Adventures in Love & Babysitting

6.2/10 · 807 ratings20151h 30mWeirdness 3/10Bingo card

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The premise

Forced to baby-sit with her college nemesis, a young woman starts to see the man in a new light.

How unusual is it?

Mostly classic comfort-watch, give or take an enemies-to-lovers arc.

Who’s in it

Behind the camera

Show

Wait, what?

The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

  • The protagonist's date is obsessed with the technical process of 'air bumping' lint in dry cleaning
  • A ten-year-old girl measures her age in quarters (10 3/4)
  • The 'Magpie' nickname is used as a recurring insult/term of endearment

Every trope, all in one place

Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 24 to find more movies that do the same thing.

How it all plays out

Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.

Full story (spoilers)
The film begins with a flashback to a wedding where Maggie, a high-achieving 'neat freak,' first encounters Alex, a boisterous 'frat boy' type who accidentally vomits on her shoes. Years later, Maggie is struggling to launch her travel matchmaking startup, 'Getaway For Us,' while Alex has returned to town to start a custom furniture business. When their mutual best friends, Elena and Ethan, plan a trip to Hawaii using Maggie's site, a plumbing disaster prevents the grandmother from babysitting. Maggie and Alex are recruited to 'job share' the care of ten-year-old Brianna and eight-year-old Josh. The arrangement is immediately fraught with tension; Maggie insists on strict homework schedules and healthy snacks, while Alex—the 'fun uncle'—prefers video games and strawberry ice pops. Maggie faces professional pressure when potential investors, Jane and Steve, insist on visiting her office, which currently doesn't exist. Meanwhile, Maggie dates Brent, a dry cleaner who obsesses over 'air bumping' lint, and Alex dates Amber, a low-maintenance retail worker. Neither finds fulfillment in these relationships. The turning point occurs when Alex uses his woodworking skills to secretly furnish Maggie’s empty office space with high-end handcrafted pieces, allowing her to impress the investors. The emotional core of the film centers on Brianna, who experiences a crisis of confidence before her first school dance and cuts her dress to look 'cooler.' Maggie and Alex team up to mentor her, with Alex admitting he used to tease Maggie because he was intimidated by her intelligence. This leads to a romantic slow dance between the two adults at the middle school event. After clearing up misunderstandings regarding their respective dates, Maggie secures the investment funding. The film concludes with a flash-forward to Maggie and Alex’s wedding, where they celebrate their union with the children they once babysat.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    A plumbing emergency forces Maggie and her college nemesis Alex to co-babysit for their best friends' children.

  2. Inciting Incident

    Maggie lies to potential investors about having a professional office space to secure funding for her startup.

  3. Midpoint

    Alex secretly furnishes Maggie's bare office with his custom-made furniture to help her land the investment deal.

  4. Turning Point

    Maggie and Alex bond while helping Brianna through a self-esteem crisis before her first school dance.

  5. Climax

    The investors fund Maggie's company, mistakenly believing Alex is her supportive boyfriend.

  6. Resolution

    Maggie and Alex admit their mutual attraction and the film ends with a flash-forward to their wedding.

24 tropes in one movie

We counted 24 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.

How it stacks up

Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

Rating 6.2 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.2567

Higher-rated than 28% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog Adventures in Love & Babysitting belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

Lines worth quoting

The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

  • “Technically, avocado is a fruit.”
    — MaggieCorrecting Alex's claim that his snack of chips and guacamole contains vegetables.
  • “I'm waiting to find my right guy... a guy who loves me for me.”
    — MaggieGiving advice to Brianna about her insecurities with boys.
  • “I can't believe I got Magpie Milton to marry me.”
    — AlexDuring the wedding flash-forward at the end of the film.

Meet the characters

Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

  • Maggie Milton

    Lead

    Tech Startup Founder

    OrganizedAmbitiousUptightIntelligent
  • Alex Forney

    Love interest

    Custom Furniture Maker

    College acquaintance and co-babysitter

    Laid-backCreativePlayfulTalented
  • Elena

    Supporting

    Unspecified

    Best friend

    MotherlyMatchmaker
  • Brianna

    Supporting

    Student

    Niece-figure/Charge

    InsecureArtistic
  • Brent

    Supporting

    Dry Cleaner Owner

    Temporary love interest

    BoringDetail-oriented

Questions people ask about Adventures in Love & Babysitting

Where can I watch Adventures in Love & Babysitting?

Adventures in Love & Babysitting is available via UP Faith & Family Apple TV channel, PixL Amazon Channel, and UP Faith & Family Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is Adventures in Love & Babysitting?

Adventures in Love & Babysitting runs about 1 hour and 30 minutes, and was released in 2015.

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