The Babysitter's Seduction (1996 TV Movie) User Reviews

Who's Seducing Whom

[krorie · 6/10 · 27 November 2005]

"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.

Dull and Unadventurous TV Movie

[JamesHitchcock · 4/10 · 10 June 2010]

The main character in this movie is Michelle, an 18 year old girl who acts as babysitter for Bill and Sally Bartrand, a local well-to-do couple and whose life is turned upside down when Sally, for no apparent reason, commits suicide. Bill asks Michelle to help him look after his children, with whom she has a close bond, and she finds herself spending more and more time with the family. Eventually she and Bill become lovers.

Then the question suddenly arises; was Sally's death really a suicide? The police begin to find disturbing new evidence that she was in fact murdered, and there are three possible suspects- Bill, who knew that his wife was having an affair, Sally's lover Paul, who feared that she might be about to end their relationship, and Michelle herself, who is suspected of wanting Sally out of the way so that she can move into Bill's life and become the second Mrs Bartrand.

Like a couple of other reviewers I felt that this basic plot- one suspicious death, three suspects all with plausible motives- would have worked better as a "whodunit" type mystery, with a greater emphasis on the police's efforts to solve the crime and the unmasking of the culprit coming as the denouement. Unfortunately, the decision was taken to make this as a standard "girl in peril" type thriller, with Paul dropping out of the picture and Bill trying to frame Michelle for the crime. The whole thing just ends up as an average, or below average, TV movie.

The film's greatest asset is the presence of Keri Russell, who makes an attractive and appealing heroine, but none of the other actors make much impression. Overall, however, this is a good example of the sort of film which goes to show why TV movies are often regarded as dull and unadventurous. 4/10

With its 85 minutes it's still too long.

[Breumaster · 4/10 · 23 January 2020]

A very mediocre crime movie. The dialogues feel totally artificial and bad acted. Similar situations were there in several other movies before. If it was a more interesting kind of stage-managing, I'd turn a blind eye. But this was awfully long winded und uninteresting. Somehow uninspired. I would like to have my time back. It was not a complete rubbish which turns it only worse. If I have a completely no go in my player, I turn it off, give it a 1/10 and reject the trash for something better. But it is just so good, that I hoped it will turn better over the whole runtime until the end. So I waited for the wrong thing. Badly.

Good movie considering it's a tv movie

[lizard7-1 · 24 December 2001]

This movie was good... the plot drew you in and the characters did as well. But i must say i squirmed whenever Stephen Collins and Keri Russel locked lips. It was just disturbing to see a nearly 50 year old man at the time and a just turned 20 year old kiss... however, these two great actors made it seem realistic. The ending was predictable but the parts leading up to it kept you on the edge of your seat. I recommend that you try to catch this movie on lifetime. It was better then what you would expect from a tv movie

"Run, Felicity, Run!'

[Putzberger · 3/10 · 26 December 2011]

That's what you'll be screaming, albeit in jest, if you stick with this low-intensity mid-90s made-for thriller, which stars the future nighttime soap star as a dimmer-than-a-penlight high school senior seduced by the man whose children she babysits (you might have figured that out from the title). He's no run-of-the-mill sleazebag, though -- he's a sociopath who plugs his wife, stages it as a suicide and then can't quite decide whether he should frame the aspirational lower-middle-class teenager played by sweet Keri or the smug computer hacker (1996 edition), played by stiff John D'Aquino, who was banging his wife. Collins seems to think he's playing against type but his typical narrowed eyes and oily mannerisms render him about as disarming as a used-car salesman turned televangelist. Not that lovely Keri would ever notice, since she's more interested in picking out miniskirts and scoop-neck tops to show off those lovely, barely legal legs and boobs.

Although it's poorly written and acted, "The Babysitter's Seduction" does manage to rise above utter and complete predictability by offering a slight twist on the America's cinematic aupairaphobia. In most domestic thrillers, a hot young babysitter (why aren't men or unattractive women ever hired to tend children?) insinuates herself into a household and whittles away the confidence of the aging (but still beautiful) career woman whose husband and children she gradually lures away. In this movie, at least, Mom is gone within minutes and the babysitter is the one being menaced, although since it's a low-rent ripoff of "The Jagged Edge" you can't credit the filmmakers with great originality. "TBS" also offers a modicum of suspense in that until the end, you never know who's going to save poor little Keri -- her harried single Mom, who's working too hard to save her daughter from the slimy smoothie? Her poorly coiffed ex-boyfriend, whom she blows off so she can attend to Stevie's needs? The tough lady cop, played by Phylicia Rashad, who seems to think that affecting a Clair Huxtable-like knowingness throughout the entire movie will compensate for the inability to keep her mouth shut around the prime suspects in a murder investigation? Or will Keri wise up just in time to save herself? You won't actually know until the last five minutes of the movie, although if Keri Tight And Sheer doesn't keep you interested you may have given up long beforehand.

Pretty good, but suffers from some common flaws.

[Mulad · 7/10 · 30 April 2005]

I totally love Keri Russell, so I had to check this out if only to see her past "indiscretions" vis-à-vis movie scripts. I enjoyed this film and thought she gave a strong performance aside for a few scenes, though it's a TV movie and some fairly obvious flaws have to be expected. Stephen Collins has always come off to me as a sleazebag, so I guess this role worked for me. Still tough to see him on screen next to a 20-year-old. I'd agree that Phylicia Rashad fell flat as a piece of cardboard compared to the other characters. If you enjoy an occasional melodrama complete with yelling at your television, this is an enjoyable guilty pleasure.

This teenage character is the dumbest

[phuckracistgop · 2/10 · 2 March 2024]

Talk about weak script writing and female lead character being dumber than a brick.

Numerous warnings and this imbecile continues to make wrong decision after wrong decision.

Now if this moron survives it will make this farce of a flick even worse. Sympathy level is registering at zero at the moment, and especially since the husband is setting her.

Okay, now you have a police officer who leaves her doors unlocked. And he didn't turn off the igniter to the oven prior to leaving the house, so when he turned on the oven it would have set off the gas.

But who am I to point out all the plot holes in this poorly thought out movie.

But alas I will be disappointed that this idiot will survive after all the dumb moves she made.

Dirty old man syndrome!

[bronzesrv · 7/10 · 20 November 2018]

Ron Felicity run! He's a dirty old man who's also a killer run! You're next if you stick around! I love this movie one of my old favorites. Never underestimate the power of a dirty old perverted married man! Never babysit a man who gives you his dead wife's jewelry and clothes hello! And sure as hell don't stick around.

Standard, But Suspenseful Made for TV Thriller

[abbazabakyleman-98834 · 7/10 · 31 March 2019]

Keri Russell stars in this TV movie about a devoted, but slightly rebellious teenager named Michelle who regularly babysitstwo kids belonging to Bill (Stephen Collins), a rich businessman whose wife later dies under mysterious circumstances. Bill's long-time detective friend Frank (Tobin Bell) suspects that Michelle is responsible. Bill refuses to believe it, but Michelle is determined to investigate the matter herself before she puts her own life in danger. This movie offers more of the same as your typical Lifetime TV movie and some of the supporting cast is underutilized, particularly Phylicia Rashad as Frank's sympathetic partner and Linda Kelsey as Michelle's disdainful mother. The music score by the legendary Jan Hammer hits it off with the more suspenseful moments.

GREAT!

[melissadaly · 10/10 · 16 September 2001]

This movie is so great... it really is. I originally saw it years ago on NBC, I believe, when it was a movie of the week and I loved it. Since then, they've reshown it on Lifetime many times and it is one of my all time favorite Lifetime movies. Collins displays his range as an actor playing this horribly evil and sleazy guy, a total contradiction to his character on "7th Heaven". To most, it may not be quality stuff but to me, it's a serious 'guilty pleasure'. Good times. :)

Am I a 'dirty old man'? a 'cradle robber'?

[estherwalker-34710 · 7/10 · 3 June 2022]

This TV movie really is more about a serial killer than an attempted seduction of his pretty, personable, teen babysitter : Michelle(Keri Russell), whom his 2 kids soon became attached to. Stephens Collins, as Bill Bartrand, murdered 2 people, and thought he had murdered 2 more, including the babysitter, who miraculously escaped death.

Did Bill really try to seduce Michelle, or was it more a case of intuitive mutual attraction. Judging from the details of their first kissing/hugging session, I would judge it to be more a case of mutual attraction, that was bound to burst out at some point, if their association lasted long enough. Michelle's mother is on screen periodically, but there is no mention of a live-in father. Hence, I suspect that Michelle's attraction to Bill is partly due to his partly filling the role of father. True, Bill told her that she was beautiful and loved by his kids, temporarily gave her the keys to his deceased wife's(Sally) new car, and approved of her wearing Sally's necklace and some of her clothes, which she took it upon herself to help herself to. It appeared that she was seriously toying with the possibility of becoming the next Mrs. Bartrand. But, this was a very risky ambition, since Bill was the prime suspect in the suspected murder of Sally. Bill kept reassuring Michelle that Sally did kill herself()with a gun to the head), despite the doubts of the detectives. But, eventually, the truth did show itself, and their romantic relationship suddenly changed to a murderous adversarial one.

It's a well-devised screenplay, and I quickly fell in love with Michelle(Keri Russell), as any man should. For more of her, check out the popular "Felicity" TV series DVDs. Stephen was also well cast as the charming, but murderous, Bill. As the film progressed, the 2 kids pretty much disappeared, as the emphasis changed to the developing romance and Bill's further murderous activities.

Several reviewers, as well as Michelle's friend Tracy and mother, expressed revulsion at the extreme age difference between the developing romantic couple. Stephen actually was 49, although probably playing more like 40. Keri was 20, presumably playing 17 or 18, as a high school senior. Still many people might label Bill as a 'dirty old man' or 'cradle robber'. Some people may think of me also in those terms, as my(one and only) wife is 21 years younger than I. In our case, it was a matter of mutual attraction, not one seducing the other. It's true that marriages between people of markedly different ages tend not to last as long as marriages between people with 5 or fewer years between them. But, sometimes, such marriages really click for the long term. We have been married for 33 years, and still going strong. You may know that Charlie Chaplin married his last, and most enduring, wife when he was 54 and she was a mere 18 : a 36 year difference, and it lasted until his death, with many children. True, I'm no Charlie Chaplin, but I was unusually young-looking and acting for my age when we married(and still am), which, I'm sure, much promoted our mutual attraction.

The heart wants what it wants

[Gluck-3 · 9 August 2006]

This was a fairly watchable film. Stephen Collins' character came across as a very nice person, and as with any good mystery, one kept guessing for a while as to "whodunnit," after the other suspect was introduced. (Although once the killer became known, we entered into silly potboiler territory.) I thought Ms. Rashad made for a good detective. And our heroine was very winning. As for the older man-younger woman hook-up that a few reviewers found repulsive, such an outlook is really a curious state of the times. Our extremely youth-oriented society has brainwashed the masses into rejecting practically everyone who is over thirty; it's as though you either must cease to exist as a sexual being once you reach a certain age, or you must only be confined to partnering with one in your own age bracket. Even if there's a young person of legal, consenting age, people have now been trained to believe -- perhaps because the media has sometimes built the sex offender issue to a fever pitch, and some people think they are doing their "moral duty" -- there is something unethical about an age gap between lovers. I just watched the 1937 movie, ALGIERS, where the young and beautiful Hedy Lamarr was engaged to an older ogre of a man who was much more hideous than Stephen Collins, and yet the alliance seemed fairly natural; yes, in this case, she was in it for his money (an allure for our heroine in "The Babysitter's Seduction" as well, although the babysitter did develop genuine feelings for the man), but that was Hedy Lamarr's choice, just as it was Anna Nicole Smith's in real life, years later. Stepping aside from the lure of the sugar daddy, and entering the realm of genuinely "equal" relationships, it's a pity people have become uptight, and regard age as more than a number. Years back, there was more normalcy about accepting older people as regular human beings.

A great movie, thanks to Keri Russell

[thomasvis · 9/10 · 25 December 2000]

It is according to me a great movie. Keri Russell plays once again a great role, and she is pretty. Also I think that Stephen Collins plays a good opponent. It is a movie that keeps you thinking.

A baby could figure it out

[jodiverse · 18 May 2003]

WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS (and may contain PEANUTS!)

If you're in the mood for a formulaic hour and 40-some minutes of less than satisfactory acting and a storyline that a two-year-old could figure out, then this is the movie for you. To say that anything I will include in this review is a SPOILER is actually quite laughable, since this movie is outrageously predictable.

There are no surprises here. None. Pretty, young babysitter gets drawn into the "perfect life" of the family that employs her. The mom/wife commits suicide ... oh, or does she??? No, it turns out she has been -- sit down! -- MURDERED!!! Who could have seen that coming? And who could have foreseen the dad/husband's seduction of the pretty, young babysitter and subsequent attempt at framing the babysitter for the murder?

Of course, to throw us off the track, the wife's lover is thrown into the mix. But never do we really suspect him. Indeed, he is less of a FOIL than he is transparent SARAN WRAP!

The best performance in this movie comes from P. Rashad's character's dog, who thankfully escapes harm in one of the most overdone scenes ever to hit the small screen: a gas range turned on full blast, and ... well, you can figure it out.

If you can't figure it all out, and you'll still wondering GEE, WHODUNNIT??? then by all means watch this movie. If you think Keri Russell is cute, then by all means watch this movie. If you don't like being surprised, watch this movie.

This schlock gets a big "Feh. Kaka."

Cheesy, but good TV thriller.

[famousgir1 · 22 December 2001]

******SPOILERS******

The Babysitter's Seduction stars Keri Russell, (With her then very long curly hair.) who plays teenage babysitter, Michelle. When Sally, the mother of the family Michelle babysits for dies suddenly, Michelle continues to look after the children and help the father, Bill along the way. As time goes on though Bill begins to seduce Michelle and at first Michelle doesn't seem to mind, but soon things take an even bigger ugly turn when the truth of Sally's death, which looked like a suicide at first, unfolds and we find out that Sally was having an affair and when Bill found out about it, he murdered Sally. Now, he's trying to frame Michelle for the murder.

Keri Russell is okay in the movie, but some scenes like the one when she found Sally dead and she started screaming were a little fake, but the scenes at the end she was good. Phylicia Rashad who played Detective Kate Jacobs was really bad as usual. She just wasn't believable.

The Babysitter's Seduction is a little bit unconvincing, but it's an enjoyable TV movie and if you like these kind of cheesy TV thrillers, then it's most likely that you'll enjoy this one.

Unlikely roles for WB mavens

[jwalton · 7 July 1999]

This movie is so disturbing, only because I saw it after becoming a huge fan of both "Felicity" and "7th Heaven" where all the characters are pretty unfettered. In "Babysitter," Keri Russell plays a promiscuous teen who falls in love with a wealthy, yet sleazy guy (Stephen Collins, who is so un-sleazy as the minister father on 7th Heaven). The guy killed his wife, apparently and tries to seduce the babysitter (Keri Russell) by making her think she is the only woman who can take his dead wife's place. He has this master plan of framing the babysitter for his wife's murder, which I don't get because he had already gotten away with it.

The mom from the Cosby Show gives an interesting performance as the wary detective who lives on the beach.

The ending is predictable, if not too violent for television. It didn't bore me, but I don't feel like I've changed in any way since seeing this film.

anyone else think the heroine's friend is hot?

[loui-in-stlouis · 31 December 2006]

Arian Waring Ash looks pretty fantastic in this flick. It's sort of beneath Keri Russell to do this movie, but at least the director seems to understand that if Keri is looking good, it's not a waste of anyone's time. And indeed, she is looking good here. I'm not even a Keri Russell fan. I found the comment about the dog doing the best acting amusing, but it's not true. Keri's acting is good. Even Keri's kid brother turns in a respectable performance, and he has what, ten lines? If you didn't like Phylicia/Mrs. Cosby's performance, you might ask yourself why so much of her energy and style here is duplicated by Khandi/Ms. Talk Radio six years later in CSI Miami. It's actually too bad that there isn't a longer theater-cut of this thing, because it does capture Ms. Russell in what must be her peak bloom, and that's not at all a bad thing. Shame shame shame on casting directors for failing to see this as an audition for the sidekick, Arian Ash, and not turning her into a big star. But who knows? maybe she was beaten out by Love Hewitt for all the subsequent roles, and that's not a bad thing either. This movie probably got pitched as a "let's take all that sexual energy from the Yale babysitter in Mystic Pizza and take it to its logical conclusion" and hey, that's a pretty good idea. At least i don't feel as dirty at the end as I do whenever I see Blame It On Rio. Incidentally, Demi Moore was the sidekick in that one, and someone DID see that and turn her into a star.

Decent...but boring

[mjb2004 · 24 August 2004]

SPOILERS??? A movie about a babysitter who sits for two children of a well to do couple.

When the wife dies, they believe it to be a suicide, but then wait...there's no gun powder residue on her hands, so maybe, just maybe she was murdered. The Babysitter's Seduction was much worse than I thought it would be. It had a very obvious plot, and the acting wasn't much to cheer about. The movie itself just dragged on, and I found myself wondering if this movie would ever end. An okay movie for a dreary, rainy day, but this movie is on the low end of Lifetime movie ratings. It just wasn't very impressive and I'm surprised that it got the rating it did. The dad from 7th Heaven is the husband, so it was kind of hard to buy the murderer act.