THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE
A film review by Ken Johnson
Copyright 1992 Ken Johnson
112 min., R, Suspense, 1992
Director: Chris Hanson
Cast: Annabella Sciorra, Rebecca DeMornay, Ernie Hudson, Matt McCoy,
Julianne Moore
Annabella Sciorra is three months pregnant when her gynecologist moves. A new gynecologist is recommended to her. When she goes to her first appointment he sexually molests her. She files a suit against him and when she does four other women also file suit. The doctor commits suicide when he hears about it. His widow, Rebecca DeMornay, is also pregnant and she loses her baby due to a miscarriage because of stress. DeMornay feels that Sciorra and her husband Matt McCoy are responsible for the loss of DeMornay's baby. Six months later, Sciorra is putting in a greenhouse and has trouble building it and taking care of her new baby so she puts an advertisement in the newspaper for a nanny. DeMornay answers the advertisement under a false name and gets the job. The reason DeMornay takes the job is to try to take Sciorra's family away from her.
THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE is a suspense film, not a horror film. It is not very gory and, like ALIEN, mostly relies on suspense to carry you through the film. On a zero to five scale I give THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE a five. It is rated R for female nudity, adult situations, adult humor, violence, and explicit language.
Before I went to see THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE, I had heard mixed opinions on the film from my friends ranging from, "It's wonderful go out and see it" to "It's a piece of trash don't bother." I am happy to say that after seeing the film I give it a "It's wonderful go out and see it." I highly recommend that you go out and see this film, but head out to the theater early, because I went to the late showing (around 9:30 PM) and ten minutes before show time the show was sold out.
Rebecca DeMornay (who has been in many films including RISKY BUSINESS, the made-for-cable film BY DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT, and most recently BACKDRAFT) is the main star of the film. She has the most interesting, and most three dimensional, character in the film. She has to make the children like her, while still getting her revenge on Sciorra's character. She is the evil presence that the audience isn't supposed to like. And in the film when DeMornay gets punched the audience in the showing I went to applauded.
Annabella Sciorra plays the mother of the children. She has to put up with all the problems that start to occur after DeMornay shows up. Her role was played down, probably so DeMornay's would stand out. And Matt McCoy (the new man in POLICE ACADEMY 5: ASSIGNMENT MIAMI BEACH and POLICE ACADEMY 6: CITY UNDER SIEGE) plays Sciorra's husband. His conflict in the film, is that he has to resist DeMornay's tempting to leave Sciorra.
Ernie Hudson (a ghostbuster) plays a mentally-slow person who is working at McCoy and Sciorra's house. He is doing outside work like putting up a fence, and painting the house. He is the person that the audience is supposed to like the most, or at least I did. I feel that his character was the best written and really got the audience to feel for him the most. The film doesn't in anyway put down mentally retarded people, but instead puts out the message that they are people and have rights too.
The director, Chris Hanson, did a good job picking camera angles and the lighting for the film. He can make even a daylight scene feel spooky, something that not all directors can do.
So, see this film, in the theater, for it will not be as spooky on a television screen.
Ken J.
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