Fatal Attraction
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| Fatal Attraction | |
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| Directed by | Adrian Lyne |
| Produced by | Stanley R. Jaffe Sherry Lansing |
| Written by | James Dearden |
| Starring | Michael Douglas Glenn Close Anne Archer |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | September 11, 1987 (premiere) September 18, 1987 (wide) |
| Running time | 119 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $14,000,000 (estimated) |
| IMDb profile | |
Fatal Attraction is a 1987 thriller about a married man who has a weekend affair with a woman who refuses to allow it to end and who becomes obsessed with him. It stars Michael Douglas, Glenn Close and Anne Archer. It was directed by Adrian Lyne. After its release, Fatal Attraction engendered much cultural discussion of the potential consequences of infidelity.
The film was adapted by James Dearden and Nicholas Meyer from an earlier script by Dearden for British TV entitled Diversion. The film grossed US$156.6 million and was the 2nd highest grossing film of 1987 behind Three Men and a Baby [1].
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[edit] Synopsis
Dan Gallagher is a happily-married New York attorney living in Manhattan until he meets Alex Forrest, an editor from a publishing company, through business. While his wife, Beth, and their daughter are out of town for the weekend, Dan has a brief affair with Alex. What Dan thought would be a simple fling turns into a dangerous affair when Alex begins to cling to him obsessively, showing many signs of Borderline Personality Disorder -- fear of abandonment, instability, impulsive actions, switching from adoring to devaluing others, manipulation, suicidal gestures, cutting, binge eating and intense anger and bitterness.
Alex Forrest's mental instability initially surfaces when she attempts suicide after Dan explains to her that he must go home and get on with his life. Dan thinks the affair is forgotten, but Alex begins to show up at various places to see him. She is waiting for him at his office one day to apologize and invite him to an opera with her, but he turns her down. She then begins to call Dan's office until he tells his secretary he will no longer take her calls. When he confronts her about her actions, she replies, "Well, what am I supposed to do? You won't answer my calls, you change your number, I'm not going to be ignored, Dan!" Alex starts calling Dan's home and then informs Dan that she is pregnant and planning to keep the baby. Although Dan wants nothing to do with her, she insists that he must take responsibility.
As Alex continues to stalk Dan and his family, she has a voice recording delivered to Dan and follows him home one night to spy on him and his wife and daughter from the bushes in his yard; the sight of their family life literally makes her sick to her stomach. Alex's obsession, which grows stronger as time goes on, eventually turns to madness.
At one point, while the Gallaghers are away from home, Alex even kills Dan's daughter Ellen's pet rabbit and puts it on their stove to boil.
By this time, Beth has been told of the affair and Alex's pregnancy claim and has warned Alex over the phone that if she persists, she will kill her. Alex goes on to kidnap Ellen from school one day. And although she takes Ellen home, Beth, in a panic while searching for her child, is injured in a car accident.
Finally, Alex becomes determined to eliminate what she sees as her main obstacle--Dan's wife. While Beth is in the bathroom, Alex's reflection appears in the mirror. As she attacks Beth with a butcher knife, Dan hears the screaming and runs in, wrestling Alex into the bathtub and drowning her... or so he thinks. She suddenly emerges from the water, swinging her knife at him. Beth, who has gone in search of the gun Dan has bought, appears in the doorway and shoots her.
[edit] Awards
The film was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Glenn Close), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Anne Archer), Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.
[edit] Main cast
- Michael Douglas - Dan Gallagher
- Glenn Close - Alex Forrest
- Anne Archer - Beth Gallagher
- Ellen Hamilton Latzen - Ellen Gallagher
- Stuart Pankin - Jimmy
- Ellen Foley - Hildy
- Fred Gwynne - Arthur
- Meg Mundy - Joan Rogerson
- Tom Brennan - Howard Rogerson
- Lois Smith - Martha
- Mike Nussbaum - Bob Drimmer
- J.J. Johnston - O'Rourke
- Michael Arkin - Lieutenant
[edit] Trivia
- The film gave rise to the term "Bunny boiler", as the scorned woman (Glenn Close) boils the pet rabbit belonging to her ex-lover's (Michael Douglas) daughter.
- Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) was originally scripted to commit suicide at the end of the movie and make it look like Michael Douglas's character had murdered her. Test audiences did not respond well to this finale, resulting in the action-filled sequence in the bathroom and Alex's death by shooting. However, the less violent scene was shot and used as the ending for the Japanese version of the film. It is available as an alternate ending on the DVD and has since been shown on network screenings.
- Although audiences generally applauded the second ending, some controversy resulted from the fact that Alex is supposed to be pregnant (which Dan Gallagher has confirmed with her physician) with a child who presumably dies with her.
- On the History Channel show "Hollywood's Greatest Villains," Glenn Close said that she asked a psychologist to analyze Alex Forrest's character. The psychologist concluded that Forrest must have suffered sexual abuse as a child.
- Barbara Hershey and Debra Winger were both offered Alex, but turned down the role.
- Prior to this role, Glenn Close was seen as a "good girl" in films like The Natural and Jagged Edge. She hoped that this role would broaden her range.
- In an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Will has to deal with a pushy woman. He refers to the film by saying "I am telling you, if we owned a pet rabbit, the dude would be on the stove by now!"
- The 2002 film Swimfan has been described as Fatal Attraction for the teenage set.
- This film was #59 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments.
- On an episode of The Parkers Veronica scolds at Stanley and threatens to end their relatonship. Nikki interrups and says "Alright now hold up Fatal Attraction."
- In the Family Guy episode entitled "Barely Legal", Meg's obsession toward Brian after a school dance makeout session is largely based on Fatal Attraction. Instead of boiling a rabbit (hare) on the stove, Meg bakes an apple pie with her hair in it and claims that part of her is inside of Brian.
