The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is a 1992 American psychological horror thriller film directed by Curtis Hanson, written by Amanda Silver, and starring Annabella Sciorra, Rebecca De Mornay, Matt McCoy, Ernie Hudson, Julianne Moore, and Madeline Zima. The plot follows the pregnant wife of a Seattle obstetrician who dies by suicide after he is accused of sexual misconduct by some of his patients. The shock leads the wife to miscarry, after which she poses as a nanny for one of her late husband's accusers and slowly begins to infiltrate the family. The film's title is taken from the 1865 poem by William Ross Wallace, and it features several musical pieces featured from the 1879 comic opera The Pirates of Penzance.

Plot

Claire Bartel, a Seattle housewife pregnant with her second child, is sexually assaulted by her new obstetrician, Dr. Victor Mott, during a routine check-up. Her husband Michael encourages her to report Dr. Mott to the state medical board, which results in other women coming forward with accusations. After Dr. Mott kills himself, his wife is informed that his suicide voided his life insurance policy, leaving her penniless and forcing the sale of her lavish home. Traumatized, Mrs. Mott goes into pre-term labor and suffers a miscarriage that necessitates an emergency hysterectomy. While recovering, she sees a news story identifying Claire as the first woman who came forward with allegations against her husband.

Awards