21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
De Mornay's finest film ever!, March 15, 2000
Who would've thought that The Hand That Rocks The Cradle would've become so popular ever since its 1992 release? After being broadcast on the networks many times and finally put on cable, the viewers ratings show that this thriller is one that manages to gain more popularity with each showing. Starring Rebecca De Mornay as the estranged wife of an obstitrician accused of sexual molestation, she seeks out the woman who brought up the charges (Annabella Sciorra) after her husband kills himself. De Mornay's character, Peyton Flanders, worms her way into Annie's home, posing as a nanny in order to make Sciorra's family her own. The suspense builds to sometimes frightening heights as Peyton begins to destroy Annie's life, misplacing papers and making things not what they seem. The climax is one of the best suspense endings I've seen in my life, and the acting from each person in this film is amazing and truly believable. Unlike so many other movies, this one is not anticlimactic, and flows very steadily from start to finish. A must-see for an De Mornay fan as well as followers of the suspense genre.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A little revenge never hurts, right?, July 14, 2008
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is one creepy film but I enjoyed it. Rebecca de Mornay plays a manipulative and revenge-seeking nanny. I am kinda surprised this thriller is directed by Curtis Hanson, doesn't seem like his type of movie. I won't give away too much but De Mornay's character has been through a tragedy and she will stop at nothing to seek solace even if it means driving a happily married couple insane. I highly recommend this cat and mouse game, enjoy!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An entertaining time, February 14, 2004
The plot is a bit predictable. You'll probably guess most of the plot twists before they come. The demented nanny. The saintly, stuttering black handyman whom she has fired. The mousy, asthmatic wife. The clueless husband. There are sadly, few surprises in this movie.
So why four stars instead of zero or one? Well, Rebecca DeMornay is superbly chilling in the role. She's absolutely believable as the nanny who has her very real reasons for going off the deep end. (In fact one of the few surprises in the film is that she is given a solid reason for flipping out. I sort of hate to say this, but I was kind of rooting for her over the very mousy Annabella Sciorra.)
The scene with DeMornay in the woman's bathroom at the arboretum was great. Her character, Payton, was quite soulless, and she made you feel her chill. She never plays a false note. The stares she gave could stop people in their tracks. You really do think this woman could kill.
Recommended. Worth watching if you want a good, entertaining. And DeMornay's character will stick with you for quite some time. She's that good (and beautiful, to boot.) Because of her story, you actually start rooting for her, except that she's gone around the bend a bit.
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