10 More Movies That Almost Had Much Better Endings

Fatal Attraction gained universal praise upon its release in 1987, and was nominated for no fewer than six Academy Awards. However, that doesn't mean the movie was perfect, as even the star of the show was completely dissatisfied with the ending that made it into cinemas.

The story tells of the married Dan Gallagher, played by Michael Douglas, having a weekend-long affair with Glenn Close's Alex Forrest, who takes it badly when the former wants to cut things off. The ending that everyone knows shows Alex attempting to kill Dan's wife, Beth (Anne Archer), in a fit of jealous rage before being ultimately killed by the married couple herself. Dan and Beth then go back to being happily married like nothing happened.

The problem with this is that Dan doesn't really face much in the way of consequences for his adultery, while Alex is made to look like the only one in the wrong. Glenn Close herself reportedly hated this ending as it painted her character as just another female psycho, rather than the nuanced and troubled character she had played.

In the original script, Alex killed herself, framing Dan for the murder. He was ultimately acquitted thanks to a tape of Alex threatening to commit suicide, but there is a huge difference in the tone. Instead of Alex being portrayed as the clichéd irredeemable villain, she is seen as vulnerable, troubled, and sympathetic, with the point being driven home of how badly Dan treated her. Close initially refused to shoot the new scene, and it's easy to see why.