The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (1992)

People are voting emotionally.

Best movie ever!

Absolutely Fantastic

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Terrific tale of the macabre where a woman seeks revenge on another woman and the lady's family. The former was the wife of the doctor and he committed suicide after allegations were made by the latter that he touched her inappropriately during an exam.The widow gets into their lives as the nanny and almost immediately brings havoc to the household, even going so far to create a situation where the woman believes that her husband has been cheating with an old flame, a good friend of the family. The latter is played by Julianne Moore, bringing relish and a strong determination as the feisty real estate agent, who becomes a victim in all this mayhem.A very young Madeleine Zinna,who went on to become known in The Nanny television series, plays a precocious young child who certainly has her wits about her.The gentleman playing the mentally challenged young man aide to the family is excellent and it just goes to show you that he is dismissed after our "widow" plants clothing in his room attesting to a possible inappropriate touching with the young Zinna character.

After her humiliated husband kills himself, an embittered pregnant widow (Rebecca DeMornay) loses her child, and embarks on a mission of vengeance against a woman and her family.What bad can be said about this film? If anything, the role of Solomon could be complained about. Not Ernie Hudson's portrayal, which is pretty good, but the very idea of having a mentally challenged man played by someone who is not. It seems off, just a bit, and some may even find it offensive.What is most interesting is the role filled by Julianne Moore. Honestly, I did not even recognize her! And it is pretty incredible that she is not credited on the back of the DVD case, or on the front. One might think since her rise in stardom ,they would rebrand the film to showcase her...

I may be sexist, but, at the time, Rebecca De Mornay was the hottest actress in Hollywood. Eventually, Roger Vadim got to her and her career slid due to gratuitous nudity in an awful, but unrelated, remake of 'And God Created Woman.' De Mornay is a fine actor, as is the entire cast.....and, Rebecca was drop-dead ten beautiful....the entire package.The script is excellent, as is the photography.....and, the film moves smoothly.I may be enthralled with De Mornay, who I consider to be in the top ten of alluring actresses of all time. This would rank her up there with Hedy Lamarr, Elizabeth Taylor, Nicole Kidman and Diane Lane, to name a few.

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.