblings to help clean the house, beautify the yard and act as caterers.
Fox wanted a film with a lighter theme than that of the script written by Landau and Ison and envisioned "an actor like Winona Ryder in the starring role".
The film was one of David Duchovny's early roles before he achieved mainstream success, but casting director Sharon Bialy had trouble convincing the studio to hire him.
[6] After the production ended, the studio was forced to change The Real World title because of a conflict with MTV's new television series of the same name, and settled on Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead.
The website's consensus reads: "It has an amusing enough premise, but Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead will just leave viewers pining for the madcap hijinks promised by the title.
There's no telling how the unflatteringly photographed Applegate delivers a comic line on the big screen, because [screenwriters] Tara Ison and Neil Landau haven't written her any," and concluded by calling the movie "the film equivalent of processed cheese.
[12] TV Guide said despite the film's "preposterous storyline" that stretches credulity and a script that "might have been sharper, wittier and cleverer, [it] nevertheless achieves on its own level by genuinely involving its young target audience" and becomes "surprisingly entertaining and fun".
[15] Critics in the UK were more positive, with Empire calling it "amusing fluff",[16] and Time Out writing, "This is a sassy little comedy of wit and intelligence from the director of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.
"[17] Tim Pullein of The Guardian wrote, "The latter strand of the story, with broad but engaging satire on office politics and the assorted kidologies of the workplace, gathers a fair head of comic steam.
"[18] He concluded, "Gilded by personable performances, particularly from [Christina Applegate and Josh Charles], this wish-fulfilling fantasy manages to be wholeheartedly ridiculous in a manner that leaves criticism disarmed.