The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is a 1992 American psychological thriller film directed by Curtis Hanson, starring Annabella Sciorra and Rebecca De Mornay.

The film title is taken from the poem of the same name written by William Ross Wallace.

Plot
After gynecologist Dr. Victor Mott (John de Lancie) commits suicide after being accused of sexually molesting his patients, his pregnant wife (Rebecca De Mornay) loses her child due to the stress.

She renames herself Peyton Flanders and applies to be a nanny for the children of Claire Bartel (Annabella Sciorra), who was the first woman to accuse her husband of molesting her. Once she gets the job & gains the trust of the Bartel family, Mrs. Mott plots her revenge on Claire.

Cast

 * Annabella Sciorra as Claire Bartel
 * Rebecca De Mornay as Mrs. Mott
 * Matt McCoy as Michael Bartel
 * Julianne Moore as Marlene Craven
 * Madeline Zima (in her film debut) as Emma Bartel
 * Ernie Hudson as Solomon
 * John de Lancie as Dr. Victor Mott
 * Kevin Skousen as Marty Craven

Production
The movie was filmed from April 17th to July 3, 1991 on an estimated budget of $11,700,000. It was primarily filmed in Seattle, Issaquah & Tacoma, Washington.

Initially, Rebecca De Mornay auditioned for the role of Claire Bartel and Annabella Sciorra auditioned for the role of Peyton Flanders.

Rebecca De Mornay had actually been angling for the part of Tinkerbell in the film Hook, but after losing the role to Julia Roberts, it prompted her to actively seek something a little darker instead.

The scene where Peyton visits Michael's workplace was filmed at Bio Techniques Laboratories in Redmond, Washington and used company employees as extras. The picturesque wooden building (which was previously the research center for the historic Simpson Timber Company) was demolished two years later to make room for the expansion of Microsoft.

Box Office
"The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" topped the box office, grossing $7,675,016 during its opening weekend.

Domestically, the film grossed $88,036,683.

Critical Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie holds a rating of 81% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 45 reviews.

Rita Kempley from the Washington Post called the film "both a labor and a pain".

Vincent Canby from the New York Times said, "Mr. Hanson creates the occasionally effective shock effect to satisfy those who want to squeal in mock fright. More often the devices he uses are such tired tricks as the crosscutting between two sets of simultaneous, often innocent, actions to create the illusion of suspense that can't be sustained".

TV Guide called the movie "predictable, implausible and fiendishly entertaining".

Accolades
1993 Saturn Awards
 * Best Horror Film (nominated)
 * Best Actress: Rebecca De Mornay (nominated)
 * Best Supporting Actress: Julianne Moore (nominated)

1993 ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
 * Top Box Office Films: Graeme Revell (won)

1993 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
 * Best Actress: Rebecca De Mornay (nominated)

1992 Cognac Festival du Film Policier
 * Audience Award: Curtis Hanson (won)
 * Best Actress: Rebecca De Mornay (won)
 * Grand Prix: Curtis Hanson (won)

1992 MTV Movie Awards
 * Best Villain: Rebecca De Mornay (won)
 * Best Female Performance: Rebecca De Mornay (nominated)

1993 Young Artist Awards
 * Best Young Actress Under Ten in a Motion Picture: Madeline Zima (nominated)