Silencio en la cuna

This film illustrates why the "torn from today's headlines, woman in trouble" genre is such staple for made for TV flicks.

There is nothing particularly exceptional about this film, yet it is very compelling story. Not that the cast, that included some very good actors, are bad. It's just they are not the one's the carry this story. This is a plot driven tale that tugs at the most basic human emotions and there is nothing too subtle about it. The makers of this film were smart enough to tell this story very cleanly and not get in the way.

Not bad at all. Good acting and good story. Back then they made very good based on true story movies. I give it a 7 out of 10.

Karen Williams (Nancy McKeon) has to return to work at the end of her maternity leave. Her mother, Ruth (Penny Fuller), is looking after the baby for her. Ruth is also interviewing people to find a babysitter for all of Karen's children, including Rachael Ann White, a daughter by a married man, David Anderson (David Duchovny), who used to be Karen's boss.

Another couple, Bianca Hudson (Veronica Hamel) and her husband Cal Hudson (Michael Madsen), are experiencing marital problems. He informs her that he has filed for divorce. Bianca had an abortion a few months earlier for medical reasons. She believes getting pregnant again will save her marriage. As Cal is about to leave her, Bianca tells him that she is pregnant again. Bianca fakes the pregnancy, and when it is time for the imaginary baby to be born, she goes out to look for a baby to steal.

Disguised, Bianca shows up for an interview for the position of babysitter for Karen's children. When Karen's mother, Ruth, steps into another room, Bianca walks out with the baby. Bianca takes the child home and tells her husband that she went into labor, went to a local hospital, had the baby, and returned home, all in one day.

Karen realizes that Bianca is a suspect and decides that the best way to find her daughter is to appeal to the media and put out flyers. Cal's boss and wife make a surprise visit to the Hudson home, where they plainly see that the baby is much older than four days, and they alert the authorities. Police arrive, arrest Bianca and Cal, and return the baby to its rightful home.

This is one of those "real" movies that one can relate to. The acting was superb. It was like watching a real event happen in front of me. I was "in" that film and quite frustrated when the commercial breaks interrupted it. I was totally absorbed throughout "Baby Snatcher." I feel this film is excellent viewing about some real problems plaguing our society. It was real, sincere, gripping, intense. Great direction by Joyce Chopra. I feel this film should have been in movie houses, not just a TV movie. The performances by the leading four actors: Veronica Hamel, Nancy McKeon, Michael Madsen and David Duchovny were excellent. I would have given Nancy McKeon an academy award for her performance in "Baby Snatcher" and I'd love to see David Duchovny in a "Harrison Ford" type epic drama. He would make the film and the industry proud! I hope "Baby Snatcher" is not shelved and that it will be shown again or made available to those who want it. The only thing I would have changed is the title. Examples: "Where Is My Baby", "Bring Back My Child", "Empty Cradle".

"Baby Snatcher" claims it's based on a true story, and that's probably right. But it doesn't necessarily make for a good film. One of the problems is the casting. Michael Madsen plays the clueless husband. Madsen is the award winning actor famous for such films as Reservoir Dogs (1992), Getaway (1994), Species (1995), Kill Bill (2003), and The Hateful Eight (2015), so his playing against type here is not entirely believable.

Veronica Hamel, on the other hand, is known for her work in the TV series Hill Street Blues (1981-7) and Lost (2004-10), and her desperate scheming wife doesn't seem to fit.

Setting aside the casting issues, the story itself takes a long time to evolve.

I saw this movie when I was 13 years old which is when it first came on television here in the States. Even as a child I was horrified that a baby could be kidnapped from a hospital. What makes it horrifying is the fact that most newborns look alike and have no distinguishing characteristics yet. The Two main female characters, the mother and the kidnapper both had dark hair and light eyes. This baby could have passed for either of the women's baby. I agree, the husband was an idiot. Although I was only 13 I did wonder why he never saw her naked in the shower or put his hand on her belly and noticed that something wasn't right. I assumed it didn't fit in the movie. whatever the reason it lost a point for that.

This movie was realistic in the reactions of the characters and what they were going through. The writer even thought to add a line about the mother starting to lose her breast milk. Anyone who has seen The Hand that Rocks The Cradle with Rebecca DeMornay or who is a breastfeeding mom knows why that is such a big deal. It was also very interesting to see Nancy McKeon as a mother in a dramatic role when all I had known of her at the time was Jo from the Facts of Life, now a cult classic. There are a few actors in this movie that later went on to star in blockbuster films like Micheal Madsen and David Duchovny.

Now that I am a mother this movie is even more horrific. With doctors leaving utensils inside their patients after operations it's difficult to remain optimistic about the safety of a newborn in a hospital.

Just a side note, I personally know of several women who learned how to fake a pregnancy based on this movie. That ups the horrifying factor for me quite a bit.