Few films on the American pop cultural landscape have
held our collective breath or exploded into the public's conscience so
dramatically. From 1960 to 1977, there were are a few that have: "Psycho",
"Guess Who's Coming To Dinner", "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Midnight Cowboy",
"Rosemary's Baby", "The Graduate", "Easy Rider", the first two "Godfather"
films, "Apocalypse Now", "The Exorcist", "Network", "Star Wars" and "Jaws".
Each of these films spawned a huge following or retained an undying interest
among audiences then and up to this day, hitting a raw nerve that exposing or
resonating deep within the American psyche. (American films in the 1980's
and 1990's such as "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", "Blue Velvet", "Do The Right
Thing" and "Pulp Fiction" have done the same.)
Twenty years ago "Fatal Attraction" fascinated, thrilled and
horrified audiences everywhere. Glenn Close electrified and
terrified as Alex Forrest, a book editor; Michael Douglas compelled and alienated as Dan
Gallagher, an attorney, and Anne Archer dazzled and enchanted as Beth Gallagher,
the good wife, in Adrian Lyne's
1987 film, which took the globe by storm, grossing $157 million in the United
States and Canada alone and making waves on box-office charts worldwide.
This September marks the 20th anniversary of the film that made married men think
twice about adultery, and women think about whether or not they felt as lonely
as Alex Forrest did. The film continues to have a lasting effect on audiences, and
the Special Collector's Edition DVD contains an alternate ending that was so gloomy and
unredeemed that test audiences in America rejected it vociferously, forcing a
change to a more conventional Hollywood resolution. The original ending
was shown in the Japan release of the film, and audiences there met it with a
mixed reaction leaning towards positive.
Paramount Pictures released the film, which has become a pop-cultural cult
phenomenon and spawned terms around the world such as "bunny-boiler".
Originally the film opened on September 18, 1987 in the United States and
received tepid reviews from much of the press, some reviews even negative.
The film was made for $14 million, which for its time was a reasonable amount of
money, if not a big-budget film. What shocked some was the quiet,
unassuming nature of suburbia which housed such terrifying repercussions of an
adulterous affair.
Some of the film's lines, "I'm not going to be ignored, Dan!" or "you're
here with a strange girl being a naughty boy," resonated. James Dearden
adapted the script for Mr. Lyne's film from his original screenplay "Affairs Of
The Heart". Originally that screenplay was from a short film which
Mr. Dearden, an England-born writer did for the British Broadcasting Corporation
called "Diversion", which ends with the wife character reaching to pick up the
phone that the Alex Forrest character has dialed into to speak to the wife's
spouse with whom she had an in flagrante delicto.
The film's powerful moments shake up and revolt the viewer into shock and
fright, as their previous sympathies for Alex turn to disgust and anger towards
her, as she becomes a disruptive force in Dan's life and the lives of his
family.
One of the film's hidden (or implied) messages is, "the family that kills
together, stays together," and this may not be so far-fetched. Other
not so hidden messages are that sex is dangerous and the minutiae of the law
(for an attorney nevermind a lay person) can be maddening.
"Fatal Attraction" also stars the late Fred Gywnne as an senior partner at a law
firm, comedian Stuart Pankin as a long time friend and associate of Dan's, and
Ellen Foley as the wife of Mr. Pankin's character.
There is no word yet on whether Paramount Pictures will re-release the film in
September to commemorate its 20-year-anniversary, or whether, if it is to be
released, it will be as a new digitally re-mastered print.
Anything is possible, but after the Special Collectors
Edition DVD of several years ago (2002) another release may be unlikely.
On the other hand, with newer DVD formats like HD-DVD and Blu-Ray the sky is
truly the limit.
Some women complained about what they saw as an unreal and sexist portrayal of
Alex Forrest as an unbalanced, psychotic career woman without nuance or
complexity. Some reviewers in the press felt that Glenn Close didn't
deserve to be Oscar-nominated for her role, and that the film should not have
received seven total Academy Award nominations, while other critics felt she
should have won the Oscar that year (Geraldine Page won for "Trip To
Bountiful.")
Although "Fatal Attraction" was a riveting cultural phenomenon, it compares
more than favorably with a forerunning film, the 1971 classic "Play Misty For Me",
a certain Clint Eastwood's directorial feature film debut. In some ways, "Misty"
was more frightening, with Jessica Walter scaring the living bejeesus out of
everyone in the theater as the woman who just wouldn't take no for an answer
from Eastwood's Dave character, a disk-jockey for a light-music radio station in
Carmel in Northern California.
So eerily unhinged as , Walter brought the scare factor to its knees with her
portrayal. The director's camera and cinematographic , with the light or lack thereof, played a
significant part in the way the role was acted by Ms. Walter.
"Fatal Attraction" does stand on its own for its brooding suspense and stunning
denouement, and the film still packs a heck of a punch, 20 years later.
Maurice Jarre's film score is perfect for the film. The pulsing intensity
of the score and particularly the music that plays over the end credits retains
a hold on the viewer. Everything in that final piece of music appears to
symbolize the tumultuous nature of the film's 119-minute adventure. And
for Dan, Alex and Beth, it is one hell of an adventure. An act of
opportunity
For those who still haven't seen the film after all these years: watch it when
your worst and most profound fears are realized. Alone at night. You
will be entertained, shocked (or at least in similar ways as the original did to
audiences.)
(Photo: Paramount Pictures)
Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com - Originally Published February 18, 2007
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