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 | |
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Tom Brennan | ... | Howard Rogerson |
Lois Smith | ... | Martha | |
Mike Nussbaum | ... | Bob Drimmer | |
J.J. Johnston | ... | O'Rourke | |
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Michael Arkin | ... | Lieutenant |
Sam Coppola | ... | Fuselli (as Sam J. Coppola) | |
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Eunice Prewitt | ... | Receptionist |
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>
You don't hear much about this film anymore, but in its day, this was the most-talked about movie of the year. It was a 'favorite topic of conversation about the office water cooler' for a number of weeks. At the time, it was a shocker. Nowaways.....who knows? As we become more and more desensitized to violence, sex and profanity, it takes a lot more to shock us.
Still, this movie had memorable moments that have stayed with us who first saw it at the theater 20 years ago. Most of those memorable scenes, if not all of them, involve Glenn Close's character, "Alex Forrest." Man, this is a woman who would not be denied what she wanted: in this case, married man Michael Douglas.
No sense going into all the details. Everyone knows them by now, anyway. Looking back, I think the film was a good lesson for men (or women) thinking about cheating on their spouses and assuming nothing bad will happen as a result. Men may commit more crimes, but that old adage about a "woman scorned" certainly is demonstrated here in spades! Douglas' character, "Dan Gallagher," certainly can attest to that, but he is anything but a sympathetic character. Both actors do a superb job in here, but kudos also to the rest of the Gallagher family, played by Anne Archer (wife "Beth") and Ellen Hamilton Latzen (daughter "Ellen.")
Also, the cinematography shouldn't be overlooked. The widescreen DVD certainly brought out how nicely this film was shot and directed. This two-hour film keeps your attention all the way. The only thing I would change is the language, toning it down a bit. Otherwise, it's a classic thriller and one of the most famous films in the '80s.