Fatal Attraction (1987)

Who's seen this movie? What did you think of it?


I saw this and Kramer vs. Kramer both in the same night, and I came to 2 conclusions: 1, blondes really have a thing for being the villain, and 2. even for there being about 10 years' difference, Glenn Close, and that brunette woman Kramer sleeps with, both have the exact same kind of tan lines on their asses. They didn't improve bikinis any in all that time?

Anyway...it was okay, but I don't get why it's so popular, except that I guess this was the first mainstream movie that had a cheating husband have karma come back to bite him and his whole family in the ass. But what I can't figure out is why did he sleep with her in the first place? I mean he's got a good marriage, a gorgeous wife, she looks a HELL of a lot more attractive than Glenn Close, other than the fact that she was available (but I doubt this was Dan's first night without his wife around), I don't get what he saw in her because it would seem he managed to be faithful up to that point.

When this movie came out men were horrified! Im serious, this movie was a record breaker in the number of weeks it stayed on top. I think it was so popular because it showed the possible consequences of the taboo. U want her, u cant have her.... but then you take her and use her thinking its over and the bitch just wont go away!

The rabbit cooking was one scene that people talked about for a very very long time! Cheating husbands everywhere were bring home flowers and looking over their shoulders at the same time!

There ought to be more films that can get that kind of response out of men.

The part I did not get was Dan finds out Alex is pregnant, and he offers to pay for the abortion. WHY does he think she's going to get one? Why would she? That's something more to hold over him and he should've learned early on that she's not going to do ANYTHING to make his life any easier.

That is the first thing that men who have no emotional attachment say to a woman when he impregnates her--- right after "are u sure its mine". Its easy for a man to say "get rid of it". I think the whole idea of him wanting the abortion and her wanting to keep it highlighted the 80s where women started to realize that they could work and be a parent at the same time... women were more independent and fighting to get higher paid for equal work, and artificial insemination was becoming more prominent. Also Roe v Wade was about 15yrs old, but abortion still was a plot for many movies including Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Last American Virgin. True these included irresponsible teens, but FA included irresponsible adults. The whole scenario also demonstrated the lack of communication between them--- "you werent on the pill?" That is something you should find out BEFORE you hop in bed with someone.

wants2laugh wrote:That is the first thing that men who have no emotional attachment say to a woman when he impregnates her--- right after "are u sure its mine". Its easy for a man to say "get rid of it". I think the whole idea of him wanting the abortion and her wanting to keep it highlighted the 80s where women started to realize that they could work and be a parent at the same time... women were more independent and fighting to get higher paid for equal work, and artificial insemination was becoming more prominent. Also Roe v Wade was about 15yrs old, but abortion still was a plot for many movies including Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Last American Virgin. True these included irresponsible teens, but FA included irresponsible adults. The whole scenario also demonstrated the lack of communication between them--- "you werent on the pill?" That is something you should find out BEFORE you hop in bed with someone.

Among other things. But I guess actually being intelligent and asking vital questions like that ruins the mood or some crap like that.

yeah... keep in mind that this was made in the late 80s--- AIDS was running out of control and scaring the crap out of everyone. The 60s/70s promoted free love/sex, but the 80s sex could kill you. So maybe that is another reason this was popular. People were becoming more restrained and not having illicit sex, then they see michael douglas screwing a woman without fear--- then found out that there was something to REALLY fear. Maybe it was a metaphor for AIDS in that respect. Have unprotected sex, you could die.

wants2laugh wrote:yeah... keep in mind that this was made in the late 80s--- AIDS was running out of control and scaring the crap out of everyone. The 60s/70s promoted free love/sex, but the 80s sex could kill you. So maybe that is another reason this was popular. People were becoming more restrained and not having illicit sex, then they see michael douglas screwing a woman without fear--- then found out that there was something to REALLY fear. Maybe it was a metaphor for AIDS in that respect. Have unprotected sex, you could die.

And the whole family could die, pass it to your wife, she passes it on to the child, etc. Interesting idea, I never thought of it like that.

Supernova wrote:Anyway...it was okay, but I don't get why it's so popular, except that I guess this was the first mainstream movie that had a cheating husband have karma come back to bite him and his whole family in the ass. But what I can't figure out is why did he sleep with her in the first place? I mean he's got a good marriage, a gorgeous wife, she looks a HELL of a lot more attractive than Glenn Close.

Who played his wife? I can't remember.

Anne Archer. I know, you can tell whose careers WERE boosted by the movie; I just got done skimming through the list of everything she's been in, there is literally nothing past or before FA that I've seen her in.

Supernova wrote:Anne Archer. I know, you can tell whose careers WERE boosted by the movie; I just got done skimming through the list of everything she's been in, there is literally nothing past or before FA that I've seen her in.

Just because YOU literally haven't seen anything she's been in since 1987 doesn't mean jack. According to IMDb she's had 47 roles since Fatal Attraction and star Glenn Close has had 52 and I've seen more of A.A.'s work than G.C.

I've never seen this one.

I've only seen bits and pieces of this one. Gotta go back and watch the whole thing on Netflix.

Somebody said that in the 80s when it came out there was little sympathy for Alex's character, but more for Dan and his family, whereas today there might be more people sympathetic to Alex, I doubt it. I have no sympathy for either, it's the wife and daughter I'd feel bad for, to say nothing of the poor rabbit. People have questioned if her killing the rabbit was symbolic to the rabbit test to tell him she was pregnant; it's funny because I never thought there was any question about it, I figured that's EXACTLY why she did it.

Good movie. Glenn Close's finest hour, IMO. Loved the climax.

I saw it in theater and it was disturbing. Stalking was just coming into the national consciousness. Also, this movie was one of those that used the cheap fright ploy of the dead villain just wouldn't stay dead.

Yeah....but it was just so more much satisfying for Dan's wife to shoot her.

I didn't go back and read this whole thing, but did we mention that it had an alternate ending?