MovieChat Forums > Fatal Attraction (1987) Discussion > The Daughter

The Daughter

posted 11 years ago by Jayson_Orleans-Perez
8 replies | jump to latest

Did anyone else think the Daughter was the heaviest sleeper in the world? In the middle of the movie, when Dan and Beth are having a get together at their apartment, they invited over Dan's fat, loudmouth buddy and his equally loudmouthed, annoying, "Queen of the Harpies" wife. Not once did the daughter wake up. It would have been nice if she came out of her room and told them all to shut the *beep* up.

At the end, during Alex's final attack on the Gallagher family, the daughter slept through the assault. All of that crashing, screaming, cursing, splashing, gunshots, and knife action would wake anyone up. That little girl must sleep like the dead. They probably gave her Nyquil and anti-depressants in order for her to relax and cope after her bunny bit the big one.

I'm not trying to nitpick or complain or anything. I just thought it was interesting that the daughter can sleep through all of that racket, but once her parents start arguing, she's downstairs crying uncontrollably. I guess it was used for dramatic purposes.

Knock it off, Hudson.

[–] morgana-31 11 years ago

My son, as an infant, could sleep through anything.

Love is never having to say you're sober.

[–] highpriestess32 11 years ago

I might be wrong here but I'm pretty sure that Ellen was at her grandparents' home at the end - it's been mentioned before I'm sure. It would make sense since Alex had gone missing after kidnapping her (Ellen), and Dan was bolting the doors, unaware that Alex was already in the house. Also Beth was still recovering from totalling her car so it would seem the obvious conclusion that the kid was well out of potential harm's way.

As for the dinner party scene, that was of course a different home before they relocated to the country - maybe Ellen was well out of earshot upstairs somewhere? Or was it a one-floored apartment? Anyway, a lot of kids do sleep through that kind of racket - it used to actually put me TO sleep on the rare occasions my parents hosted dinner parties....y'know that kind of muffled adult discourse with the odd eruption of laughter! But Dan and Beth arguing that time was different - the tone would have been upsetting and evident to a child that their parents were fighting.

"Has anyone seen my wife?" - Columbo

[–] Jayson_Orleans-Perez 11 years ago

Yeah, you are wrong. Ellen was at home during the final attack. Dan actually has a conversation with her before *beep* starts going down. She was just a heavy sleeper, I guess. I wish I could sleep like the dead like that.

Knock it off, Hudson.

[–] highpriestess32 11 years ago

I don't recall any conversation - I'll have to dig out my copy again lol. Going from my recollections I just remembered Dan mooching around the kitchen checking the doors and boiling the kettle after Beth asks for a cup of tea. Then the bath water started to drip through the ceiling and the dog was licking it up. Right on cue, the kettle starts whistling just as Beth encounters Alex upstairs and starts screaming..etc.

I'm wondering if some DVD versions differ as to content (although I don't see why this should be the case). I mention this because some time back, a poster didn't seem to think that ANY of the scene where Alex reveals to Dan that she's pregnant was on her copy. She was totally oblivious as to what we were all discussing but luckily I managed to find that very scene on YouTube to post up. Good old YouTube - if it isn't on YouTube it never happened lol

"Has anyone seen my wife?" - Columbo

[–] highpriestess32 11 years ago

Me again. I watched it this morning whilst decorating in my new flat. You're right of course - she WAS in the house and yet I can't recall that scene at all in spite of having viewed this movie a zillion times over the years! It wasn't even a fleeting glance, Ellen was in bed and Dan was reassuring her. Maybe I just never notice it because I'm too focussed on what's coming next

"Has anyone seen my wife?" - Columbo

[–] mizhu 10 years ago

That scene was Always there. I remember it from the 80s when I saw it in the theater, from the VHS tape I had (the one with the alternate endings), and it's in my current DVD.

It was a very important scene. Ellen needed to be reassured by her father Dan that he'd never leave them again.

Ellen sleeping through all that noise isn't so difficult to understand, given the day the child had been through.

As kids, I woke up at the sound of a breeze.

My sister could sleep through the loudest party while being on the sofa in the same room, only occasionally opening her eyes to see what's up, then go right back to sleep.

[–] highpriestess32 10 years ago

Yes some children can sleep through anything, adults too although I would imagine it could have woken her to hear her mother screaming out like that given that up until that point there was no noise, it was all quiet so her screams would have been quite penetrative and the ensuing struggles.

That said, for all we know, Ellen was awakened but possibly too afraid to leave her room because of the evident danger.

"Has anyone seen my wife?" - Columbo

[–] cookiela2001 9 years ago

Ellen was at home during the final attack. Dan actually has a conversation with her before *beep* starts going down. She was just a heavy sleeper, I guess.

I wish the stupid kid were the one who came rushing in with a gun at the end.

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