The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
by Curtis Hanson

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• Claire Bartel has the perfect family--and exactly what Peyton Flanders desires desperately. But once Peyton deceptively becomes the Bartel s live-in housekeeper, how far will she really go when the life she wants belongs to someone else? System Requirements: Starring: Rebecca DeMornay, Ernie Hudson, Matt McCoy, Julianne Moore, and Annabella Sciorra. Directed By: Curtis Hanson Running Time: 1 h

Description of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

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