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Cradle Will Rock

Play trailer Poster for Cradle Will Rock R,  1999,  2h 13m,  History/ Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Stream Now Watchlist 67% 72 Reviews Tomatometer 71% 5,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
67% Tomatometer 72 Reviews 71% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
As labor strikes break out throughout the country, New York is alive with Cultural Revolution. Nelson Rockefeller (John Cusack) commissions Mexican artist Diego Rivera (Ruben Blades) to paint the lobby of Rockefeller Center, while Italian propagandist Margherita Sarfatti (Susan Sarandon) sells Da Vinci's to fund the Mussolini war effort. And Orson Welles (Angus Macfadyen) directs an infamous stage production of "The Cradle Will Rock," closed down on the eve of its opening by U.S. soldiers.
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Cradle Will Rock

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Cradle Will Rock

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Witty and provocative.

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Critics Reviews

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Anthony Lane The New Yorker Feb 1, 2021
It could have been a mess, and there are patches where Robbins's inspiration wears a little thin; yet, all in all, his ambitious tolerance pays off... Go to Full Review
Christy Lemire ChristyLemire.com May 7, 2018
2/4
The let's-put-on-a-show energy can be intoxicating. But man, does it take a long time to achieve that high. Go to Full Review
Walter Goodman New York Times Nov 30, 2017
It is impossible to take the show seriously, as put together in Mr. Robbins's cliche-jammed version... Go to Full Review
Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand Jul 28, 2026
... a rare moment of cinema capturing the immediacy and charge of live theater on the screen and it’s the heart of Robbins’ often exhilarating film. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Jun 7, 2021
3.5/4
While writer-director Tim Robbins uses this entertaining film to touch upon capitalism and class warfare, he's mainly interested in championing artistic expression. Go to Full Review
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Cradle Will Rock

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Cast & Crew

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Tim Robbins

Director

Hank Azaria

Marc Blitzstein

Rubén Blades

Diego Rivera

Joan Cusack

Hazel Huffman

John Cusack

Nelson Rockefeller

Cary Elwes

John Houseman

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Cradle Will Rock

Olive (Emily Watson) and Aldo (John Turturro) break the law by performing in a controversial musical in Touchstone's Cradle Will Rock Director Tim Robbins on the set of Touchstone's Cradle Will Rock Cary Elwes as John Houseman in Touchstone's Cradle Will Rock Philip Baker Hall as big businessman Gray Mathers in Touchstone's Cradle Will Rock John Cusack as Nelson Rockefeller in Touchstone's Cradle Will Rock Tommy Crickshaw (Bill Murray) is a washed-up Vaudevillian ventriloquist in Touchstone's Cradle Will Rock Tommy Crickshaw (Bill Murray) is a washed-up Vaudevillian ventriloquist in Touchstone's Cradle Will Rock Philip Baker Hall, Susan Sarandon and John Cusack in Touchstone's Cradle Will Rock WPA Theatre Project members John Houseman (Cary Elwes), Augusta Weissberger (Adele Robbins), Orson Welles (Angus Macfadyen), Hallie Flanagan (Cherry Jones), and Aldo Silvano (John Turturro) Joan Cusack and Bill Murray in Touchstone's Cradle Will Rock View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis As labor strikes break out throughout the country, New York is alive with Cultural Revolution. Nelson Rockefeller (John Cusack) commissions Mexican artist Diego Rivera (Ruben Blades) to paint the lobby of Rockefeller Center, while Italian propagandist Margherita Sarfatti (Susan Sarandon) sells Da Vinci's to fund the Mussolini war effort. And Orson Welles (Angus Macfadyen) directs an infamous stage production of "The Cradle Will Rock," closed down on the eve of its opening by U.S. soldiers.
Director
Tim Robbins
Producer
Lydia Dean Pilcher, Jon Kilik, Tim Robbins
Screenwriter
Tim Robbins
Distributor
Buena Vista Pictures, Touchstone Pictures
Production Co
Touchstone Pictures, Cradle Productions, Inc., Havoc
Rating
R
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 10, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 1, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$2.9M
Runtime
2h 13m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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