Fatal Attraction (1987)

Director:

Adrian Lyne

Writers (WGA):

James Dearden (screenplay)
James Dearden (short film)

Release Date:

18 September 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

On the other side of drinks, dinner and a one night stand, lies a terrifying love story.

Plot:

A married man's one night stand comes back to haunt him when that lover begins to stalk him and his family.

Plot Keywords:

New York | Sexual Obsession | Cuckolded Husband | Fondling | Wronged Wife

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 14 nominations

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
Sam Coppola	...	Fuselli (as Sam J. Coppola)
Eunice Prewitt	...	Receptionist
Jane Krakowski	...	Babysitter
Justine Johnston	...	Real Estate Agent
Mary Joy	...	Teacher
Christine Farrell	...	Teacher
Marc McQue	...	Chuck
James Eckhouse	...	Man in Japanese Restaurant
Faith Geer	...	Nurse
Carol Schneider	...	Waitress
David Bates	...	Executive
Anna Levine	...	Secretary
Alicia Perusse	...	Ellen's Friend
Christopher Rubin	...	Lawyer
Thomas Saccio	...	Bartender
Greg Scott	...	Bar Patron
Chris Manor	...	Doorman
Jonathan Brandis	...	Party Guest
Joe Chapman	...	Party Guest
Judi M. Durand	...	Party Guest
Lillian Garrett	...	Party Guest
J.D. Hall	...	Party Guest
Barbara Harris	...	Party Guest
Angelo Bruno Krakoff	...	Party Guest
Carlo Steven Krakoff	...	Party Guest
Amy Lyne	...	Party Guest
David McCharen	...	Party Guest
Larry Moss	...	Party Guest
Mio Polo	...	Party Guest
Jan Rabson	...	Party Guest
Marilyn Schreffler	...	Party Guest
Vladimir Skomarovsky	...	Party Guest
Dennis Tufano	...	Party Guest
Lynnanne Zager	...	Party Guest
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James 'Packy' Dolan	...	Mover (uncredited)
Reese Golchin	...	Bowler (uncredited)

Directed by
Adrian Lyne

Writing credits (WGA)
James Dearden		(screenplay)
James Dearden		(short film)

Produced by
Stanley R. Jaffe	....	producer
Sherry Lansing	....	producer

Original Music by
Maurice Jarre

Cinematography by
Howard Atherton		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Peter E. Berger
Michael Kahn

Casting by
Risa Bramon Garcia		(as Risa Bramon)
Billy Hopkins

Production Design by
Mel Bourne

Art Direction by
Jack Blackman

Set Decoration by
George DeTitta Sr.		(as George DeTitta)

Costume Design by
Ellen Mirojnick

Makeup Department
Richard Dean	....	makeup artist
Lyndell Quiyou	....	hair stylist
Doug Drexler	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
Michael R. Thomas	....	slashed wrist effect makeup (uncredited)

Production Management
Christopher Cronyn	....	unit production manager
Robert E. Warner	....	unit production manager: re-shoot (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert V. Girolami	....	first assistant director (as Robert Girolami)
Martha L. Mericka	....	dga trainee (as Marty Mericka)
Jane Paul	....	second assistant director
Chris Stoia	....	second second assistant director (as Christopher Stoia)
David R. Ellis	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Craig Haagensen	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Gerald DeTitta	....	set dresser (as Gerry DeTitta)
Ed Ferraro	....	shop craftsman (as Eddie Ferraro)
George Gartland	....	construction grip
Philip Saccio Jr.	....	property person (as Phillip Saccio)
Thomas Saccio	....	property master (as Tom Saccio)
Sylvia Trapanese	....	art department coordinator
Michael Zansky	....	chargeman scenic artist
Jerry Adams	....	property manager (uncredited)
Philip Saccio	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
Ginny Walsh	....	property fabricator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Dee Dee Goldner	....	assistant sound editor
Robert G. Henderson	....	supervising sound editor (as Robert Henderson)
Ellen Heuer	....	foley artist: TAJ Soundworks
David M. Horton	....	sound editor (as David Horton)
David J. Hudson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Vito L. Ilardi	....	sound recordist (as Vito Ilardi)
Nicholas Vincent Korda	....	sound editor (as Nicholas Korda)
Bruce Lacey	....	sound editor
Les Lazarowitz	....	sound mixer
Mel Metcalfe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Linda Murphy	....	boom operator
Alan Robert Murray	....	supervising sound editor
Greg Orloff	....	foley artist: Taj Soundworks
Terry Porter	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Roesch	....	foley artist: TAJ Soundworks
Brooke Henderson Ward	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Clive R. Kay	....	special effects contact lenses (uncredited)

Stunts
Janet Brady	....	stunts
Steve M. Davison	....	stunts
Annie Ellis	....	stunts
David R. Ellis	....	stunt coordinator
David R. Ellis	....	stunts (as David Ellis)
Freddie Hice	....	stunts
Laurie Shepard	....	stunts
Tracy Keehn-Dashnaw	....	stunt double: Ann Archer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
James 'Packy' Dolan	....	chief lighting technician
James P. Dolan	....	assistant chief lighting technician (as J.P. Dolan)
James Finnerty	....	first company grip (as Jim Finnerty)
John Finnerty	....	second company grip
Bill Gerardo	....	second assistant photographer
Vinnie Gerardo	....	first assistant photographer
Craig Haagensen	....	camera operator
Andrew D. Schwartz	....	still photographer
Robert M. Volpe	....	dolly grip (as Bob Volte)
John Corso	....	cinematographer: Steadicam (uncredited)
Chris Hayes	....	additional camera operator (uncredited)
Tom Krueger	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Michael Stone	....	camera operator: new end sequence (uncredited)

Casting Department
Paul Adler	....	casting assistant
Heidi Levitt	....	casting assistant
Riccardo Bertoni	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
William A. Campbell	....	costumer: men (as William Campbell)
Danajean Cicerchi	....	costumer: women

Editorial Department
Thomas R. Bryant	....	assistant editor (as Tom Bryant)
Jack Garsha	....	color timer
Martha Huntley	....	assistant editor: New York
Richard J. Rossi	....	assistant editor: New York (as Richard Rossi)
Diane Asnes Ruggeri	....	assistant editor: New York
George C. Villaseñor	....	assistant editor
Michael Carlin	....	editing room assistant (uncredited)

Music Department
Dan Carlin Sr.	....	music editor
Maurice Jarre	....	orchestrator
Joel Moss	....	music scoring mixer
Bob Bornstein	....	music preparation (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Tom O'Donnell	....	teamster captain

Other crew
Marion Billings	....	publicist
Dane Chapin	....	production assistant
Dan Curry	....	title designer
Lenard Dorfman	....	location assistant
Ken Haber	....	location manager (as Kenneth Haber)
Andrea Jaffe	....	publicist
Mitchell Kapner	....	production assistant
Janice Leibowitz	....	production assistant
Charles M. Lum	....	assistant location manager (as Charles Lum)
Sancha Mandy	....	production assistant
Carol Mann	....	assistant to producers
Cheryl Ann Mironczuk	....	assistant production office coordinator (as Cheryl Mironczuk)
Eric Myers	....	unit publicist
Jonathan Nossiter	....	assistant: Adrian Lyne
Trisha O'Brien	....	assistant to producers
Kay Rouse	....	production assistant
Judy L. Ruskin	....	assistant: Ellen Mirojnick (as Judy Ruskin Wong)
Pia Salk	....	production assistant
Frank Serrano	....	production assistant
Juliette Steyning-Brown	....	production office coordinator
Renata Stoia	....	script supervisor
Susan Towner	....	assistant production auditor
Jane Tsighis	....	production auditor
Barbara Zentar	....	assistant to producers
Doug Zimmerman	....	production assistant
George Coutoupis	....	photo double: Michael Douglas (uncredited)
Tim Tyler	....	location assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical) (as Paramount) (A Gulf+Western Company)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1990) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1988) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (1988) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-edited)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Home Video Hellas (HVH) (1989) (Greece) (VHS)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Paramount Home Video (1992) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Prem'er Video Fil'm
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)

Other Companies

• Record Plant Scoring  music recorded at
• TAJ Soundworks  foley
• Navarro-Bertoni Casting  extras casting: New York
• Cinema Research  titles and optical effects
• Reel People Inc.  negative cutting
• Dawn Animal Agency  provider: "Quincy"
• Westchest County Medical Center, The  the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation and assistance of
• Westchester County Film Commission, The  the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation and assistance of (as The Westchester County Office of Economic Development, Film Division)
• People of The Village of Mt. Kisco, N.Y., The  special thanks
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production (uncredited)
• GNP Crescendo Records  soundtrack (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | Dolby Digital (5.1 surround)

Certification:

Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Singapore:M18 | Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Italy:VM14 | Portugal:M/16 | Brazil:18 | UK:15 (theatrical re-release) (re-rating) (2013) | UK:15 (re-rating) (2013)

Filming Locations:

400 East 14th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

When Glenn Close's agent first called to express her interest in playing Alex Forrest, he was told, "Please don't make her come in. She's completely wrong for the part." Director Adrian Lyne also thought that Glenn Close was "the last person on Earth" who should play Alex.

Goofs:

Continuity: Dan listens to Alex's tape during the ride home and when he arrives there. In the later sequence when he's listening, these parts of her tape are almost at the same time. This is impossible due to Dan's location when he listened to both parts.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Beth Gallagher:[to Ellen] You better get going, kiddo. You're gonna be late.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 101 Biggest Celebrity Oops (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

SELECTIONS FROM PUCCINI'S MADAMA BUTTERFLY

Made me squirm

Although I found myself checking the elapsed time during this movie to get some idea of when it would end, the final scenes made me squirm with sympathetic fright for the characters.

Roger Ebert says the filmmakers ruined a perfectly good psychological thriller by attaching a "Friday the 13th" ending. The IMDb Trivia page says the movie originally had a different ending in which Glenn Close's character commits suicide and Michael Douglas' character is arrested for her murder. Ebert and most serious film lovers would likely have preferred that ending. But making profitable movies sometimes means making them unpalatable for highbrow students of film.

Nevertheless, the "flawed" film resonated with women. I have vague memories of female friends and acquaintances in the late '80s seeing "Fatal Attraction" as an example of what SHOULD happen to any man who cheats on his wife. The movie found a place in our culture for a while, and the title was a euphemism for similar happenings in real life.

One wonders how much this movie had to do with the near universal creation of "stalker laws" in the 1990s.