Fatal Attraction is a gripping and intense psychological thriller movie in 1987. It was an adaptation by James Dearden and Nicholas Meyer of a 1980 made-for-television short film also written by Dearden for the British market.
The film is directed by Adrian Lynne and follows the obsession of editor Alexandra Forrest, played by Glenn Close, with the Manhattan attorney with whom she has had a very brief affair.
Fatal Attraction was both a commercial and critical success and was the highest grossing film of the year worldwide.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the film is that it was also shot with an alternative ending. In the original script Alex Forrezt commits suicide by slashing her throat with the knife Dan had left on the counter in an attempt to frame Dan for her murder. After seeing her husband led away by police, Dan's wife Beth discovers a revealing cassette tape that Alex had sent to Dan threatening to commit suicide. Beth takes the tape to the police who release Dan once they realize Alex's intentions. The alternative ending resulted in a three-week re-shoot and some dissension from Glenn Close who felt strongly that her character would have emotionally combusted and taken her own life but eventually Close acquiesced and the film was released with the re-shot ending.
Fatal Attraction engendered much debate of the potential consequences of cheating and it also offended women a great deal as it was the unmarried female character who was wholly negative whilst Dan's participation in the affair was minimized by portraying him as much of a victim as his wife.
