After stunning audiences with his ferociously personal, gritty depictions of masculinity in WHO'S THAT KNOCKING AT MY DOOR? (1968) and MEAN STREETS (1973), Martin Scorsese bade farewell to his native New York City in order to direct this delightfully bittersweet portrait of an unflappable single mother. The Oscar-winning Ellen Burstyn is flat-out marvelous as Alice Hyatt, a newly widowed woman who hopes to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming a singer. Fleeing her small New Mexico town with her 11-year-old son, Tommy (the hilariously spunky Alfred Lutter), Alice promises not to stop until they reach her hometown of Monterey, California. But after a near disaster in Phoenix (compliments of the fiery Harvey Keitel), the pair settles in Tucson, where Alice grudgingly takes a job as a waitress. It's there where she meets the irresistible David (Kris Kristofferson), a warmhearted customer who won't take no for an answer. At the same time, Tommy befriends Audrey (Jodie Foster), a young tomboy with a mischievous streak.
Scorsese's realistic modern fairytale (as evidenced by the film's opening ode to THE WIZARD OF OZ) breathes with a hard-edged tenderness that is a wonder to behold. Robert Getchell's script deftly balances comedy and drama, as well as reality and fantasy, creating a distinctive tone that has inspired numerous imitators (TUMBLEWEEDS, ANYWHERE BUT HERE). ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE is that rare gift, a film that reflects the era in which it was shot but never feels dated.
When a housewife is left with nothing after her husband's death, she struggles to build a new life for herself and her young son. Moving from a desolate New Mexico town, she settles in various Arizona locales, struggling to make enough money to return to her hometown of Monterey. Noteworthy as a nonviolent domestic drama from Martin Scorsese and the basis for the long-running Linda Lavin sitcom ALICE, this bittersweet film features an incredibly magnetic performance by Ellen Burstyn (for which she won a well-deserved Oscar).
Theatrical release: December 9, 1974
Filmed on location in New Mexico and Arizona.
ALICE... marked the third Oscar nomination for Ellen Burstyn (who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for 1971's THE LAST PICTURE SHOW and Best Actress for 1973's THE EXORCIST).
This film marks a change in concern for director Martin Scorsese. His previous films, MEAN STREETS and WHO'S THAT KNOCKING AT MY DOOR?, had been based on events and people he had known growing up in the Little Italy section of New York. Characteristic of Scorsese, the film uses pop and rock music in a way similar to his other projects.
Actor Harvey Keitel was a regular in Martin Scorsese's films. He appeared in Scorsese's student films, and then in MEAN STREETS and WHO'S THAT KNOCKING AT MY DOOR? ALICE... marked their third feature film together, but Keitel would go on to appear in several other Scorsese productions, including TAXI DRIVER and THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST.
The film inspired the long-running television sitcom ALICE, starring Linda Lavin in the title role and Vic Tayback as Mel, the role he created for the film.
DVD Features:
Region 1
Snap Case
Letterbox - 1.85
Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
Mono - English, French
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary: Martin Scorsese - Director, Ellen Burstyn, Kris Kristofferson - Stars
Documentary: SECOND CHANCES
Trailers: Theatrical Trailer
Cinematographer
Kent Wakeford:
Writer
Robert Getchell: American Screenwriter
Production Designer
Toby Rafelson: Art Director
Review 1:
"...[The film has] the breezy insouciance of a Thirties screwball comedy..."
Source: Sight and Sound
p.188-9 06/01/1975
Review 2:
"...Fine, moving, frequently hilarious....Scorsese [has] fully realized [his] talents as one of the best of the new American film makers."
Source: New York Times
p.28 01/30/1975
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