Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)

 

Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore was Martin Scorsese’s first studio-financed film, and even though it is told—and powerfully so—from a woman’s point of view and concerns the issues facing lower- and middle-class women during the 1970s, it still manages to examine one of his recurring themes, the impact of violence in people’s lives. The lead character, Alice Hyatt (played by Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn), has to find a way to support herself and her 11-year-old son, Tommy (Alfred Lutter), after the death of her husband. Her spouse wasn’t very supportive or even attentive, yet she feels adrift without a man in her life. She tries to find jobs as a singer so that she can raise enough money to return to her hometown of Monterey, California, the last place where she says she felt happy, but she encounters difficulties along the way and settles for a waitressing job. However, one of the most significant struggles she faces has to do with the men in her life. For example, the first man she dates, a younger man named Ben (Harvey Kietel), turns out to be married and prone to violent outbursts. She later meets a farmer, Dave (Kris Kristofferson), who seems to be a good, gentle man who seems to have suffered as much pain in his marriage as she has, but when he disciplines her out-of-control son, Alice fears she may never be in a positive relationship again. These serious moments are leavened by humorous occasions, and the violent nature of many of the men in Alice’s life is offset by the solidarity she feels with other women, first with her neighbor Bea (Lelia Goldoni) in Socorro, New Mexico, and later with her co-worker Flo (Diane Ladd). She even reaches a kind of sympathetic understanding with Ben’s wife before he arrives to destroy the calm environment. Scorsese uses a few tricks with camera angles and editing, traits which would increasingly define his style over the course of his career, but they are not so obvious here. The happy ending is a bit too “Hollywood” for the somewhat grittier and more realistic nature of the rest of the film (the very stylized opening moments notwithstanding), but after watching Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, you might wonder what Scorsese could do now with a film that examines the current state of women’s lives.

Oscar Win: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Ellen Burstyn)

Other Oscar Nominations: Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Diane Ladd) and Original Screenplay