When the Bough Breaks

When the Bough Breaks

Year: 1994

Runtime: 105 mins

Language: English

Director: Michael Cohn

Thriller

Unable to stop a series of child murders, a police detective turns to a lone clue—a autistic boy in an institution whose telepathic mind might reveal the killer's identity. As the case deepens, the detective wrestles with the ethical dilemmas of using the child's extraordinary abilities to track the murderer.

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Timeline & Setting – When the Bough Breaks (1994)

Explore the full timeline and setting of When the Bough Breaks (1994). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Houston, Eben estate, shuttered hospital, water tower house

Houston serves as the urban backdrop where a string of disappearances surface from parks and sewers. The investigation extends from the city streets to a shuttered hospital and the private Eben estate, hinting at dark family secrets. Water towers and old houses punctuate the landscape, giving the film a claustrophobic, labyrinthine feel.

🌆 Houston city 🔎 Police investigation 🏥 Psychiatric hospital 🏰 Eben estate

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:39

Main Characters – When the Bough Breaks (1994)

Meet the key characters of When the Bough Breaks (1994), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Audrey Macleah (Ally Walker)

State Profiler Audrey Macleah is called in to assist the Houston police in a brutal case. Through hypnosis she unlocks a psychic connection to Jordan, guiding the investigation with clinical rigor and unwavering resolve. Her moral compass drives her to pursue truth even when it implicates powerful figures.

🔎 Pro detective 🧠 Psychic connection 💪 Determined

Dr. Douglas Eben (Ron Perlman)

A respected physician and patriarch who hides a basement medical suite, linking to the victims. He is the father of Jordan and the hidden architect of a horrific secret. Macleah confronts him in a tense showdown that culminates in his death by fire, revealing a long history of abuse.

🧪 Scientist 🏚️ Secret basement 🗝️ Family secret

Jordan Thomas (Tara Subkoff)

A foster child with seizures on his birthday who is at the center of the psychic link. His alter-ego, Jennifer Lynn, serves as a conduit for clues, exposing the connection between his birthday and the disappearances. He carries the weight of neglect and trauma while becoming crucial to solving the case.

🎭 Alter-ego 🧠 Trauma 🧒 Child

Howard Speckett (Christopher Doyle)

A physician who tipped Houston police about a patient, alerting them to important medical angles of the case. He helps connect hospital records to the Eben family mystery and acts as a catalyst for the investigation.

🏥 Medical tip 🧭 Investigative lead

Captain Swaggert (Martin Sheen)

Houston Police Department captain who oversees the investigation and coordinates with profiler Audrey Macleah. He steers the case through bureaucratic channels while weighing risks and leads.

🧭 Police leadership 🕵️ Case coordination

Sergeant Belvin (John P. Connolly)

A lawman who assists in the field operations and analysis of evidence, helping drive the search for the missing girls and the killer.

🚓 Field officer 🧩 Evidence

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:39

Major Themes – When the Bough Breaks (1994)

Explore the central themes of When the Bough Breaks (1994), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🔮 Psychic Bond

Audrey Macleah's probing insight hinges on a psychic connection to Jordan, guiding the investigation beyond pure procedure. The story leans on altered states and hypnotic revelations to uncover clues that the formal system misses. This theme explores the risks and potentials of peering into another's mind to reveal truth.

💔 Trauma & Memory

The narrative centers on children harmed by a patriarchal secret world, with Jordan's seizures and Jennifer Lynn's backstory driving the mystery. Trauma shapes choices, memories, and vulnerabilities, prompting reliance on records, family lore, and medical histories to piece together the truth. Healing emerges only by confronting buried pasts.

⚖️ Justice vs. Vigilance

The investigation tests the limits of formal police work against personal determination as Audrey and the team chase leads while confronting a killer who hides in plain sight. The climax questions whether justice requires patient legal processes or decisive, sometimes destructive action to save the innocent. The resolution ties truth to accountability within a framework of power and secrecy.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:39

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When the Bough Breaks Summary

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When the Bough Breaks Summary

When the Bough Breaks Timeline

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When the Bough Breaks Timeline

More About When the Bough Breaks

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When the Bough Breaks (1994) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

When the Bough Breaks (1994) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline

When the Bough Breaks (1994) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow