Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)

This was a lighter film than I am used to seeing from director Martin Scorsese, known for his movies with gangsters and other blighters. Of course, there are some such characters in this movie--mostly malevolent men. At first, Scorsese showcases some of his directorial ingenuity; the film opens with an old-fashioned credits screen, with Mack Gordon and Harry Warren's "You'll Never Know" playing in the background. The opening scene was in homage to "The Wizard of Oz". (The fences also reminded me of "Gone with the Wind".) But then, Alice, as a child (played by Mia Bendixsen), says "if anybody doesn't like it, they can blow it out their ass."

"All the Way from Memphis," by Ian Hunter, carries us to Alice, 27 years older (played by Ellen Burstyn in her Oscar-winning performance). Foul language and wisecracks are the brighter part of Alice's life; the other part is hopping from one abusive relationship to the next, while searching for employment. Alice eventually becomes a waitress at a diner (the scenario was revived in the lousy sitcom "Alice" (1976-1985)).

Diane Ladd earned an Oscar nomination for her performance as smart aleck waitress Flo. Jodie Foster does well as an assertive child. Ellen Burstyn and Alfred Lutter, who plays Alice's kid, carry the movie most of the way, though. When done right, teaming an adult and a child together for the majority of conversation in a film results in an enjoyable, light movie (which this one is). This was Scorsese's first commercial success; with editing and a moving camera among other tricks, his presence is revealed throughout.

Fmovies: The beginning of the movie starts off with a bang. Martin Scorsese sees to that with his brilliant directing ability. I laughed out loud within the first minute. Even the opening credits and song were perfect for the intro. Harvey Keitel was great in his performance as well. He played his character to a T. But Ellen Burstyn completely takes the cake as far as performances go in this wonderfully realistic film. I want to rush and see every movie she's ever been in!!

When I was younger, my sister and I would spend countless hours each day watching television. One of the programs we found ourselves glued to was Alice. For those who may not remember the show too clearly, one phrase may help jog your memory... "Kiss my grits!" If that didn't help, you probably have never seen the show (or as some folks may say... "it was before my time.")

Anyway... last night I saw a film titled Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Upon starting the movie, all I knew about it was that it was directed by the great Martin Scorsese, and that it was about a widowed wife and her son who drive across the country. To my great surprise, the character Alice is the same character from the TV sitcom. I didn't put two and two together until halfway through the film when it showed the diner with Mel and the other two waitresses. It was fun to see the other characters like Flo, Vera and Mel (the movie's Mel was the same actor as the TV show's Mel). Many of the elements were similar between television and movie; the only noticeable difference was the tone. On television, the show was a sitcom comedy made to get a good laugh every few minutes.

The film, however, was a bit more serious because of various real life situations (relationships, child upbringing, death).

This coincidence made things much more interesting as the film continued. Don't get me wrong, the movie was pretty damn good already; I just seemed to enjoy it a bit more when I started putting the pieces together. Scorsese, once again, showed his incredible directing skills. He was able to bring the viewer into the extreme pain and desperation of the main character, while at the same time, show the positive things in Alice's life through his use of color and cinematography.

Overall, the film was enjoyable because it was quite heart warming (in contrast to the more famous gangster type films by Scorsese). It made me wish that either the television show were still on syndication, or that I get to chance to see this film sometime again.

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore fmovies. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is the film that brought director Martin Scorsese into the commercial limelight; and even though he's had many bigger successes since, this simple and easily accessible story of a woman and her son is well worked and interesting; and personally, I prefer it to a number of his more famous gangster films. The plot is very simple, thus making the film easy to follow and therefore light viewing; and it could also be called a 'chick flick'. However, Scorsese directs with his usual verve and manages to implement a number of memorable characters along the way; some of which are played by the stars of future Scorsese films. The film starts when we are introduced to a young girl named Alice, who has aspirations of being a singer. Several years later, and after the death of her husband, she and her son set off across the country in order for her to pursue her dream career. After her first job and choice of boyfriend go awry, she travels on and ends up meeting a man named David.

This film provides an acting credit for Ellen Burstyn who, just as she would go on to do in the likes of The Exorcist, delivers a well worked and believable performance. Kris Kristofferson is her opposite number, although he doesn't get to flex his acting muscles much - while Taxi Driver co-stars Jodie Fosters and Harvey Keitel deliver memorable portrayals in small roles. The film benefits from a very well written script, which manages to give credence to all of its lead characters, which elevate the film above similar material in its class. The locations are well used, and the director does well in implementing a gritty country style; as well as the central theme of ordinary people trying to make something out of themselves. The main problem with the film is that sometimes it can be a little too light-hearted, and some of the heavier plot ideas aren't allowed to shine through as they should. Overall, this film may be disliked by fans of Scorsese films such as Goodfellas and Casino, and it definitely is a chick flick; but personally, I have no qualms with naming it as one of the better films on Scorsese's list of film credits.

Martin Scorsese's reputation as the director of some of the best gangster movies of all time often obscures his enormous sensitivity to the nuances of every-day modern life. Despite being his first commercial success, 'Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore' is probably Scorsese's most overlooked film, which is shameful, because it is arguably his best, and in any analysis, deserves acknowledgment as one of the most honest and, ultimately, uplifting portraits of working-class womanhood written and directed by men.

The scenario is familiar to anyone with a vague awareness of late 1970s American pop culture, as it was adapted into a successful TV sit-com, 'Alice,' starring Linda Lavin in the title role originated by the great Ellen Burstyn: a former lounge singer who traded a dicey future for the stability of blue-collar married life in suburban New Mexico, Alice Hyatt finds herself suddenly widowed, with little to no money, no career possibilities or job experience, and a precocious (and frequently obnoxious) twelve year-old son (Alfred Lutter, who went on to make 'The Bad News Bears' before growing up and disappearing) to provide for. With few other options on hand, Alice determines to restart her singing career back in Monterrey, California, the last place she remembered feeling truly happy and optimistic about the future. She packs her life and her son into the family station wagon and makes her way west, stopping off first in Phoenix (where the sit-com is set) and then in Tucson, trying to save enough cash to get to Monterrey. En route, she suffers defeat, humiliation, and a continuation of her serial attraction to abusive men, until finally she finds herself reduced to a job as a waitress in a roadside café, the now-ubiquitous 'Mel's Diner,' a dive dominated by the profane banter between saucy head waitress Flo (Diane Ladd) and cook/owner Mel (Vic Tayback). Alice finds herself living in an extended-stay fleabag motel, pinching pennies and praying for a bit of luck, which dubiously arrives in the form of David (Kris Kristofferson), a local rancher whom Alice feels herself falling for but is unable to trust, thanks to her history of abuse at the hands of formerly charming men.

Scorsese's innovative, trademark camera work is on ample display here, along with his art-house director's penchant for the unusual (the film opens with an homage to 'The Wizard of Oz,' in which Dorothy is replaced by the young but already brassy and foul-mouthed Alice). But this is a story about humanity, and Scorsese knows enough to step back and let his brilliant lead actress fill up the screen with her honesty and emotional range.

Ellen Burstyn won the 1976 Best Actress Oscar for this film, and it's easy to see why. Scorsese clearly knew what he had on his hands: Burstyn's Alice is both tough and vulnerable, desperate and determined. Burstyn lets the camera linger on her aging face (she was 42 when the film was released), which, strangely enough, is more beautiful and alluring than the polished appearances of most of today's actresses. Alice faces countless hardships, and Burstyn makes them feel as true as any we face in our own lives. She tries to keep up a bright face for Tommy, her quirky, quizzical son, but has moments of naked, gut-wrenching despair as she tries to fathom how she'll ever be able to support herself. Burstyn was herself a singer and a waitress before finding success as a film actress, and her vocal performances are powerfully affecting--

I loved this movie when I saw it in its initial release - after "The Exorcist", I thought Ellen Burstyn ruled the world. This movie is still good today, has many interesting and funny characters. There are touches that suggest director Martin Scorsese was still getting familiar with actors and camera movement - when Alice cries at an audition in a bar, and goes to another bar because they have a piano..its Marty all the way. Harvey Keitel & Jodie Foster are in the movie in small parts; maybe they were having their own audition - for "Taxi Driver". Diane Ladd is very funny as filthy-mouthed Flo, but Ellen Burstyn is fantastic in the part that won her an Oscar against some pretty stiff competition - Faye Dunaway in "Chinatown" among them - and she holds the movie together.