MovieChat Forums > The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992) Discussion > How I Know this Movie is Dated...

How I Know this Movie is Dated...

posted 16 years ago by Isaac5855
47 replies | jump to latest

I had the opportunity to revisit this movie recently as it popped up on SHOWTIME last month,and there was one thing in the movie I had to chuckle at which reminded me how dated this movie really is...remember when Marlene starts piecing things together about Peyton and she goes to the library and starts looking up old newspaper articles on the microfiche? I started cracking up because I couldn't even remember the last time I saw anyone utilizing microfiche in a movie? My, how times have changed!

[–] alzanden-1 13 years ago

This movie is from 1992, I used microfiche in 2003 to look up old newspaper articles at the library for a homework assignment. Not really a sign of being outdated...I wouldn't be surprised if most libraries today still use microfiche for newspapers...at least the smaller older libraries that is. Perhaps some of the huge university libraries have updated their systems.

[–] xantraxanadu 13 years ago

lol

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[–] vicky_lc2001-1 10 years ago

Claire's hair is very in nowadays, 80s-early 90s fashion have made a comeback.

[–] ian-stiltner 13 years ago

For me it was the whole fact that an adult stranger can walk onto a school playground (with no fence), assault and threaten a kid and not get a taser.

[–] stillstanding 13 years ago

I used to work on a newspaper & microfiche was very much still in existence. The library had everything from 2004 online, hard copies of everything between 1996-2004 & everything pre-1996 accessible via microfiche.

Funnily enough I used to think of this film whenever I used it!

For me it wasn't just Marlene's huge phone but how none of the family had one to call for help when Peyton returned at the end.

How times have changed. Movies like Honey I Shrunk the Kids wouldn't be possible today because the kids would have phones in their pockets which they'd be able to use immediately to call for help.

[–] Embodiment 12 years ago

Um... considering that the film was made in the early 1990s, of course it's going to be dated. Does that prevent you from enjoying the film? I only ask because there are actually people that refuse watch movies that were made before the year 2000, which is absolutely ridiculous ...

[–] serenesea-435-890951 12 years ago

Doesn't it bring back all the good old days' memories? :)

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[–] lilcharmer 12 years ago

The thing that stood out to me a making it very dated was Marlene and Michael getting together in person to plan Claire's surprise party.

Nowadays people plan parties and events through email, Evite and Facebook but if it needs to be discrete, online is the way to go. In present day, Claire would have never suspected they were having an affair.

[–] XtroTerrestial 12 years ago

I'm surprised that Claire even suspected it even then. Plus, coming home from being out with the daughter, wouldn't she have seen cars parked outside the house, therefore giving her a clue that there would be people ovr, especially Marlene?

I will admit, however, that the whole blow up scene where the guests hear her angry accusation was kind of darkly humorous in a way.

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[–] kcolli11 12 years ago

Why are you surprised that Claire suspected it? During their dinner scene, she says that Marlene is a bad influence on Michael because he only smokes when she's around. He tells Claire he's staying late at work, but she calls his office and no one answers. Plus, he comes home smelling of smoke. Then she finds Marlene's lighter in his suit jacket.

Not to mention Peyton had planted the seed of doubt in her mind. In an earlier conversation, she tells Peyton that she wasn't Michael's first love.

"You'll never guess who was..."

"Marlene?"

"How'd you know that?"

"Just a wild guess."

This plants the idea in Claire's mind that it's obvious to outsides that Michael and Marlene were once lovers.