Baby Snatcher (1992)

Too much of everything

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Absolutely brilliant

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

"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.

While the theme is something we have seen before on LMN, the story is based on truth , and Nancy McKeon is believable as the victimized mother whose child is stolen by a woman posing as a nanny.Michael Madsen portrays a military man, tired of his marriage to Veronica Hamel, and tells her he wants out. As an older woman, she panics, her perfect life disrupted, so she decides that a baby will save the marriage. She has problems becoming pregnant, so concocts a scheme: she pretends to be pregnant, wears maternity clothes and pillows to make her husband believe she is indeed pregnant. As he is a man rigid to his obligations, this one fact keeps him in the marriage. He crassly tells her, "My C.O. will not approve if I divorce you know, a pregnant woman".Nine months pass and, as her husband is blissfully uninterested, Hamel gets away with the initial scheme. Then her husband asks...are't you about due, wherein she again panics, and tries to adopt. When that doesn't work, she advertises for employment as a nanny. As she is well- spoken and educated, she is hired by Nancy McKeon's mother, who believes her to be trustworthy. In the instant she allows Hamel to hold the child, the child is abducted.McKeon portrays a low-income single mother, and there is a cameo with David Duchovny as the sometime father of the child. The media initially blamed the parents, as in most cases they are immediate suspects. McKeon rises to the occasion, and uses the media to publicize her child's abduction.The fact that this is a true story serves as a cautionary tale to any new parents, and Veronica Hamel excels here as a desperate and borderline personality who will do anything to save her faltering marriage. 8/10.

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.

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".