1987 • Directed by Adrian Lyne
Screenplay by James Dearden
With Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, Anne Archer, and Ellen Hamilton Latzen
Released by Paramount Pictures
When 'Fatal Attraction' first appeared in 1987, it mixed elements that were destined to become a hot item. The film had a superb lead cast of Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, and Anne Archer. Add to this rundown the leadership of '9 � Weeks' director Adrian Lyne and a screenplay not only brimming with tension but also willing to pluck a sexual nerve in the AIDS-ridden landscape of 1980s America. Over $400 million in box office and video sales later, this film easily ranks as one of the most influential of its time and has spawned many clones in the erotic thriller genre.
'Fatal Attraction,' which was nominated for six Oscars, does just about everything right to create a thriller that stays in the mind long after being watched. James Dearden's screenplay (expanded from a BBC film short) is a concentrated effort on the lives of four people: attorney Dan Gallagher (Douglas), his wife Beth (Archer), his daughter Ellen (Ellen Hamilton Latzen), and publishing adviser Alex Forrest (Close), who meets Dan at a party and joins him for a weekend fling. Minor characters brush with the storyline, but Dearden limits key happenings to this quartet and shows how the briefest infidelity can lead to disaster. In 'Fatal Attraction,' Alex Forrest is every cheating husband's worst nightmare, a psychotic woman who will terrorize an entire family to get what she wants.
Adrian Lyne's thriller is very much of its time, dealing with a middle class family whose husband earns his pay in a changing workforce. Alex Forrest, played superbly by Close, is akin to the many (sane) women who enjoyed career advancement during the 1980s, when reactions built up against feminism of the previous decade. Beth Gallagher represents the traditional housewife, who shuns career to provide at home. These points are understated, however, and 'Fatal Attraction' is driven mostly by its character development, the absolute must for a successful thriller. As Alex wobbles out of control and Dan grows in desperation to stop her, 'Fatal Attraction' reaches unexpected levels of tension that rival any other such film in history. And it's unafraid to be repugnant and brutal, making use of attempted suicide, kidnapping, and a cooked rabbit.
I have not lately seen a film that produced so many conflicting emotions as 'Fatal Attraction.' In the opening 80 minutes, it has the gloss of a feminist tale; Alex is (supposedly) left pregnant by Dan, who considers his extramarital dealings over with and retreats into family life. But just as Alex gains your sympathy, she intrudes upon Dan's wife and daughter, making the film take on a completely different attitude. And here rests one of the movie's biggest flaws, in that James Dearden's screenplay doesn't reach its absolute potential; it stops short of an irreversible punishment for Dan's affair and heads toward a more conventional ending, albeit a very effective one. There are also considerable plot gaps (how does Alex take Ellen to an amusement park directly from school, without parents or teachers questioning?), but these problems are smoothed over by the fine performances, which come to embody outright good and evil.
'Fatal Attraction' was originally filmed with a quiet ending that went belly-up at preview screenings. A more approachable (and violent) finale was shot months after production had wrapped. Both endings are included on Paramount Pictures' 2002 DVD release, which bears a 'special collector's edition' label. The disc (a volume of Paramount's 'widescreen collection') is worth every nickel, containing a pristine feature and several extras. Helped by its newness, 'Fatal' is in excellent visual condition with a choice of 5.1 surround sound or Dolby surround. Also supplied are French 'dubbing' and English subtitles. A commentary track with Adrian Lyne makes up one of the special features, along with three featurettes on production of the film: 'Forever Fatal: Remembering Fatal Attraction,' 'Social Attraction,' and 'Visual Attraction.' Topping it off are VHS rehearsal clips of Douglas, Close, and Anne Archer before 'Fatal' entered production, the original (and in my opinion weaker) ending, and the theatrical trailer.
Adrian Lyne's commentary is both pleasant and informative, relating to the goings-on in his quiet, casual manner. The three featurettes shed new light on this film, allowing cast members and crew to reflect on its artistic and social impact over the last twenty years. 'Visual Attraction' is most interesting, giving due credit to the people whose attire (costume designer Ellen Mirojnick), facial work (makeup artist Richard Dean), photography (cinematographer Howard Atherton), and sets (production designer Mel Bourne) are easily forgotten in a movie without huge special effects or epic scenes. Always hard-hitting and almost guaranteed to keep married men in line (*wink*), 'Fatal' remains a diamond in the rough and a standard of 1980s film-making.
