The Hand That Rocks the Cradle | | Cast : | Annabella Sciorra, Rebecca De Mornay | | Director : | Curtis Hanson | | Studio : | Hollywood Pictures | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Widescreen | | Released Date : | January 10, 1992 | | DVD Released Date : | October 08, 2002 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 21, 2005 | | Summary | Almost Perfect | Content
 | This is one of the most scary movies ever written and the acting especially DeMornay was outstanding. However, I find something missing in the script.
A physician's career is destroyed by charges he sexually exploited patients and after he committs suicide his wife wants to get back at one of the patients; So she becomes their baby sitter.
I just don't understand how come she got hired without a thorough background check. How did she get references with an assumed name? Did she have experience as a baby sitter and did she terrorize their family too?
Beside holes in the plot, there were one too many resurrections of the villian.
Overall, I enjoyed the movie.
|
| Rating | | | Date | April 12, 2005 | | Summary | Hand that Rocks the Cradle is the One Who Rules the World | Content
| In 1965 Bette Davis took on the role of a seemingly trustworthy but homicidal British nanny in "The Nanny." In 1976, Billie Whitelaw once again gave live-in caretakers a bad name as Ms. Baylock in "The Omen." But in 1992, Rebecca DeMornay took the cake with her icy, but symathetic nanny-turned-psycho in Curtis Hanson's unforgettable "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle."
The story, although repeatedly criticized for it's predictability (so what?!) follow the maternity of Claire Bartel (Sciorra) who files a lawsuit--followed by four other clients--against her malpracticing obstertrician Dr. Mott(de Lancie), after some proding from husband McCoy. Sensing the end of his profession, the breast-happy doctor kills himself with a pistol. Unbeknownst to Claire, Dr.Mott has a pregnant and emotionally insecure (understatment?) wife (an ever empathetic De Mornay) who, following her husband's suicide loses the child due to complications during birth and undergoes a hysterectomy.
Six months later, Claire has had her child and is in need of a nanny for her newborn and daughter (Madeline Zima) while she tinkers with her new greenhouse. Enter placid-faced De Mornay as Peyton Flanders, the answer to Claire's prayers, and let the bloody payback begin.
De Mornay delivers a earth-shattering performance as the nanny from Hell, Sciorra in an inferior role portrays the asthmatic mother who's losing her family to the help, and McCoy is a nice extra as the father who hasn't got a clue until it's too late. Julianne Moore, in one of her first big breaks plays Scoirra's ill-fated (yes, it's gory) sister-in-law AND old flame of her own hubby. Hudson plays the mentally-challenged African-American handyman and hero, Solomon, who falls victim to the nanny's dirtywork. A well-rounded cast makes "Cradle" a treat for stalker/killer flick fans as well as those with a taste for substancial Hollywood thrillers.
Graeme Revell's score punctuates an occasionally slow-paced plot and accentuates on the thematic elements, while still giving the leads--particularly the nanny--good prescence and feeling. Special effects and stunts aren't the main emphasis, but the demise of Julianne Moore's nosy sister-in-law in the greenhouse is an unforgettable bloodbath that'll make you think twice about the way you position skylights.
Crowd-pleasing ending could've been better, but one supposes is the justified (and ultra-typical) way to end the Hollywood horror film. Good-guys win, bad-girl loses, cue the light-hearted music and roll credits. Deja vu? You betcha! But, for the other 95% of "Cradle" you won't be disappointed by Hanson's skillful direction and a beautifully crafted edge-of-your-seat drama.
Saw it, loved it, bought it (was there ever a doubt?),
Miss Gigi
|
| Rating | | | Date | February 16, 2005 | | Summary | Great film! | Content
| Annabella Sciorra's film career was beginning to skyrocket when this film was theatrically released in January 1992. Her previous film credits include THE HARD WAY and CADILLAC MAN. She had a great role in the latter film. In this film,Sciorra is Claire Bartel who is searching for a nanny for her toddler daughter and her(Claire's) infant son. The hired nanny is Peyton Flanders(Rebecca DeMornay) who ends up trying to kill the baby. Peyton is the widow of Claire's physician Dr. Victor Mott. Peyton told Claire when they first met,that Peyton was once pregnant and miscarried around the time Dr. Mott was murdered. That scared her from having more children of her own. Before working for Claire and her engineer husband Michael(Matt McCoy),Peyton worked with one family who will be moving away and she didn't know where she'd go from there. Peyton overheard a conversation amongst a group of mommies,with one of them saying Claire needed a nanny. Ernie Hudson is Solomon,a black maintenance man who is good handling the baby also. Claire accused Dr. Mott of molesting her shortly before his murder. That's another reason why Peyton came along,seeking revenge. Peyton even releases the contents of Claire's breath machine(Claire suffers from asthma). The not-yet-famous Julianne Moore is Marlene Craven,a friend of the Bartels and an ex-girlfriend of Michael's. Marlene goes out of her way to convince Claire that Peyton is "poison". Marlene ends up killed also,by falling window pane glass from the Bartels' greenhouse. There were points sharp enough to fatally stab. There was a scene in the 1990 film GHOST just like that. A guy was killed by falling window pane glass. Peyton "rigged" the greenhouse,planning to kill Claire. Also in another scene,Claire has a surprise birthday party(this was Peyton's idea). After learning that Peyton is "poison",Claire returns to the Bartels' home,punching Peyton out. After Peyton is thrown out,she returns armed and duels with Claire. Claire wins the duel,and Peyton rolls off the Bartels' roof from the attic,onto the ground,destroying the fence also. This film was distributed by Hollywood Pictures,a division of Buena Vista. |
| Rating | | | Date | January 06, 2005 | | Summary | saw this in 1992. it is good, or yet excellent. | Content
| i got to see this in '1992, and anyone who says that this movie is fluff are simply nothing but liars. the story is excellent, and the actors do a great job.you will be drawn into the story...it is one of those movies which does not rely on cheezy stuff. i believe that it was a remake, but it holds weight. alot of the young actors and actresses of today[in 2005] wished they were in a film similiar to this. this is classic. classic does not say it is old, it says that the film is timeless, has substance and will be remembered. if you don't want to waste your time or money on something dumb such as the scream movies,friday the 13th slasher films, or eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, or you simply want something intellectual, get this.
|
| Rating | | | Date | August 20, 2004 | | Summary | Ernie Hudson is the best bit about this movie | Content
| I seem to be watching a lot of my mum's movies at the moment (first Disclosure, now this), as to be honest, I'm getting a little bored with my DVDs. I need some fresh blood. Which isn't easy when you're limiting yourself to one DVD a week. So instead, I'll just dig around in my mum's DVD case.
I've seen this movie a million and one times now, and I never get fed up of it. There aren't many well known actors, apart from Rebecca De Mornay, Ernie Hudson and Julianne Moore in a truly bitchy role. Madeline Zima also appears in a very annoying role - when her mother tells her to stay put, does she? Does she hell! She just has to get involved! I didn't recognise many of the actors in this, although they all did a fantastic job, especially Annabella Sciorra, who plays the part of an asthmatic mother (although, she doesn't catch on to the fact that all her inhalers stop working at the same time)
Rebecca De Mornay & Ernie Hudson do brilliantly in this, as the psychotic nanny, and the mentally ill handyman respectively. Rebecca works the icy cold stare to the maximum, and almost looks evil towards the end of the movie, although she does sometimes have a certain childlike quality to her. Ernie is the only one to catch onto what she's really trying to do, although I do find her breastfeeding another woman's baby a little freaky. The movie shows a sensitivity to those with mental disabilities and doesn't exploit the mental illness simply for entertainment.
Julianne Moore, in one of her first roles, looking surprisingly young, is a true saracastic little bitch in this, and I wish she'd had more screen time, as she was terrific. She also cottons on to the fact that Peyton the psychotic nanny isn't quite right.
The whole film is brilliantly, although I can imagine some people not watching it, due to there being no "big name stars" in it. Well, no A-list celebrities in it. But if you see it cheaply, it's well worth watching, so go and abuse your credit card. |
|
Picture 01 (20)
