Trivia: The beach house is supposedly in Cape Cod, but was actually filmed in Wrightsville Beach, NC on Figure Eight island.
Trivia: In one scene, Laura is standing on the beach in a short dress. It was really cold that day and Julia Roberts (Laura) was freezing, so the film crew dropped their pants for that shot so she wouldn't be uncomfortable alone.
Trivia: When Laura's husband hits her at the beginning and she falls on the floor, it's really Julia Roberts falling. It's her head actually banging on the floor. Fortunately, the filmming crew got it on the first take.
Answer: There's no way to know what she was thinking or why she chose to do that. She was panicked and reacted on impulse rather than logic. One thought, going to the front door is the most direct route to the main street where she could get to a neighbor or find other people more quickly. Backyards are more secluded and dangerous.
raywest ★