Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)

	Directed by: Martin Scorsese	COUNTRY USA GENRE Drama/Romance/ Comedy NORWEGIAN TITLE Alice bor her ikke lenger RUNNING TIME 113 minutes
	Produced by: Audrey Maas David Susskind
	Written by: Robert Getchell

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Alice Hyatt	Ellen Burstyn	½
David	Kris Kristofferson
Tommy Hyatt	Alfred Utter	½
Flo	Diane Ladd
Ben Everhart	Harvey Keitel	½
Audrey	Jodie Foster	½

Review

Ellen Burstyn’s manic, spirited Alice Hyatt is Scorsese’s instrument for examining the shift in gender roles and family structure in the wake of the sexual revolution – more specifically the conflicts that arose as women began to pursue their own ambitions, leaving their outdated men and often neglected children bewildered in the process. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is a sober and sincere film, yet filled with aptly sprinkled glimmers of humour, a balance Scorsese handles almost effortlessly. His characters are allowed to be complicated: capable of growth, tenderness, selfishness, and destructiveness – sometimes all within the same scene.

The film’s vitality lies in its relationships. The chemistry between Burstyn and Kris Kristofferson is genuinely electric at times, and Harvey Keitel and Jodie Foster shine in small but memorable roles (the two, of course, would meet again not long after in Scorsese's next project). The fact that the three men Alice becomes involved with share similar emotional patterns and make many of the same mistakes (even if Kristofferson’s character is far more warm-hearted) speaks directly to the film’s critique of how gender expectations had evolved but still not truly changed. Nevertheless, there's an optimism running through Alice's desperation. She retains her belief in life, love, and a brighter future. And it is to Scorsese's and Burstyn's credit that they are able to tap into the energy within that contradiction.

Ellen Burstyn won Best Actress at the Oscars for her performance, and her co-star Diane Ladd received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The film was also in contention for Palme d'Or, but lost to the Algerian film Chronicle of the Years of Fire.