Since its release in 1987,Fatal Attractionhas retained a well-earned slot on film history’slengthy list of best psychological thrillers. FeaturingMichael Douglasand a star-making turn byGlenn Close,Adrian Lyne’s adaptation of the short filmDiversionwent on to becomethe year’s third-highest grossing filmand nabbed six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture.Fatal Attractionis also noteworthy for generating discussion regarding cinematic portrayals of gender dynamics and mental health, withdetractors voicing oppositionto the film’s sympathetic treatment of Douglas' character compared to its damning and simplistic framing of Close’s as “another female psycho.”
Despite allegations of double standards and shortcomings,Fatal Attractionstruck a chord with audiences, famously making a particular impression among promiscuous men who had engaged in unfaithful behavior or considered as much. Taking its one-night stand narrative setup to chilling lengths, the film caps off withan ending as iconic as it is shocking. But the finale that’s given us the creeps for decades isn’t what was originally intended.When test audiences negatively reacted to the film’s ending, Paramount Pictures insisted Adrian Lyne shoot a new endingthat would prove more satisfactory for viewers, much to the chagrin of the embattled director and star Glenn Close.
Fatal Attraction
A married man’s one-night stand comes back to haunt him when that lover begins to stalk him and his family.
How Did ‘Fatal Attraction’ Originally End?
According toVanity Fair,Fatal Attractionoriginally concluded with Alex framing Dan for her murder when, in fact, she took her own life and left behind evidence that ultimately cleared his name. Though this finale was far less sensational and cathartic for audiences compared to what would end up in the final cut,it creates a lingering, uneasy sense of anticlimactic ambiguity surrounding Dan and Alex’s tempestuous affairand their respective actions throughout the film. Rather than merely portraying Alex as a woman driven to homicidal intentions, the original ending characterizes her framing of Dan and subsequent suicide assuggestive of mental illnessand outright despair, shading the character as more tragic and three-dimensional.
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At the same time, Dan’s apprehension by the police in relation to Alex’s suicide forces him into a level of accountability that the revised ending doesn’t. While he’s obviously innocent of murder, having to confront his role, indirect as it may be, in Alex’s death via threats of potential legal consequences makes for a more open-ended conclusion in which he doesn’t escape external scrutiny for his actions. But suchan ending that doesn’t so clearly define the concepts of good, bad, and justicedidn’t sit well with audiences who caught an early glimpse atFatal Attraction, and their backlash prompteda swift course correction.
Test Audiences Wanted Alex Punished for Her Disturbing Behavior
For better or worse, test audiences can significantly impact a film. The unenviable process of anticipating viewers' often brutally honest opinions is a notorious one for filmmakers, and anything from structure to tone and pacing to endings is subject to change upon these early reactions. WhenFatal Attractionscreened for test audiences, its ending was met with intense disapproval by those who thought Alex didn’t get what they felt she deserved. “They want us to terminate the bitch with extreme prejudice,” executiveNed Tanencandidly said. While audiences were steadfast in their righteous indignation,director Adrian Lyne and Glenn Close didn’t hesitate to object when Tanen proposed a major narrative revision.
Adrian Lyne was “repulsed” by the idea of shooting a new ending that would see Alex shot and killed. Per Vanity Fair, however, he agreed to do so when he was offered a reported $1.5 million by Tanen. “I would later use that tactic constantly whenever I was at an impasse with a filmmaker,” admits one of the film’s producers,Sherry Lansing. Though Lyne was ultimately onboard, convincing Glenn Close proved more difficult. “She felt sympathy for Alex, a woman battling mental illness, and fiercely resisted clichés about another female psycho,” Lansing remembers. “And so she categorically refused to do the reshoot.”
Despite fighting tooth and nail againstthe revised ending, Close relented after tense discussions with co-star Michael Douglas and fellow actorWilliam Hurt. According to Sherry Lansing’s biography,Leading Lady, the actress remembers “screaming at Michael, ‘How would you feel if they did this to your character?'” Meanwhile, Hurt bluntly responded to Close’s opposition with, “You’ve made your point. Now it’s your responsibility to buck up and just do it.” For the actress, shootingFatal Attraction’s new ending came with its own challenges on top of her reluctance to do so, reportedly requiring her to film dozens of takes of being “drowned” and developing infections in her nose and eyes as a result. While her creative compromise and physical discomfort contributed to an iconic sequencethat continues to shock audiences,shifting attitudes towardFatal Attractionhave proven supportive of Glenn Close’s objection to the film’s portrayal of her character.
‘Fatal Attraction’s Portrayal of Glenn Close’s Character Generated Debate
Fatal Attractionisan undeniably well-crafted thrillerthat gets under the skin, and its ending serves as an effective finale to the relentless crescendo of tension preceding it, butthe film has nonetheless been the subject of debate over its portrayal of Glenn Close’s character and broader implications regarding mental illness. Among the extensive character research Close undertook before production included conversations with mental health professionals which, according to the actress, led to the development of a harrowing backstory that would inform Alex’s behavior and psychiatric history. “We decided that she had been incested at a very, very early age by her father, long enough to really damage her,“she toldPeople. “And many, many people who that has happened to, end up taking their own lives and never being able to achieve fulfilling relationships. That was the woman I was playing.”
While Glenn Close has continued defending her initial vision for the character, it’s not lost on her thatFatal Attraction’s revised endingwas rooted in its inherent nature as a thriller rather than a meditation on mental health. “The audience wanted to believe that that family might be able to survive, so they got their catharsis by shedding my blood,” she acknowledges. Research and the development of a mental health history for Alex were undoubtedly influential in how the actress played the character, but the intimate details of her psychiatric distress ultimately take a back seat, anddetractors of the film have argued the film’s treatment of her character’s psychological state and motivations relies on simplistic clichésrather than generating a more complex sense of empathy for a woman whose behavior becomes increasingly disturbing and harmful. Despite arguable blind spots and shortcomings, however,Fatal Attractionremains a highly influential and often-mimicked pressure cooker thanks in large part toGlenn Close’s committed performance.
Fatal Attractionis available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.
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