The Babysitter’s Seduction ★★

AT ONE stage I wasn’t going to review The Babysitter’s Seduction.

More about that later.

This is a made-for-television film from 1996 that I decided to throw on purely and simply because it starred Keri Russel.

This American actress has had an odd career trajectory, built around two popular television series.

While Russel has been nominated for many television acting awards for her role in The Americans this success never seems to equate to ongoing film work.

Perhaps it’s by choice, because it’s certainly never been from lack of charisma which was evident from the beginnings of her career.

The Babysitter’s Seduction is typical fare with plenty of melodrama in the story of a wife’s mysterious death and the relationship that builds between the widower Bill, played by Stephen Collins, and the family baby-sitter Michelle, played by Russel.

Bill is in his 40s and Michelle is barely 18 but that doesn’t stop him from slowly wining and dining her after his wife’s death, even going so far as to let Michelle wear her clothes and jewelry.

Is Bill emotionally misguided from grief or was he responsible for his wife’s murder?; is Michelle a total innocent or willing to be seduced for money and relevance?  It\s pretty clear early on what the answers are.

The best thing about the film is the acting by Russel and Collins which brings me back to my original comment.

It has been reported that in 2012 police investigating an allegation of sexual abuse against Collins and found it was not substantiated and, in 2014, began investigating Collins after an audio tape leaked to the media revealed a male voice—purported to be his—admitting to past sexual abuse of a minor.

According to media reports, in 2014 Collins admitted in an interview to committing “inappropriate sexual conduct with three female minors” in 1973, 1982, and 1994.