# Tree of Hands > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tree_of_Hands > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tree_of_Hands.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_Hands > Source revision: 1339283195 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1989 British film Tree of Hands Directed by Giles Foster Written by Gordon Williams Based on The Tree of Hands by Ruth Rendell Produced by Ann Scott Starring Helen Shaver Lauren Bacall Malcolm Stoddard Peter Firth Cinematography Kenneth MacMillan Edited by David Martin Music by Richard Hartley Production companies Granada Film Productions British Screen Productions Greenpoint Films Distributed by Cannon Film Distributors Release date 7 March 1989 (1989-03-07) Running time 89 minutes Country United Kingdom Language English Budget £2 million[1] Box office £2,458 (UK) ***Tree of Hands*** (released in the US as ***Innocent Victim***) is a 1989 British [psychological](/source/Psychological_thriller) [drama film](/source/Drama_(film_and_television)) directed by [Giles Foster](/source/Giles_Foster) and starring [Helen Shaver](/source/Helen_Shaver), [Lauren Bacall](/source/Lauren_Bacall), [Malcolm Stoddard](/source/Malcolm_Stoddard) and [Peter Firth](/source/Peter_Firth). It is based on the 1984 novel *[The Tree of Hands](/source/The_Tree_of_Hands)* by [Ruth Rendell](/source/Ruth_Rendell). ## Plot Benet Archdale (Helen Shaver), a London-based best-selling author who has just written a controversial novel, lives alone with her young son. Benet's mother, Marsha (Lauren Bacall), visiting from the United States, is a manic-depressive who has psychotic episodes. When Benet's young son dies, Marsha kidnaps a local child to serve as a substitute. Benet believes she should return the child but upon investigation she finds out that the child has been severely abused by his parents. After the child's disappearance, the parents are charged with the murder.[2] ## Cast - [Helen Shaver](/source/Helen_Shaver) as Benet Archdale - [Lauren Bacall](/source/Lauren_Bacall) as Marsha Archdale - [Malcolm Stoddard](/source/Malcolm_Stoddard) as Ian Raeburn - [Peter Firth](/source/Peter_Firth) as Terence - [Paul McGann](/source/Paul_McGann) as Barry - [Kate Hardie](/source/Kate_Hardie) as Carol - [Tony Haygarth](/source/Tony_Haygarth) as Kostas - [Phyllida Law](/source/Phyllida_Law) as Julia - [David Schofield](/source/David_Schofield_(actor)) as Detective Inspector - Amanda Dickinson as Molly - [Fiona McAlpine](/source/Fiona_McAlpine) as Neighbour - Julie Jupp as Neighbour's Daughter - [Sean Blowers](/source/Sean_Blowers) as Detective - Allan Mitchell as Consultant - [Simon Prebble](/source/Simon_Prebble) as Newscaster - Barnaby Brown as Jason - Charles Pountney as James ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-org_1-0)** ["Back to the Future: The Fall and Rise of the British Film Industry in the 1980s - An Information Briefing"](https://www2.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/downloads/bfi-back-to-the-future-the-fall-and-rise-of-the-british-film-industry-in-the-1980s.pdf) (PDF). *British Film Institute*. 2005. p. 30. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [BFI.org](https://web.archive.org/web/20090129230402/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/423412) ## External links - [*Tree of Hands*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099846/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) This article related to a British film of the 1980s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:1980s-UK-film-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3A1980s-UK-film-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:1980s-UK-film-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tree of Hands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_Hands) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_Hands?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.