I don't get it, she doesn't exactly ooz sex appeal. There must've been dozens of other beautiful actresses who could've played this part. Why did they go with Glenn?
shareClose nails the part. She's a tiger in the movie. Awesome.
I will never forget you, rural juror.
She's not the most beautiful actress, but she is attractive enough for the part and played it exceptionally well.
shareI recall seeing an interview with Lyne in 1987 who discussed the casting of Anne Archer saying that they deliberately wanted the role to be played by a beautiful actress. If the wife had been less attractive than Alex it would have made audiences dismiss Dan's infidelity too easily and unfairly.
shareMy 10 cents worth. Beautiful women are supposed to be able to get any man they want. If one rejects them there are always plenty of other fish in the sea.
To make this work the nutter would have to be someone without a lot of options.
Love is never having to say you're sober.
What makes the movie more interesting (and weird too) is that she is not only hotter but also a very loving wife; I mean, she is not one of those man-hating-boot-wearing-feminist b*tches who keep their husband at arms' length, rarely have sex with him or even so much as give him a peck, using him only as a ATM or child-rearing machine. So yeah, I got to agree with OP on this: maybe things like this happen in the real world but still I am unable to connect to the story because for me he really has no motivation for the infidelity.
To make matters worse the stylists made Close even uglier than usual with that terrible hairdo. If I were Dan and she tried to come on to me I would surely run for the hills (now, if she were even as hot as the wife, things would have made sense; such as in Unfaithful).
stylists made Close even uglier than usual with that terrible hairdo.
It's a sexual attraction thing. She was sexually aggressive, and that's pretty much all he wanted from her. He wasn't looking for a beauty queen to settle down with and have children. He just wanted suitable fúck buddy. With that being said, Glenn Close isn't ugly to me by any means. I think she has a very interesting, striking, and almost androgynous look.
You know arrogance is the mask worn by insecurity,and insecurity is the mother of all problem
Clearly international audiences determined she was an excellent high powered, determined, Alex and Anne Archer made a fine opposite number.
shareSomething just occurred to me from reading your post. Perhaps less attractive partners are chosen, whether consciously or unconsciously, so that they don't wind up becoming too attracted or attached to them. After all, affairs are more about convenience and dropping at will than perhaps anything else. Good points you bring up.
shareI don't get it, she doesn't exactly ooz sex appeal.
_______________
Dan wasn't exactly a Greek Adonis himself. His wife was hot, he was average looking and as a 'gay' guy, I have never found Michael Douglas sexually appealing. Close also gave a terrific performance, for a role that other actresses had turned down. It is the whole that counts—not just one side of the coin—and not compartmentalizing things, from a limited, narrow perspective.
Who knows why people are attracted and lustful for some and not others. Sex appeal is innate, (Close oozed it here, hot or not) and it is something also mysterious between people. While I can't comment on what a 'straight' guy sees in women sexually, I have felt attracted towards all types of different looking men. Some extremely handsome, some average looking, some thin, some fat, some muttly looking, some cute looking, some older, some younger, the list goes on. Douglas having an affair, with an average looking woman, compared to his HOT wife, only adds to the tension in the film and can make his actions more questionable—as in why would he want to betray his beautiful wife and daughter.
But for a movie, casting is done more on the nose. Of course, this could happen in real life, but audiences are used to films being cast to type.
I see it a couple of ways
--Dan is so horny that he's not being that selective how pretty the stranger is
--Dan finds something sexy about Close that Beth does not have (big breasts,etc.)
Dan finds something sexy about Close that Beth does not have (big breasts,etc.)
---------------------
Ummmmm... Glenn Close is quite flat chested.
i like the fact that she's average looking or ''different''. i like how no one in this movie looks like a movie star, just regular people. i find it distracting if the cast looks like a bunch of models
i've got feelings too, ya know - inbetweeners
This movie is near perfect, and wish the original ending was used. Close and Douglas ooze undeniable chemistry, and are both enjoyable performers. Hmm, alot posters seem to overlook its power in the film and real-life interactions.
shareWhy ? That's easy to answer. She was in every way a perfect cast for this role!
shareClose was perfect. I read years ago where Meryl Streep acted from the neck up and Jessica Lange acted from the neck down. In this case, Glenn Close combined both, which is rare for any actor to do.
I also think Dan was insecure and feeling neglected by Beth. I'm not making excuses for him by any means. He should have been more assertive and stated his feelings more clearly to his wife about his sexual needs. For some reason, he passively slinked away, unfulfilled.
Deep down, he seemed like a deferential guy, like how he acted around his boss. He seemed needy and desperate to please, as if he didn't have confidence in his own abilities and had to have reassurance, the ole "pat on the back" to make him feel worthy in his role when he should've been able to find that within himself.
The scene is classic where Beth reads Ellen a fairy tale story and Dan stops working to listen to them from the other room. The camera lingers on him listening to Beth's and Ellen's interaction. The scene can be read many ways, two that I can think of. One is that Dan feels so much love for his wife and his child, he cannot believe what he has done to them and hates himself for it.
The other is a certain sad wistfulness. Beth used to coo to and cuddle with him and then inevitably great sex followed. He still needs that to some degree, though he'd probably die before admitting to it, and now Ellen fills that affectionate need in Beth. He's compensated by trying to be an overachieving lawyer at work.
Michael Douglas plays that scene beautifully because it is so heavily nuanced and intricate in its simplicity. You can read a hundred things into his thoughts and never have the answer.