senditon85 I'd be wanting to see this film for some time, and knowing that Curtis Hanson was directing, I was anticipating a very solid ride.Sadly, I was more than a little disappointed with the outcome.Much of the problem of this film lies with the script, I believe. For me, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle represents the absolute epitome of formula-driven filmmaking.While Fatal Attraction, an earlier example of the 'person from hell' thriller subgenre is tightly-structured, it nevertheless managed to be more than just a formula film, by offering nuanced portrayals of protagonist & antagonist. Though terrifying, Glenn Close's Alex was, for my money, still a rather conflict and even sympathetic character through much of the story, as she fights a losing battle against her growing obsession. It elevated the material and made the villain not simply one-dimensional.In this film, however, I found it very hard to feel any sympathy at all for Peyton. Her double losses of child and husband at the beginning of the film were presumably anticipated to generate a level of sympathy for the character, but it was not the case for me. As soon as she enters as Peyton, she demonstrates a single-minded intent and maliciousness not out of step with a moustache-twirling bond villain.To some extent, characters in a film will always function in service of the plot, but I think the secret of good writing is to make it less obvious - that each character's choices feel organic to their character and not simply existing to push the plot forward piece by piece - unless of course you're making a spoof or parody.I read in one review that the screenwriter wrote this script as her thesis during film school, and it very much feels like a student of films like Fatal Attraction and others doing a carefully-planned paint by numbers incarnation of the psycho person thriller.

Leofwine_draca The potentially interesting theme of this story - a nanny integrates herself into a family to get revenge for the suicide of her husband - is wasted due to some flat direction and clichéd situations which threaten to sink the thing as a whole. Thankfully there are some good moments in this mess, but otherwise it's all a bit obvious and easy to foretell. In some ways it feels like a television movie, due to the fact that there's plenty of sugary sentimentalism, and it could have been a lot tougher.Ultimately, though, the film comes across as a bit of a disappointment due to the excellent reception it received when released in cinemas. I should think that good films were few and far between back in '92, and the public lapped up anything that was halfway decent, such as this. Rebecca De Mornay gives a very good performance as the psychopath from hell, nicely subtle too, well that is until the over the top finale where she gets to wield a spade and break legs. Annabella Sciorra just annoyed me though, coming across as a) an idiot and b) very weak indeed. And I was sick of her asthma attacks by the end of the film. Matt McCoy is okay as the husband, but is given little to do, and it's Ernie Hudson (GHOSTBUSTERS) who shines as a mentally-handicapped handyman, who couldn't hurt a fly, yet gets blamed for harbouring sexual thoughts about the young daughter. Thankfully he sticks around and comes through at the end. Julianne Moore makes the most of her appearance as a feisty old flame of the husband, while STAR TREK's John De Lancie is the creepy perverted doctor.While there are a few good suspenseful set pieces (the greenhouse scene being one of them), and lots of clever little mystery twists, unfortunately it all comes across as polished yet flawed, due to the family-orientated, over sentimental script. THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE is good fun, but not the film that it might have been, or, indeed, that you might hope it to be.

SnoopyStyle Michael (Matt McCoy) and Claire Bartel (Annabella Sciorra) take on mentally handicapped Solomon (Ernie Hudson) to build the fence. They have a girl and she's pregnant with their second. She is molested by her new doctor Victor Mott (John de Lancie). She reports him along with other women and he shoots himself before the trial. Mott's pregnant wife (Rebecca De Mornay) loses her family wealth and her baby. Mrs. Mott vows revenge on Claire and becomes her nanny as Peyton Flanders. Claire's friend Marlene (Julianne Moore) warns her as Mrs. Mott wage a secret campaign against Claire.This is probably more scary for parents and especially mothers. This is simply geared more towards that demographic. For others, it needs something more than this straight forward thriller. I think it would be more compelling to start the movie with De Mornay as a mysterious woman. Claire can uncover her history along with the audience. De Mornay is pretty good with a restrained intensity and volcanic outbursts. This is a bit too slow but there is just enough tension.

videorama-759-859391 I've only seen this movie once, and I remember just how good it was, one trademark scene, having Julianne Moore buy it in that glasshouse, where for some, you could be turned off for walking into one, ever again. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (a great title) is another Fatal Attraction, Single White Female, etc, kind of film/thriller, but what's so good here, is the believable revenge scenario, that really follows through, with good planning in it's catalyst, and acting talent, De Mornay, our new revenge driven femme fatale, proves she can play bad, good. We can't help feel a bit sorry for her, in light of her very damaging tragedy, brought on by her lover's suicide. It was something, that came back to bite this late gynocologist, whatever, with his unlawful advances towards patient (Sciorra) who's character just happens to be asthmatic, but hey, it can happen top the best of us. Wait till you see who her gynocologist is (another familiar face, from another popular daytime soapie, who's always used in small roles. She was gonna report him to the police, so he took the easy way out. Now we have a new psycho nanny, under a smiling, loving facade of normalcy, that bellies a hate driven woman, determined to see Sciorra suffer, by taking what she has, because of what she herself, has been robbed of, which includes Sciorra's husband (Matt Mccoy, a very underrated actor). It was a surprise top see hi turn up in this. This whole retrieving angle, all makes sense, when you see it from our "flip a switch" character, Mornay, where we know, what her ultimate intention is, all too clearly. De Mornay, really has a a screw loose alright, and her character is fun to watch. She even gets physical with a little boy who's bullying Sciorra's little girl, and that dire and clear as crystal threat she gives to that retarded green keeper of Sciorra's (versatile Ernie Hudson) is dialogue I'll never forget. This is a solid driven thriller all the way. The movie sets out what it intends to do, it's intentions never clearer, though we really wonder what's playing around in the diabolical mind of De Mornay. But she's set a new score with her unforgettable and scary performance in a thriller, you must see at least once once. I would of seen this again, but this particular movie was actually copy protected. Them's the brakes.