The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (film)

This article is about the 1992 film. For the 1917 silent film, see The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1917 film). For other uses, see The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (disambiguation).

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
Theatrical release poster
Directed byCurtis Hanson
Written byAmanda Silver
Produced byDavid Madden
Starring
CinematographyRobert Elswit
Edited byJohn F. Link
Music byGraeme Revell
Production
companies
Distributed byBuena Vista Pictures Distribution
Release date
  • January 10, 1992 (1992-01-10)
Running time
110 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$11.9 million[1]
Box office$140 million[2][3]

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is a 1992 American psychological thriller film directed by Curtis Hanson, written by Amanda Silver, and starring Annabella Sciorra, Rebecca De Mornay, Matt McCoy, Ernie Hudson, and Julianne Moore. Its plot follows the pregnant wife of a Seattle obstetrician who kills himself after he is accused of sexual misconduct by his patients. The shock leads the wife to miscarry, after which she poses as a nanny for one of her husband's accusers, and slowly begins to infiltrate the family. The title is taken from an 1865 poem by William Ross Wallace and there are several nods to the comic opera The Pirates of Penzance.

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle was released on January 10, 1992, and grossed approximately $140 million worldwide against a budget of $11.9 million, becoming one of the year's most profitable films.[4] In the American home video market, it became the top rental in July 1992,[5] and was the 7th most rented film of 1992 in the United States.[6] The film was remade into a Hindi film by the name Khal-Naaikaa in 1993.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference afi was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference mojo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference variety was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Horn, John (January 4, 1993). "Hollywood's Third Best Year". The Washington Post.
  5. ^ Hunt, Dennis (July 30, 1992). "Video Rentals: 'Cradle' Rocks Its Way to the Top". Los Angeles Times.
  6. ^ "The top 10 videocassette rentals for 1992". United Press International. January 1, 1993.