Silent Cradle (1997)

The plot outline of this film leads you to expect yet another Lifetime movie, complete with woman-mother in distress, bad male character responsible for her misfortune, a cute baby and redemption in the end. Well, the movie does indeed have all these elements, but fails the Lifetime test, as the acting is very good, the story well written, the film lean and tightly paced and the direction unusually good. The story lends itself to cliché and sentimentality, but the writer and director avoid these predictable tricks. The result is a movie with engaging characters and a mild twist or two that do not strain credulity. I found myself unexpectedly riveted to the plot and never bored. I've seen a number of the director's other films and this may be his best.