The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
by Curtis Hanson
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Annabella Sciorra, Ernie Hudson, Julianne Moore, Matt McCoy, Rebecca De MornayDirector: Curtis Hanson
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: Letterbox, 1.85:1
Running Time: 110 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1998-12-08
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Movie Reviews of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
Movie Review: "A Film That Never Ages"
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Hand That Rocks The Cradle" first hit theatres in January, 1992 and was immediately a boxoffice hit, staying at #1 for over two weeks. It was one of those Hollywood films that made people talk about how important it was for people to do a thorough investigation of nanny's when it came time to hire those to care for one's child.
The movie is about a young couple living in Seattle who hire a woman to be the caregiver for their little girl Emma and their new-born son Joe. Rebecca DeMornay, best known for playing a prostitute in the Tom Cruise flick "Risky Business", became a movie star in "The Hand That Rocks That Cradle". DeMornay plays a crazed woman seeking revenge on the mother who she works for, as she blames her for the death of her husband who committed suicide. Peyton, the DeMornay character, is one of the most vicious villins in movie history, as she makes life a living hell for the family that entrusts her with their lives and their home.
This is s first-rate thriller and the ending is one of the best. The DVD is pretty much barebones, but it does come with the trailer. Look for Ernie Hudson who plays a small role in the movie as a mentally challenged handy man. Hudson would gain fame as the prison warden in HBO's "Oz" in 1997.
Summary of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
Get ready for edge-of-your-seat excitement with the hit that rocked the nation! In this entertaining thriller, Claire Bartel (Annabella Sciorra -- THE HARD WAY, INTERNAL AFFAIRS) has the perfect life and family -- and exactly what Petyon Flanders (Rebecca De Mornay -- RISKY BUSINESS) desires desperately. But once Peyton deceptively becomes the Bartels' live-in housekeeper, how far will she really go when the life she wants belongs to someone else? From absorbing start to heart-stopping finish, this critically acclaimed winner delivers a lively mix of thrills, chills, and surprises equaling 100% fun!A potboiler featuring a demented caretaker and a seemingly hapless suburban family, this is The Nanny of the 1990s. However, it is much more predictable than that 1965 Bette Davis psychodrama, and more graphic. It works only because Rebecca De Mornay makes us intensely uncomfortable as the disturbed au pair who wants to take care of much more than her employer's well-being.
Annabella Sciorra plays the perfect mother of a flawless family. Her obstetrician, however, is less than wonderful, having enjoyed her examination much more than he should have. When she files sexual harassment charges against the repugnant doctor, he loses face--literally--after shooting himself in the head. Several months later, an ideal nanny shows up at her home. You guessed it--she's the doc's widow.
The movie follows a tried and true formula, with the audience in on everything. However, the story does surprise us in intense and intimate ways. The visit to the obstetrician is one of the creepiest moments in the film. You definitely hear the voice of writer Amanda Silver in a plot concerned with the vulnerabilities of a family, a newborn, a marriage.
Since we know so much up front, there is an overall lack of inventiveness in the plot machinations. It may not jolt us, but De Mornay does. It's unsettling to watch someone who appears so attractive and who behaves so kindly suddenly reveal hideous psychopathic tendencies. Restraining herself from going over the top, she instead oozes such malevolence you'll want to shudder. --Rochelle O'Gorman
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