6.9/10
73,573
246 user 104 critic

Fatal Attraction (1987)

Trailer
1:34 | Trailer
A married man's one-night stand comes back to haunt him when that lover begins to stalk him and his family.

Director:

Adrian Lyne

Writers:

James Dearden (screenplay), James Dearden (short film)
Reviews
Popularity
1,755 ( 657)
Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 16 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Douglas ... Dan Gallagher
Glenn Close ... Alex Forrest
Anne Archer ... Beth Gallagher
Ellen Latzen ... Ellen Gallagher (as Ellen Hamilton Latzen)
Stuart Pankin ... Jimmy
Ellen Foley ... Hildy
Fred Gwynne ... Arthur
Meg Mundy ... Joan Rogerson
Tom Brennan Tom Brennan ... Howard Rogerson
Lois Smith ... Martha
Mike Nussbaum ... Bob Drimmer
J.J. Johnston ... O'Rourke
Michael Arkin Michael Arkin ... Lieutenant
Sam Coppola ... Fuselli (as Sam J. Coppola)
Eunice Prewitt Eunice Prewitt ... Receptionist
Learn more

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Storyline

Happily married New York lawyer Dan Gallagher has an affair with his colleague Alex, and the two enjoy a love weekend while Dan's wife and kid are away. But Alex will not let go of him, and she will stop at nothing to have him for herself. Just how far will she go to get what she wants? Written by Sami Al-Taher <staher2000@yahoo.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

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

Genres:

Drama | Thriller

Certificate:

PA | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Up to this point in her career, Glenn Close had played warm, fuzzy, earth-mother women - indeed, she was actually dismissed as a candidate for the role because of this - and been nominated for Oscars three times. This was a radical change - so radical, in fact, that she got stuck playing similar characters for a while. See more »

Goofs

Alex's last name is spelled Forrest, with two r's. However, the obituary for her father lists him as Stanley Forest with one r. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Beth Gallagher: [to Dan] You better get going kiddo, we're gonna be late.
See more »

Crazy Credits

Barbara Harris is sometimes credited under the name Barbara Iley. In the final credits here, under 'Party Guests,' she is credited under both names. See more »

Alternate Versions

AMC version uses alternate takes of the bedroom scene with Alex covered with a sheet over her chest before she kicks out Dan in order to avoid editing out nudity. These takes were originally rejected by Adrian Lyne because he did not think the performances were up to par. See more »

Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Worst First Date Movies (2015) See more »

Soundtracks

SABINO
Written by Ramon Rodriguez
Performed by Santiago Ceron
Courtesy of Sabroso Recording Company, Inc.
See more »

User Reviews

OK premise, but flawed
28 September 2004 | by rzajacSee all my reviews

This is supposed to be a classic, but I don't buy it. It's good in a lot of ways; good acting, good shooting/editing. But the script has weaknesses that sort of bring it down as a "great" film. I would have liked to see more psychological tension built up via better-developed confrontation between the leading characters which would have highlit Close's state of denial in a more believable and frightening way. You can't make up for a lack of well-scripted situational tension with clever acting, camera angles, and editing. Flaws in the script are the weak link that stops Fatal Attraction from being great...too bad!

However, I will laud all the acting. A lot of people on this board are pooh-poohing Close's efficacy as a believable target for a bout of hot sex.

I thought her character was very well done: Let's face it, Close *is* a genuine talent. I guess people will continue to watch this movie for the sex scenes, which *are* noteworthy for their playfulness. However, I have to warn you that if you take narrative integrity seriously, you'll be a little disappointed.

ADDENDUM: This flick is also referenced very interestingly in Bob Altman's "The Player". According to one studio exec character in "Player", the ending to Fatal Attraction was rewritten and reshot after the first cut was shown to a test audience. Now, I don't know if that's true or not, but it does make you wonder. Does the strange chaotic ending really reflect an attempt to stitch on a more popular ending without thought to overall purpose or narrative integrity? -raz


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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 September 1987 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Liaison fatale See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$14,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,602,740, 20 September 1987

Gross USA:

$156,645,693

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$320,145,693
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures See more »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »

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