Croce 1 Michael Croce Psychology 203 Abnormal Psychology Professor Michelle James Spring 2012

Homework Assignment #1 Film review of:

Directed by: Adrian Lyne

Fatal Attraction

On the topic and representation of: Borderline Personality Disorder

DSM-IV-TR Criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder: 1) Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment 2) A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation 3) Identity disturbance; markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self 4) Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g. spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating) 5) Recurrent suicidal behavior. Gestures, threats, or self-mutilating behavior 6) Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g. intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hour and only rarely more than a few days) 7) Chronic feelings of emptiness 8) Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights) 9) Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms

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Fatal Attraction (1987), starring Michael Douglas as an a-typical protagonist and Glen Close as the unpredictable, deeply plagued villain, does a terrific job of developing Alex Forrests character (Close) to personify many of the attributes and telltale signs that go along with diagnosing an individual with borderline personality disorder. The film depicts a backstory involving Forrests past that helps with the diagnosis, but in the spirit of Hollywoods nature, drama, and theatrical prowess, we see many characteristics of Forrest that go beyond encapsulating her behavior as a merely a product of a borderline personality disorder diagnosis. Borderline personality disorder is defined as: A pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following(see title page)

The title page of this essay denotes the DSM-IV-TR list of nine criteria for diagnosing borderline personality disorder as published by Nolen-Hoeksema. Throughout the remainder of the essay, symptoms will be referenced by their according number on the list in addition to the their description and manifestation within Alex Forrests personality. The first foreshadowing we see towards Forrest potentially having BPD comes in the scene where she and Dan Gallagher (Douglas) are in a meeting together within the first 20 minutes of the film, after they had met at the party in the Japanese restaurant. The dialogue goes about telling a story of a woman having affairs with many married

Croce 3 politician men, and it concludes with these three lines between the two, the first and third from Forrests mouth: She swears his character is fictitious And you believe her? Yes. This would allude to future problems with criteria 3, 4, and 9, mainly 9; impulsion with sex and a symbolic precursor to severe dissociative symptoms. The theme of sex carries over to the next few scenes. When Dan and Alex engage in sexual activity, their intimacy can simply be described as passionate and heated, even rough and aggressive when they fornicated on the kitchen sink with the water running. The intensity of the act would be attributed to criteria 3, and the impulsivity of the sex in the elevator stall fits directly in criteria 4. After the act, when Dan attempts to leave, Alexs pleading for him to stay fits under criteria 1 with her frantic efforts to avoid abandonment (which we see more of later), and even flips her attitude by ripping Dans blue button down shirt right off his chest: criteria 8 with difficulty in controlling anger and physical fighting. In the apartment, Alex eventually harms herself by cutting her wrists, which is stated under criteria 5 with self-mutilation and suicidal behavior. Her energy after sex and need for adrenaline and a night of dancing may also suggest mania which can be a symptom of borderline personality disorder. Throughout the course of the film, Alex has reoccurring issues with controlling her temperament, clinging to Dan by all measures imaginable, even dropping the LBomb and suggesting she may be pregnant with his child, which is never confirmed nor denied albeit the filmmaker suggests it may have been falsified information in an attempt

Croce 4 to keep Dan around: criteria 1. A key word we come across with BPD is instability, and prevalent criteria of BPD we see reinforced with Alex is #2: A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating extremes of idealization and devaluation. This criterion is consistent with Alexs character throughout the entirety of the film. Alexs mood swings, lack of impulse control, violence, internal emptiness, chronic feelings of abandonment, suicidal tendencies, and inability to hold a stable interpersonal relationship all support a potential diagnosis of BPD. In support of a diagnosis, we, the audience, learn of Alexs fathers death when she was only seven years old. He died of a heart attack, and in an uncomfortable dog park scene early in the picture, we see how she still struggles with accepting the fact. Her fathers death may have been a traumatic enough event in her childhood to make a connection with the roots of her abandonment issues and may be supportive of a later on in life onset of BPD or another mental illness. Also worth noting is that BPD is diagnosed much more frequently in women than men, albeit more-so in racial minority backgrounds and low socio-economic status, which Alex fits into neither as a well respected Editor-in-Chief in New York City. While it may be fair to assume a diagnosis of BPD, Alexs behavior stretches well beyond the realms of classification within a single mental illness. In a scene towards the end of the film, when Alex spies on Dan playing with his daughter through their living room window, she runs off and vomits; somatoform disorders not being attributed to BPD. Her behavior in the end of the film can just be attributed to an anti-social personality disorder or histrionic personality disorder.

Croce 5 Histrionic Personality Disorder: HPD shares similar features of BPD. Alexs clingy nature and over-dramatization of just about everything (symbolism was used with her passion for the opera) is linear with HPD, as well as her rapid shifting of emotions and need to be the center of attention with her disregard to Dans family lifedespite his upfront honesty and clear intentions before the affair took place Anti-social Personality Disorder: At the rising action and climax of the film, Alex kills a defenseless bunny rabbit, kidnaps a child, and attempts to murder the Gallagher family. Some criteria for anti-social personality disorder are having no respect for social norms, ruthless behavior, criminal behavior, and disregard for the rights of others. In the last 30 minutes of the movie or so, Alexs symptoms are more aligned with anti-social personality disorder than BPD.

Endnote Director Lyne does an excellent job communicating little intricacies about Alexs character that allude to mental illness, albeit ambiguous as to which one: Her apartment; abandoned building symbolic for her life. The outside was dark and gloomy and the inside was entirely white (walls, furniture, bed sheets, kitchen accessories, etc.) resembling that of an asylum. She also wore long baggy white tee-shirts that brought comparison of a hospital gown to mind. Insomnia was shown a few times which is often a part of many mental illness diagnosiss. The dialogue carried a great deal of foreshadowing: If looks could kill, Im not going to be ignored, You just dont give up, do you?, etc., etc.,