The Sitter - (December 9, 2011): R
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Opening Weekend Box Office: #2 with $9,851,435
Domestic Box Office Gross to-date: $10,760,103
Gross Revenue: $10,760,103
Production Budget: $25 million
Director: David Gordon Green
Between Superbad, Knocked Up, and Get Him to the Greek, Jonah Hill has more than earned his status as a comedic actor, but I believe that there are only so many times that one actor can revisit the same type of role…Adam Sandler appears to be the only person in Hollywood oblivious to this fact. Now, the premise of The Sitter seemed to make Hill the natural casting choice, but there was no guarantee that even his expansive fan-base would react to this newest comedic offering. By all indications, 20th Century Fox recognized this potential obstacle, responding with one of the most creative marketing tactics I have ever seen: posters for the film had phone number tags that actually connected the caller to Hill, who would both answer and set recordings in character; needless to say that a high level of buzz and curiosity soon followed. Another complication involved the dissonance between celebrity and character, since the film was originally slated for this past August, meaning that the Jonah Hill who appeared on screen is far different for the slimmed-down version currently appearing of talk shows to promote the project…talk about symbolism for a step backwards in the natural evolution of the star’s career. More curious than genuinely excited, I had to acknowledge that The Sitter looked like it could generate a few noteworthy laughs, so maybe it would end up being truly worth seeing in theaters.
As the name heavily implies, The Sitter follows an untraditional babysitter, the thoroughly unrefined and perpetually unemployed Noah (Jonah Hill). One day, in an effort to earn some extra cash and give his overworked mother a chance to go out with a friend, Noah agrees to look after the three children of the aforementioned friend, Mrs. Pedulla (Erin Daniels). Noah quickly realizes that his hands are full, as each of the Pedulla children has a peculiar eccentricity: Blithe (Landry Bender) is a party-girl wannabe who idolizes socialites like Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian; Slater (Max Records) is sheltered, neurotic, and continually medicated; and Rodrigo (Kevin Hernandez) is an exchange student with a penchant for destruction and an affinity for fireworks. Noah believes he can keep the kids calm, but after an invitation to a party with the promise of sex from his toxic girlfriend, Marisa (Ari Graynor), he decides to pack everyone into the family minivan and head into Manhattan. Marisa asks that Noah bring her some cocaine, and the beleaguered babysitter obliges by seeking out two psychotic drug-dealers, Karl (Sam Rockwell) and Julio (J.B. Smoove). The deal immediately goes south, and Noah soon finds that he owes the two criminals $10,000; so, having dug himself into this hole, Noah must find a way to come up with the money, make it to the party, and care for the three children for which he now shares responsibility.
As much as you might expect me to say that Jonah Hill represents the strongest part of The Sitter, the reality is that the best part of the film ends up being the children in his care. Together, Blithe, Slater, and Rodrigo, represents a veritable nightmare for even the most capable of caregivers, so watching someone like Noah react with crass hostility to their antics is thoroughly enjoyable and the strongest source of the film’s humor. Against all expectations, Noah ends up bonding with each of the children in a distinct way, and that interaction actually helps redeem and deepen Hill’s character, in the end making him far more likable than those found in the young actor’s earlier work. So it turns out that, because of Hill’s interaction with his young co-stars, there remains enough surprise and novelty to keep The Sitter entertaining, but the level of laughs doesn’t extend much beyond this one element. For as much humor as was promised by the different promotional tactics, The Sitter falls far short of expectations, and the futility of the filmmaker’s redemptive tactics is blatantly apparent.
Like I mentioned in the “Short and Sweet” review, The Sitter is more amusing than it is downright funny, a fact that is a significant departure from most of David Gordon Green’s other work. As hard as it is to believe, I would say that two out of every three jokes offered in the film fall completely flat, clearly aiming for shock value or sarcasm as opposed to creativity; the best jokes were, shamefully, already given away in the trailer. When it comes to the other characters outside of Noah and the children, few are memorable and none are praiseworthy, especially the villains; Sam Rockwell and J.B. Smoove are neither threatening nor funny…bummer. And, if it wasn’t made clear in the plot synopsis, the story of the film is laughably implausible (and not in a good way) and is only held together by thin strings of coherent narrative progression. To put it simply, The Sitter may not be horrible, but it has far too many weaknesses and far too little genuine humor to be called a good film.
Along the lines of the other big release of the weekend (New Year’s Eve), the dark comedy The Sitter ended up falling victim to a shockingly subdued box office tally, debuting in second place with just over $10 million. With the sheer glut of offerings dropping in the next few weeks, The Sitter may benefit from being the only true adult comedy in theaters, but initial lackluster draw and lukewarm critical response do not bode well. Granted, the $25 million production budget represents a far smaller hurdle than some more recent theatrical duds, but 20th Century Fox cannot be pleased with performance thus far. Even if you are a fan of Jonah Hill’s this entry still feels like it was made and released out of sheer obligation rather than genuine inspiration, so there is little necessitating anyone to actually see the “comedy.” So, given the undoubtedly superior titles hitting theaters shortly, I would have to insist that The Sitter be towards the bottom of the list you use when deciding what to spend your time and money on during your vacation.
Overall Recommendation: Low
