Hank Azaria,
Ruben Blades,
Joan Cusack,
John Cusack,
Cary Elwes
... see more 
The sometimes rocky relationship between art and politics in America in the 1930s -- as well as the gulf between the wealthy and the struggling -- sets the stage for Tim Robbins' ambitious comedy-dram... read more
DVD Release Date: May 16, 2000
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Stats: 268 reviews
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Flixster Reviews (268)
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September 28, 2009War, censorship, politics and corporate art. This is an extremely entertaining and informative look at how the art world both survived and changed during unrest in New York in the 1930?s. It may not sound like a barrel of laughs, and it can be a bit theatrical at times, but this ... read more
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December 10, 2008Huge cast made it fun to watch, along with the 30's atmosphere. Yet another example of how John and Joan Cusack cannot be apart in movies (much to my dismay). I had no idea the 30's had so much anti communist attacks. A neat piece of history. I especially liked Diego's painting.
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May 18, 2012fb20312798I would have appreciated a measure of subtlety at some point, as there are moments of "symbolism" that reach laughable proportions with their obviousness. However, since this film still pretty successfully deals with the political and social power of theatre (which is a notion th... read more
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March 13, 2012No. This is NOT The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. Tim Robbins' film is based on the actual events surrounding the WPA Federal Theater Project's production of The Cradle Will Rock by Marc Blitzstein, which was directed by Orson Welles and produced by John Houseman. The play was a p... read more
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March 28, 2009this film is tim robbins' directorial debut. it tells the story of the musical that would not be denied its first performance because of the downfall of the wpa. robbins' style owes a lot to altman in its weaving of many strands of narrative in to a whole. he runs the risk at tim... read more
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February 14, 2009It's certainly fun to watch familiar actors jump from around every corner. If this had been a play, I think I would have loved it. But although the story is interesting, and spotlights a forgotten era in American history, I don't think it works as a movie. The narrative just does... read more
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April 2, 2008EVERYONE is in this movie! It's long, but it's worth it. I used to think that theatre in the US should be more like some of the European countries and receive state support, but now that I've seen that the American government failed in the past I pray it never happens again. T... read more
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November 1, 2007It might not have earned that extra half-star, but the more other people hate this movie, the more it makes me like it, flawed as it is.
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October 29, 2007This is a fabulous film for theatre and history enthusiasts. It also has a stellar cast & wonderful, quirky writing.
Critic Reviews
January 1, 2000
Jonathan Foreman, New York Post
January 1, 2000
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
As a mixture of drama, humor and history, a mélange of seriousness and slapstick, real people and imagined characters, it definitely stands out. Full Review
January 1, 2000
(CNN.com) Paul Clinton, CNN.com
Remarkably complex, funny and thought-provoking. Full Review
January 1, 2000
Kevin Maynard, Mr. Showbiz
Marvelous, provocative entertainment.
January 1, 2000
Mike Clark, USA Today
Rock actually rocks out as one of the year's most purely entertaining movies.
January 1, 2000
John Anderson, Newsday
Robbins is so convinced of his movie's political correctness that he couldn't see its lack of dramatic cohesion or luster.
January 1, 2000
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
Knows how to get audiences clapping along. Full Review
January 1, 2000
Charles Taylor, Salon.com
Robbins has made the classic mistake of thinking that art that's persecuted for its political ideals must be good art. Full Review
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Cradle Will Rock
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