The Hand that Rocks the Cradle

Question: Do we know if Peyton's husband was really molesting his patients? I can't tell if he killed himself out of guilt, or because he was depressed that he had been accused of something like that.

Answer: Yes, Dr. Mott was molesting his patients, as was seen when he slipped off his plastic glove just before performing a pelvic exam on Claire. After Claire reported Mott to the authorities, a number of other women came forward and their accusations were made public. Mott never showed any remorse, and it appears he committed suicide because he was unable to face the ensuing scandal and criminal investigation.

raywest

Question: What was the reason for Peyton getting Ernie Hudson in trouble? I can understand her annoyance with Claire and Michael, but he did nothing to her apart from see her breast feeding?

Answer: She wants to prevent him from exposing who she is and what she is doing. By setting up a premise that he did something wrong, it is easier to discredit anything truthful he says and also get him fired, which is what she did.

raywest

Question: If nobody was home when Claire got unconcsious then who called the ambulance when Peyton was outside with Joey?

Answer: Claire had called 911 but she couldn't talk. I'm sure their city had enhanced 911 coverage so they knew where the call was coming from and sent paramedics.

Ingabritzen

Answer: Claire calls police to help with the dead woman in the green house, when she fails to answer the police shows up to investigate.

Question: How did Peyton get back in the house at the end without keys?

Answer: The same way any common criminal gets in to a house, she "broke" in by either kicking the door, or smashing a window, etc. A locked door is not that hard an obstacle to overcome.

Jazetopher

Answer: She probably had another key made.

Question: Who was the person actually breastfeeding the baby (real person)? My daughter thought it was Rebecca De Mornay feeding her own biological child possibly?

Answer: Rebecca DeMornay has two children with actor/sportscaster Patrick O'Neal. She and O'Neal didn't start dating until 1996, which is long after this film was made. Therefore, that couldn't be DeMornay's own child. It was likely a new mother who was hired as a stand-in.

raywest

Question: When Michael and Claire are discussing whether to hire Peyton, Claire says, "I don't think she'll be a nanny forever, but I think we can get her to commit for a year." Why does she not think that Peyton can be nanny long-term?

Answer: Peyton is young and attractive, and Claire, unaware of her real identity, is assuming Peyton probably will meet someone and want to marry and have a family. Presumably, most nannies do not stay in one position for long and it tends to be a high-turnover profession.

raywest

Question: Is there any indication that Mrs Mott knew that her husband was sexually assaulting his female patients? I doubt any pregnant woman would be pleased if she found out her husband was taking advantage of other women for his own desires behind her back.

Movielover1996

Answer: Totally agree with the other answer, but would add that Mott's previous victims only came forward after Claire made her allegations. Many sexual assault victims fail to report crimes because they are embarrassed, think they won't be believed, fear public backlash, dread the legal process, etc. Mott, being a doctor, made it hard to prove his actions were "sexual" in nature. He was pretty subtle, leaving his victims unsure and making it difficult to prove sexual assault.

raywest

I just figured that maybe there was occasional gossip/rumours about Mott's behaviour before Claire reported it. But you are very correct - his actions would be subtle and difficult to prove. Also, the people who do these things are usually popular and well-respected, not stereotypical "creeps."

Exactly, and it's the same as how pedophiles entrap young victims by gaining their trust, being the friendly, helpful, normal-appearing person who fools those around them.

raywest

Answer: I don't think she knew. Later on, while talking to Claire, she sounds happy about him and says that he was the only one who really understood her. It's also possible that she heard occasional rumours about him, but refused to believe any of it. This happens in real life - a person will ignore numerous allegations against their spouse/partner. They don't believe it, and/or they want to cling to their ideal fantasy life. Notice how Mrs Motts thinks of her husband's death as a murder, and Claire is the "murderer."

Question: Why was Solomon in the attic at the end of the film? They sacked him, so he wouldn't have known to have been there at that specific time or anything.

Answer: He figured something was wrong pretty quickly and being framed for messing with children only hastened his suspicions. He would have heard about Marlene dying in the greenhouse on the news and may have even seen an ambulance turn up when Claire collapsed due to being unable to find an inhaler. He was a very kind and caring person so probably kept an eye on the house to make sure the kids were safe. He probably saw Payton break into the house and snuck inside the same way she did.

Question: Do hospitals have devices for women with asthma so they can breathe while in labor and can a baby really be breastfed by another woman as done here?

Rob245

Answer: As far as breastfeeding, yes, a woman can breastfeed another woman's infant. Historically, wet nurses (lactating women who were not a child's mother) were used when a woman produced too little milk or was otherwise unable to breastfeed her own child. Today, commercial formula is used to fully supply or supplement a baby's diet.

raywest

Continuity mistake: After Claire punches Peyton for the first time, there is blood on Peyton's face. When she gets up off the floor, the blood is completely gone.

wizard_of_gore

More mistakes in The Hand that Rocks the Cradle

Marlene 'Marl' Craven: The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.

More quotes from The Hand that Rocks the Cradle

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