Fatal Attraction (1987)

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)

Stars:

Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, Anne Archer

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 16 nominations.

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	...	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

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?

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Plot Keywords:

family in danger | killing a rabbit | new york city | breaking and entering | borderline personality disorder | 

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Taglines:

A look that led to an evening. A mistake he'll regret...FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the American Film Institute's 2001 list of the top 100 Most Heart-Pounding American Movies.

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Goofs

When Dan insert the cassette from Alex in the car player, the FM station tuned is 97.1. When he gets home and remove the tape, the station is now 107.9

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Quotes

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

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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.

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Alternate Versions

When preview audiences hated this ending, a new one was shot (where Alex is killed by Dan's wife with a gun). The original ending still appears in the Japanese release and was added to the US video and laser editions.

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Connections

Referenced in The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs: Halloween Hootenanny: Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Meyers (2019)

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Soundtracks

WHEN I FALL IN LOVE
(1952)
Music by Victor Young
Lyrics by Edward Heyman
Performed by The Bill Evans Trio
Courtesy of Riverside Records

User Reviews

Glenn Close's main squeeze

An attorney for a publishing company finds out the hard way that a harmless fling with a woman can be the beginning of a nightmare, especially if the lady decides that she likes the man, married or not, and refuses to let him end their affair. This glossy thriller plumbs the psyche of a neurotic woman who has issues and demons in her past that drive her to get even with and destroy a stranger with whom she just met after a wild weekend's sexual binge while his wife and daughter were out of town. Glenn Close is chilling as the predatory female who stalks her erstwhile lover, harassing him at every turn, destroying his property and engaging in emotional blackmail of the basest kind. Michael Douglas, as the spurned woman's target and victim, is desperate to keep his indiscretion hidden from his attractive wife, the classy Anne Archer. The cinematography is rich with excellent color and texture, especially the twilight scenes, and the music is spare with subtle shadings. The entire cast is top-notch, especially Close who eyes Douglas the way a python looks at a mouse.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 September 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Affairs of the Heart

Filming Locations:

17 Little 12th. Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1