THE CRADLE WILL FALL

US, 2004, 90 minutes, Colour.
Angie Everhart, John Ralston, Philippe Brenninkmeyer, William B. Davis, Alan C. Peterson, Stephen Spender, Carol Higgins Clark.
Directed by Rob King.

The Cradle Will Fall is an adaptation of a Mary Higgins Clark murder mystery. It focuses on a forthright DA and her physical condition, her being advised by a gynaecological expert to go into hospital. However, there is a mystery about the doctor, his practices in his clinic, the pregnancy for women who did not expect to be pregnant, a complication with the psychiatrist at the centre who had previously been sacked for misconduct. There is a focus on the murder of a pregnant woman, her air pilot husband and his affair.

The solution is far more than audiences would have expected – experimentation with embryos and pregnancies.

There is a melodramatic confrontation and ending, the rescue of the DA by her friend, the local medical examiner.

Angie Everhart is vigorous in the central role. Philippe Brenninkmeyer is a suave villain.

Mary Higgins Clark’s daughter, Carol Higgins Clark, appears as the heroine’s sister.

An entertaining mystery – in the Mary Higgins Clark vein.

1. The appeal of the murder mystery? Characters? Detective work? The solution?

2. The American city, the police precincts, medical centres, homes? Realistic? Musical score?

3. The title – and its ironic references to the clinic, Doctor Highley and his experiments? Practice?

4. The focus on Katie De Maio, strong woman, the widow, memories of her husband and cancer, her dislike of hospitals? The initial crash? Her going to hospital? Under the care of Doctor Highley? Her loss of memory? His explanations of her physical condition, his advising her to come back for treatment? Her loving her work, being busy?

5. The murder, the woman on the bed? Pregnant? The revelation that her baby was Asian? Suspicions of the psychologist, his doubtful past, his meetings with the murdered woman, his liking for her? His being murdered?

6. The husband, pilot, his relationship with Joan? The preparation for a divorce? His testimony to the police, finding his wife? His lying? His eventually telling the truth? Under suspicion? His never having met the psychiatrist? Briefly having met the doctor?

7. The clues, the medical examination, Richard and his friendship with Katie? His thorough work? His eventual analysis – suspicions ofr Doctor Highley?

8. Doctor Highley, his charm, manner? His treatment of the infertile women? Katie’s sister, her friend who became pregnant – and the baby not looking like her? The continuing puzzles?

9. Katie, her suspicions, her work with the district attorney, with Charlie and his detective work? Following the leads?

10. Going into hospital, her talking previously with Richard, his attentions to her, getting over her grief?

11. In hospital, the truth about what had happened, her witnessing Doctor Highley and his murder of the pregnant woman, putting her in the car? His taking her to the house? His secretary and her discovery of the moccasin? Her decision to contact Katie, the phone call, the denunciation of the pilot? Her death? The death of the psychiatrist? Doctor Highley and his arrogance, delusions of grandeur, his experiments?

12. The reality of the embryos, the pregnancies – and the murdered woman, her contacts with her doctor in Minnesota? The impossibility of her being pregnant? The truth about the insertion of the embryo?

13. The melodramatic conclusion, Charlie and Richard and their going to clinic? The support of the DA? Katie, her being drugged, her struggle, in the basement, writing the message? Richard finding her in time?

14. Satisfactory resolution to this kind of murder mystery?