Fatal Attraction : Why did Alex pick DAN to obsess on?

Why did Alex pick DAN to obsess on?

I don't see why she became obsessed with him. Living in a big city with tons and tons of good-looking men to pick from, I just don't see why she latched onto him in particular. He was attractive, but so are other men too. And after he said a couple of things to her that were nasty and insensitive, you'd think she'd want to just move on. I know she was insane, but still. Was she drawn to men who treated her badly? Was she angry at men she saw as "spoiled rotten" and it made her mad thinking he had an easy life and she thought he was over-privileged, and therefore wanted to make his life hard?



Re: Why did Alex pick DAN to obsess on?

It could be something subconsious like the way Dan looked or his personality reminded Alex of someone she was close to at some point. Or, if she's being more calculated from the start, she knew he was vulnerable because he was married with a kid, and had a good job and money. He had a great deal to lose by getting caught.

She may have had serious rejection issues in regard to men walking out of her life. That appeared to have triggered a change in her personality and behavior that first weekend.

I don't think I understand what Alex was expecting of Dan. Did she expect him to just up and leave his wife, and move in with her because they had a fling? Or did she somehow think his wife would tolerate him having another woman on the side?

I guess as a crazy character she's driven by her emotions, not rational thought.

Re: Why did Alex pick DAN to obsess on?

I think in this case it was just pure lust initially. She said just the day after meeting him at the book signing party "we were attracted to each other at the party, that was obvious". Over dinner that late afternoon (following the meeting), they established a rapport and flirted a lot. She laughed at his lawyer stories and I think the fact he was married made her feel empowered in that she had the power to bewitch him and tempt him away with ease.

That power diminished when he returned to his apartment in the early hours - so she enticed him away a second time. She clearly thought herself in love with Dan and so packed a lot into the Sunday in a bid to show him what he could have with her. However, again he went to leave after they "made love" and that displeased her and made her feel used (however unjustified given how she demanded discretion prior to their initial sexual encounter).

"These days you have to boil someone before you can sleep with them"

Re: Why did Alex pick DAN to obsess on?

I think in this case it was just pure lust initially……. I think the fact he was married made her feel empowered in that she had the power to bewitch him and tempt him away with ease….She clearly thought herself in love with Dan….

I'd say Alex was insecure in the way she looked and had to work hard to get herself to be attractive to men. She wasn't exactly a generic beauty, or a prize like Beth, Dan's wife.

She was obsessed with Dan and wanted what he had and above all else, I just think she wanted to be loved, but had a distorted notion of love. She thought Dan could love her how she wanted a man to love her.

It was Dan's indiscretion, and largely fueled by unbridled lust spurned on by a taste of freedom away from his family that triggered Alex when he rejected her after the weekend of fun.

What a price he had to pay.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: Why did Alex pick DAN to obsess on?

"I just think she wanted to be loved, but had a distorted notion of love. She thought Dan could love her how she wanted a man to love her."

———————————–


Agreed!

That is very well said.

I definitely think that that was also a factor in why she was obsessed with him.

Re: Why did Alex pick DAN to obsess on?

I always thought that Michael Douglas was a good-looking guy and even hot in a sleazy sort of way.

Also, irl Michael has dealt with sex addiction and I think that you can see this quality in him. So he was well cast as the adulterer.

"My life is over. I might as well dance with Johnny Slash!"

Re: Why did Alex pick DAN to obsess on?

1987 was a great year for Douglas, winning an Oscar the same year for his iconic role as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street. Now, if only Close could have nabbed best actress away from Cher, this would have been more fitting and that they both starred together in Attraction.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: Why did Alex pick DAN to obsess on?

Yes. Close really should have won in 1987.

Cher's best performance, imo, was in "Mask". And Geraldine Page, who often gave excellent performances, did not give the best (or at least my favorite) performance that year.

Though it was all worth it, though, as Page was so humble and unassuming that she obviously did not believe that she was going to win the Oscar or else she would not likely have taken off her shoes! Priceless!

"My life is over. I might as well dance with Johnny Slash!"

Re: Why did Alex pick DAN to obsess on?

1985 was a strong year for leading ladies, both nominated and unnominated. I wanted Goldberg to win at the time. I saw Page's film after the fact of her winning. I hadn't seen her in a movie before that I could recall. Her film wasn't that cinematic, but Page I thought was wonderful.

Cher was excellent in Mask, but I like her better in Silkwood.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: Why did Alex pick DAN to obsess on?

I do love Geraldine Page. Maybe I should watch "The Trip to Bountiful" again. It's been over 20 years since I saw it and I only saw it once.

"My life is over. I might as well dance with Johnny Slash!"

Re: Why did Alex pick DAN to obsess on?

I think in this case it was just pure lust initially. She said just the day after meeting him at the book signing party "we were attracted to each other at the party, that was obvious". Over dinner that late afternoon (following the meeting), they established a rapport and flirted a lot. She laughed at his lawyer stories and I think the fact he was married made her feel empowered in that she had the power to bewitch him and tempt him away with ease.

That power diminished when he returned to his apartment in the early hours - so she enticed him away a second time. She clearly thought herself in love with Dan and so packed a lot into the Sunday in a bid to show him what he could have with her. However, again he went to leave after they "made love" and that displeased her and made her feel used (however unjustified given how she demanded discretion prior to their initial sexual encounter).


I think I agree with you.


It was the sex! You saw how they got it on! That's why Alex latched on to him. She also seemed unlucky in love and lonely when Dan met her.
But that sex was hot! Who knows how many times Dan fucked Alex like that.

I think Alex assumed Dan loved her more than he loved his wife. Perhaps it broke Alex's heart when she saw that Dan wasn't strong enough to leave his wife.

Post deleted

This message has been deleted.

Re: Why did Alex pick DAN to obsess on?

She was pregnant with his child which I think did play a factor in why she was so obsessed with him.

Re: Why did Alex pick DAN to obsess on?

I wonder if she really was

She was obviously losing her mind and wanted to be with him at any cost. I would be hard pressed to believe anything she said

If we take the time to see with the heart and not with the mind, we shall see that we are surrounded completely by angels ~ Carlos Santana

Re: Why did Alex pick DAN to obsess on?

Didn't Dan say (when he told his friend about what he did) that he talked on the phone to Alex's Doctor about the Pregnancy ?

Re: Why did Alex pick DAN to obsess on?

He did? Okay. Guess Dan should have kept it in his pants

If we take the time to see with the heart and not with the mind, we shall see that we are surrounded completely by angels ~ Carlos Santana

Re: Why did Alex pick DAN to obsess on?

I wondered that, too. And I don't believe that there was a scene where Dan calls Alex's doctor and asks him if she's really pregnant!?!?! What doctor would do that???

"My life is over. I might as well dance with Johnny Slash!"

Re: Why did Alex pick DAN to obsess on?

You're right, they wouldn't because of confidentiality

If we take the time to see with the heart and not with the mind, we shall see that we are surrounded completely by angels ~ Carlos Santana

Re: Why did Alex pick DAN to obsess on?

"hard"

*Snicker*

"Please vote to preserve the unique character of Warren…" - Robert Duvall
Top