The Cradle Falls

Jack Olsen's script for When the Bough Breaks falls short of the thrill displayed in its trailer, which depicts a dangerously delicious suspenseful feel. Instead, we are given a drama that takes its time marinating in an ideal home where a married couple, John and Laura, puts all of their faith in their twenty-one-year old surrogate Anna who moves in with them after her abusive fiance, Mike, is arrested. We see that Mike is crazy, but Anna seems very normal and submissive to the couple, even when Laura confronts her about wearing her gown without permission.

Anna is pretty humble, so it comes as a surprise when an hour into the film she very suddenly starts becoming over-the-top crazy. Sure, she seems to admire the love between the anxious parents as their child grows inside of her, and yes, she sends videos of herself dancing with the word 'Baby' across her belly, but when she suddenly tells the police and Laura that John has been with her and loves her, I couldn't help feeling a disconnect.

In fact, there are many things that Anna does that don't seem to fall into place in a logical way, not because she is illogical and out of her mind, but because the script is fractured. What's missing are those earlier snapshots, like a certain eerie glance, a gradual change to suggest that Anna is dangerous, something to showcase her tenuous mental state. Instead, we get a contrived switch. We also know that Laura has had three miscarriages, something the producer fails to capitalize on, especially in the moments when their baby's life is at risk. Likewise, Anna's past is mentioned and it's significant, but unfortunately the story doesn't use it to its advantage; this would have been a powerful tool to reinforce who Anna is.

In the final act, Laura makes a decision to save their baby, but the result of it is too hastily played out so that we are not given time to really feel its impact on the couple. On the positive side, the acting is pretty good. But it's just not enough.

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