MovieChat Forums > Fatal Attraction (1987) Discussion > Who else actually felt sorry for Alex?

Who else actually felt sorry for Alex?

posted 12 years ago by saint_sophie
82 replies | jump to latest

I watched the film again last night and I have to say I really did feel sorry for Alex in some respects. She did some evil things, obviously, but she was a truly disturbed mentally ill wreck who really, really needed psychiatric care and help.

I'm quite astonished that more people aren't at all sympathetic towards Alex and their sympathies are with Beth instead when Alex is probably suffering internally more than anyone else in the entire movie. It makes me realise how much mental illness really is still stigmatised.

If Dan was any decent guy at all, he would have made sure that Alex received the help she needed, which would have helped everyone else in the long run, especially after she cut her wrists which was the telltale sign, even if she hadn't intended to commit suicide, that she was seriously mentally ill. All he cared about was saving his own neck and his own marriage which HE violated by agreeing to the, what he believed, mutual one-night stand with Alex. It was all his fault, AND he went back a second time.

Does anyone else feel any sympathy for Alex at all, even a little bit?

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] zigomanis18 12 years ago

I have to laugh when everyone attempts to place Dan as the bad guy here and have "feelings" for poor Alex. Poor Alex my ass. Let's examine this further.

First of all, I in NO WAY condone what Dan did. he cheated , and paid the price. With that said, His actions were TOTALLY brought one by Alex. Dan never sought out the short fling. it was TOTALLY agressed by Alex. Yes, Dan was initially attracted to Alex, but never attempted to seduce her. it was Alex who saw him in the rain and invited him to the restaurant and seduced him. Then, she totally lied to him and led him to believe that they were mutually involved in this short affair. Dan even tells her at one point that "I never lied to you. You knew I was married". Dan never led on that he had any intentions of leaving his wife. Dan treated Alex lied a cheap slut..which is basically what Alex asked for from the start. She put herself out there knowing full well he was hitched and acted like a whore. What pity is there for her to have?

After that, Dan is actually very nice to Alex. He doesn't treat her with disrespect, he simply tries to tell her that it's time to move on...as he thought they both mutually agreed upon. He does NOT owe her anything at all. If she feels jilted, tough..that's the price you pay for trying to be a home wrecker, and putting yourself out there like a cheap slut.

THEN, after that she commits at LEAST 2-3 felonies that nowadays she would be in jail for. She stalks him for one, if proven is a felony. Two, she breaks in and enters their home killing their rabbit. the killing of the pet is probably not a felony, but breaking into someone's home is. THEN, most of all, she KIDNAPS a young boy! Granted, it seems she did not mean harm to him, but that's beside the point. And knowing her craziness, who's to say that down the line she would NOT harm him?

Sorry, I feel zero pity for her. It would be ONE thing if Dan lied to her from the start and told her he was planning on divorcing his wife. But, he NEVER said anything like that. She knew the deal, she lied to him in terms of her plans and she got what she deserved.

[–] lornamd-1 12 years ago

The sympathy for Alex is because she is mentally ill

[–] zigomanis18 12 years ago

And where did it say this in the movie?

Glenn Close came out afterwards and stated that this was supposedly a mentally Ill person. But NEVER in the flick was that established. that's an assumption everyone wants to make to "feel bad for her".

I'll tell you what. mentally ill or not, Someone abducts my kid regardless of their reasoning and she would not have had to worry about the cops. I would have killed her myself! Let someone abduct your child if you have one and see what your reaction would be like. See if you would find it in your heart to feel "Bad" . I bet the courts would not feel "Bad".

The bottom line is she was a stalker. and she knew right from wrong. She did not care about anyone but herself. there are MANY people like this, and they are not all "Sick". everything is an excuse nowadays.

I know a guy who has acted like this. he claims to be "ill" but I know he is just a selfish man and I personally have no pity on him.

Finally, it's funny, when a women does crap like this we are all supposed to feel bad. but when a guy does it, he gets the book thrown at him from the start. double standard. All through this flick, she lies, is deceitful, damages his car, plays mind games with him.

And besides, even if she was "Ill" how is that Dan's fault? How was he supposed to know that? She did one hell of alot more lying than he did. Dan actually never lied about anything, except for the fact that his affair was a lie to his wife of course. But she lied all throughout the movie.

[–] lornamd-1 12 years ago

Some things are directly stated in films and some are implied. Its not stated as a fact that the character in Scarface has incestuous feelings for his sister but its obvious that he does and that is what we are being led to believe. The character Alex is diplays the behaviours of borderline personality disorder and I think its obvious she is not a mentally well woman.

I don't know enough about her condition to say if she knew right from wrong and I doubt you do either. I would let a psychiatrist or someone similarly qualified make that decision. If she truly didn't then pointing out how unreasonble and terrible her actions were doesn't prove anything and she wouldn't have been able to see that. If she did then she deserved a life sentence.

How would I feel if it was my child? I can't know until I've been in that position. Some people have felt sympathy and forgiveness for similar things. If it was my child then I wouldn't be objective which the law should be.

Not everything is an excuse. Some people are just selfish and have no morals and thats why they do terrible things. Most mentally ill people are no danger to anyone but themselves anyway however there are ocassional exceptions to that.

Sympathy for her is nothing to do with a double standard based on gender. Norman Bates in Psycho and Albert de Salvo in The Boston Strangler are both depicted sympathetically and get sympathy from viewers despite murdering people because of their mentally illnesses.

[–] manofsteel4455 12 years ago

You're insane.How can you not know how you'd feel if that was your child?Like any parent you'd go crazy.

You want to play the game, you'd better know the rules, love.
-Harry Callahan

[–] lornamd-1 12 years ago

In my life I've found that situations I've been in I respond differently than I would have thought. Of course I would be very upset but I still might have some sympathy if the person was legimately ill or I might not cause I'd be upset. I haven't been in that position so don't know.

[–] manofsteel4455 12 years ago

I don't understand how you wimpy liberals can be so pacifistic about everything.

You want to play the game, you'd better know the rules, love.
-Harry Callahan

[–] lornamd-1 12 years ago

First of all Ad Hominem adds nothing to a conversation. Secondly you don't have to be liberal to think that if someone is mentally ill to the degree they don't understand what they're doing is wrong they should be treated differently than cases in which a person knowingly commits a crime.

[–] AceRoccola 12 years ago

Why do you self-righteous, ignorant conservatives insist on bringing tired politics and empty attacks to unrelated discussions?

Wait, was it wrong of me to immediately assume that of you and begin slinging insults for no reason? My bad.

[–] TerpStudent 11 years ago

I'm a conservative and a registered Republican but I feel sorry for Alex and I agree with lornamd-1 on everything he/she has said. You've embarrassed me and yourself by jumping to such a hot-headed conclusion. Nothing in this discussion or in the film is political and the only thing you've accomplished by assuming that someone who feels sorry for Alex is a "wimpy liberal" is making an ass of yourself.

Ignore the trolls! Any failure to do so will only grant them the satisfaction they seek!

[–] cjchamp2001 9 years ago

They do it because they are not smart enough to keep up in a debate. They get in a stalemate and instead of using reason and being clever they get emotional and lash out. Then they disappear.

[–] teddycrawley 11 years ago

It is people like you that give the conservative party a bad name. Always pigeon holing people that disagree with you about ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING as liberals. I am a conservative and completely disagree with your disconnect from your fellow human beings.

The saddest part is most conservatives in America have been manipulated to vote along those lines due to the party's constant waving of their Christian flags, not what they believe politically - when these politician act the furthest from Biblical principles. They don't support social programs, they don't believe the poor deserve healthcare because they can't afford it, don't believe homosexuals deserve the same tax breaks as heterosexuals (and this is even without calling it marriage. Many conservatives are against "civil unions" for homosexuals, as well) and so on and so forth. They are discriminatory and disgusting. I am a fiscal conservative, but I also believe in caring for our fellow Americans who are down because that is along the lines of my actual values (not the Bible mind you, as I am not a Christian) which would appear (outside of politics) to align with Biblical principles.

Didn't Jesus teach us to judge not lest ye be judged?

Didn't Jesus teach us to feed the poor, shelter the homeless and HEAL THE SICK?

If Jesus were alive and in America, he'd be liberal. He would support social programs over greed (as that is why Sodom was destroyed. In hospitality and greed).

If you are one of those Conservatives that call themselves a Christian, you should be utterly ASHAMED of yourself for spitting in Jesus' face.

If you aren't, then you just suck because you have no empathy or sympathy for anyone. And that's fine, it's your right not to, but believe me, Karma will come to collect.

[–] Sugarminx 11 years ago

"You're insane.How can you not know how you'd feel if that was your child?Like any parent you'd go crazy."

Oh lovely. Insults. And what arrogance to assume YOU'D know how someone else would/should react in a particular situation.

What lornamd-1 wrote was utterly reasonable and rational.

Tap Tommy

[–] anne2719 11 years ago

Hmmm, Zig-o-meister, this kind of reminds me of the "she deserved it because of the way she dressed/acted/went somewhere by herself/whatever" defense in a rape trial. The poor rapist, at the mercy of a 14-year-old girl who, according to the judge in Montana, "seemed older than her chronological age" and "had as much control over the situation as he did."

So poor, poor Dan Gallagher, seduced by that horrible Alex. How could he help himself? Totally not his fault, any of it. Yeah, right.

Damn straight I feel sorry for her. So it wasn't mentioned in the movie that she was mentally ill. Anyone who sees the movie can see that she is not normal.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] piggoli-imdb 11 years ago

>>Finally, it's funny, when a women does crap like this we are all supposed to feel bad. but when a guy does it, he gets the book thrown at him from the start. double standard. All through this flick, she lies, is deceitful, damages his car, plays mind games with him.

Feminists do feel that way. A woman deserves much BETTER than a man simply due to her gender.

[–] piggoli-imdb 11 years ago

>>The sympathy for Alex is because she is mentally ill

Your sympathy is clearly there because Alex is a woman like you. If I did half the things Alex did (such as kidnapping your kid) and my shrink told you that I am mentally ill I bet you would still sue the hell outta me simply because I am a GUY.

I bet you certainly don't have any sympathize with Buffalo Bill, do you?

[–] lornamd-1 11 years ago

Buffalo Bill from what I remember wasn't mentally ill therefore he doesn't have my sympathy just like Annie Wilkes doesn't have my sympathy. Norman Bates was mentally ill and I sympathize with him just like I sympathize with Alex. It's nothing to do with gender.

[–] mitzibishi (1843) 4 years ago

There's a difference, Norman Bates was aware of right and wrong. He wasn't committing the crimes in his mind so was doing no wrong, apart from covering up for his mother who had a strong hold on him, he loved her and didn't think would survive in prison.

The other characters were aware of right and wrong and still committed the crimes.

[–] MaeLeeMae 12 years ago

Alex did see Dan in the rain following the meeting. But when they were unable to get a cab, he asks HER if she wants to get drinks until the rain subsides. Also, if the killing of the rabbit is not a felony, it bought to be. Lastly, Dan and Beth'a child is a girl, not a boy. Her name is Ellen.

[–] zigomanis18 12 years ago

Well thanks for the clarification on the gender. yes you are correct. don't think killing of any animal is a felony yet in this country. but the motive to break in to a person's house is the point.

As for Dan asking her for drinks? yes, but She was still the one that totally initiated the sexual based conversation. not him . I doubt he was going to ask her to his place. She is the one that made the comments that led to the actions. Dan even said that he hardly thinks having drinks was out of line. And he was right to that point. The whole restaurant thing if it had stayed there was not wrong or improper. it was only due to the rain and innocent if left there. Afterwards? Well, that's another story. Alex TOTALLY asked for that.

[–] MaeLeeMae 12 years ago

It's well documented that people who maim, abuse, torture & kill defenseless animals are much more likely to kill people, especially if they begin that behavior in childhood. A very good reason to have stiffer laws in place besides the fact that it is horrendously wrong. Yes, Dan's invitation for drinks would never have happened had they been able to get a cab during that rain storm and it seemed perfectly innocent. She definitely was the aggressor. You could see it when she first met him at the party. She came on strong and unfortunately he didn't have the strength to walk away.

[–] BoSoxRule 12 years ago

"THEN, most of all, she KIDNAPS a young boy!"

That wasn't a boy.

I'm happiest...in the saddle.

[–] slesleylawson 10 years ago

Dan invited her to the restaurant. He said let's go there until the rain stops.

[–] zigomanis18 12 years ago

The "help" she needed? you are kidding me of course right?

She abducted his child. Pity? Nope!

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] DrinkFromTheSameFountain 12 years ago

I don't think Dan was really a bad guy (just horny and weak, poor judgment), but, yes, I definitely felt sorry for Alex. Just like the 'Evelyn' character in "Play Misty for Me", it is obvious that some people never got the thing they needed to be emotionally self-sufficient, at least to the extent that they don't go pscyho on others. I didn't like it when Alex kidnapped the little boy or when she boiled the bunny.

But the scene where she's sitting home alone, listening to Madame Butterfly, flicking the light switch on and off, looking so lost.... yeah, I felt tremendous sadness for her character. She is lost, and even at this stage in the movie, it looks pretty dismal for her.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jahangirhussain74 12 years ago

I did feel bad for Alex. She was mentally unstable that was obvious but she actually craved for love and a happy family. Dan's plight as a man wronged by a woman who wanted more than just a one-night stand from him wasn't justified either. When Alex understood that she cannot have Dan, she went to his house and she was shown to be hurting herself with a knife. If she was a plain antagonist, then she would've tried to kill Dan's wife right away. She was actually socially withdrawn and no one seems to like her. So there was enough justification for her plight in the movie.

[–] leobourne 12 years ago

I felt sorry that no one could love her enough to get her medical help. By the first morning - Sunday, she was getting angry already that he had left. Guys she slit her wrists on the second day for a man she had just met...How can anyone miss the fact that she was violent and mentally unstable? Dan's only word should have been taking her to a psychiatrist. He didn't owe it to her because she was equally involved.

[–] fiatlux-1 12 years ago

Guys she slit her wrists on the second day for a man she had just met...How can anyone miss the fact that she was violent and mentally unstable? Dan's only word should have been taking her to a psychiatrist. He didn't owe it to her because she was equally involved.

Exactly. Dan didn't owe her anything, but if he wanted to help (which he did at first) he should have called an ambulance! If I saw someone cut their wrists right in front of me, I would have called 911 right away.
The woman needed psychiatric help big time.
Dan also made the huge tactical error of telling Alex he'd call her. He was trying to be nice, but I think he might have had an 'out' there if he's said No.
He wasn't very bright, but then he cheated on his beautiful loving KIND trusting wife too with no regret whatsoever, so there we go.

Alex lost any slight sympathy I might have had when she started to stalk Dan.
Then she enraged me when she killed that sweet, innocent bunny! Then kidnapped an equally innocent child?! If I was Dan's wife, I would have broken Alex's face!

"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."

[–] AceRoccola 12 years ago

Should we also feel for serial killers in horror movies, rather than identifying with and rooting for the protagonists? After all, it's usually the poor decision making of the lead character(s) that leads them into the killer's clutches. That isn't much different from this scenario.

Psychopathy is still a mental illness, even when the subject isn't Glenn Close. You don't exactly become a serial murderer if you're astoundingly sane. And yet, where is all of our sympathy for Freddy Krueger? The wise-cracking child molester/murderer. Clearly, there is no circumstance under which a sane man would do those things to children. So let's bust out the sympathy parade!

Should we also feel compassion for the real life murderers, rapists, child abductors, etc. all around the world? I mean, it must be soooo hard for them to deal with their urge to murder people, and ruin countless lives with their actions. Right? It's probably a huge bummer for them. There are plenty of psychopaths in prison right now. If you feel so strongly about mental illness, why don't you start a letter writing campaign to make sure the justice system knows how much you want these psychopaths back on the street. No? But they are victims of their own disease! Surely, because of this, we should never hold them accountable for their crimes. Or do you only agree with shifting the blame and ignoring heinous crimes when it suits your narrow worldview?

[–] TerpStudent 11 years ago

We're not talking about Freddy Krueger or Micheal Meyers or sadistic rapists and murders. We're talking about Alex. You're the one with a narrow worldview if you're seriously trying to marginalize every criminally insane person into one category in which they're all equally guilty.

Ignore the trolls! Any failure to do so will only grant them the satisfaction they seek!