If you've ever thought about cheating on your spouse, you should take a deep breath, sit back and watch Paramount Pictures 1987 film, Fatal Attraction. Directed by Adrian Lyne (Flashdance), the suspenseful, violent thriller gave anyone who was in a relationship pause and made them think. Watching what Alex Forrest (Glenn Close; Air Force One) put Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas; Wall Street) and his family through would give anyone reason to not have an affair. With superb acting and memorable moments (boiled rabbit anyone?), Fatal Attraction became an instant classic and a box office sensation grossing over $300 million worldwide on a $14 million dollar budget. It's no wonder Paramount pictures chose it for inclusion in their new series, Paramount Presents.
Dan is a successful New York Lawyer with a wife named Beth (Anne Archer; Patriot Games) and a daughter, Ellen (Ellen Latzen; National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation). His life seems Idyllic until he meets a new work associate named Alex Forrest, who turns his world upside down. While his wife and daughter are out of town, Dan has an affair with Alex, both of them agreeing that it was a one-time deal. However, a second unplanned evening between the two turns ugly when Alex tries to slit her wrists.
Realizing his mistake, Dan cuts off communication with Alex who becomes more and more persistent in her demands of Dan, at one point even claiming she was pregnant with his child. She then begins stalking his family, even after he moves them out of the City. Though Dan tells Beth about the affair and Beth threatens Alex, she refuses to be deterred. One day, Alex picks Ellen up from school one day and takes her to an amusement park. Dan who has had enough goes to Alex's apartment, gets into a knife fight with her and goes to the police for a restraining order against Alex. In one final, desperate attempt, Alex shows up at their house with a knife and attacks Beth.
There are so many reasons Fatal Attraction is such a great film but first and foremost is the cast. Close does a magnificent job of playing the obsessed stalker who will not be ignored while Archer perfectly portrays the dutiful yet wounded wife. Douglas has that leading man quality about him that makes the audience feel bad for him even though he cheated on his wife. Lyne also does a wonderful job with both his actors and his visuals to create some truly terrifying scenes.
The remastered Blu-ray has great clarity, deep tones, and colors, and sharp details. The 1080p resolution shows very little graininess or artifacting. The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio is equally as clean with the subtle score hiding just behind the dialogue in most scenes. The Blu-ray houses the extras including previously released commentary by Lyne, rehearsal footage, and an alternate ending. There is also a new extra called Filmmaker Focus in which Lyne discusses Fatal attraction and the process of making the movie. It was interesting to get some insight from Lyne as he revisits the film so many years later.
One of the great things about Fatal Attraction is, with some wardrobe and setting updates, the story stands up over time. It offers viewers real, raw emotions with some thrilling, heart-pounding moments. The cast is wonderful and, for Close, it was rather a breakthrough moment showcasing a different side of her acting abilities.
Paramount Presents is a smart idea as it reminds us of some fantastic films or introduces them to younger audiences. If I have one suggestion for Paramount it would be to pick three or four films from their vault and let the audience chose which one they would want to become part of this fabulous series.
Grade: B+
