Fatal Attraction (1987)
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A publishing attorney's brief affair with a colleague spirals into a dangerous and obsessive nightmare.
The story
Dan Gallagher, a publishing attorney in Manhattan, engages in an affair with a colleague, Alex Forrest. When Dan decides to end the relationship, Alex becomes obsessed with him and begins a campaign of stalking that targets not only Dan but also his wife, Beth, and their daughter, Ellen. As the situation escalates from unwanted phone calls to physical intimidation, Dan's attempt to distance himself from Alex leads to a series of escalating confrontations that threaten the safety of his family.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Dan Gallagher, a Manhattan publishing attorney, has an affair with Alex Forrest while his wife and daughter are away. When he ends the affair, Alex becomes obsessed, claiming she is pregnant and stalking him. After the family moves to Bedford, Alex's harassment intensifies, including a threatening tape and a physical confrontation. When Dan's wife, Beth, learns of the affair, she demands he leave. The conflict peaks when Alex kidnaps their daughter, Ellen. After a series of dangerous encounters, including a confrontation at Alex's apartment and a final confrontation in a bathroom, Beth shoots and kills Alex to protect her family.
- First release year
- 1987
- Runtime (minutes)
- 119
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Adrian Lyne
- Writers
- James Dearden · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Michael Douglas · Dan Gallagher; Glenn Close · Alex Forrest; Anne Archer · Beth
- Genres
- psychological thriller; erotic thriller
- Themes
- obsession; stalking; infidelity; mental instability
- Tone and mood
- tense; suspenseful; dark
- Premise and plot tags
- erotic thriller; stalker; domestic drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1980 short film Diversion
- Reception
- The film received acclaim for its direction, editing, screenplay, and performances, and was considered a pop culture phenomenon that triggered the erotic thriller boom of the late 1980s.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 67 · scale: 100 · review count: 16
- Awards and nominations
- Best Editing · British Academy Film Awards · 42nd · win
- Production trivia
- The film was the second highest-grossing film of 1987 in the United States.; The term 'bunny boiler' originated from the scene where Alex boils a pet rabbit.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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