The Oscar-nominated Fatal Attraction was recently released in April through the Paramount Presents line of remastered Blu-rays.
The film is recognized as one of the greatest thrillers in American cinematic history. At least, that’s how it was when AFI released their top 100 thrillers in June 2001. But does it hold up after over 30 years of release? This is a good question and one that isn’t so easy to answer. Fatal Attraction deals with a romantically-obsessed stalker, Alex Forrest (Glenn Close). Forrest has a weekend affair with Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas). Dan is married to Beth (Anne Archer) and the two have a daughter, Ellen.
What was initially a casual encounter soon becomes something more serious. Alex starts clinging herself to Dan. At one point when Dan attempts to leave, Alex ends up slicing her wrists. She takes things even further. This includes calling the Gallagher house frequently and telling Dan that she’s pregnant. She basically stalks him and kidnaps their daughter. There’s a mix of stalker behavior combined with that of a mental disorder.
When the film first came out in 1987, it was nominated for six Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Film Editing. For all these Oscar nominations, there is also something to say about the script itself. Not so much about the way things were presented in 1987 but the way we look at mental health isn’t the same. It’s substantially different and a film such as Fatal Attraction brings about a stigma when it comes to the discussion. Would Glenn Close play the role the same way if the film were to be made again? The best bet would be probably not. This is the way that Close spoke during an interview in 2013.
All the Paramount Presents Blu-rays contain a new bonus feature. The only new bonus feature includes a Filmmaker Focus with director Adrian Lyne. The film itself is remastered by a 4K film transfer supervised by Adrian Lyne.
Fatal Attraction may remain an influence on the genre but something could be said about the depiction of mental health in the film.
BONUS FEATURES
- Filmmaker Focus
- Commentary by director Adrian Lyne
- Rehearsal Footage
- Alternate Ending with introduction by director Adrian Lyne
DIRECTOR: Adrian Lyne
SCREENWRITER: James Dearden
CAST: Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, Anne Archer
