Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exceptional Film, September 17, 2006
There is a scene in the film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore which sums up the entire film. It is the scene in which Alice (Ellen Burstyn), newly-widowed and desperate to get a job, convinces a bar owner to see her perform across the street (the owner doesn't even have a piano in his bar). Reluctantly, he comes, and Alice sings the old Sinatra ballad, "When Your Lover Has Gone." It is a testament to Burstyn's acting that this scene is so hauntingly beautiful, and one senses a personal connection that she has with this song, it almost sounds as if it were written just for her. And the emotions that come through in this scene--pain, loss, but also a great deal of hope--are essentially the film in spades.
It is almost passe to mourn the passing of the cinema of the 1970s, but this is exactly the sort of movie that was made then but isn't now. It is a penetrating, intensely personal but unceasingly honest portrait of a single mother's struggle to survive. Even though several decades have passed, the story remains timely because it is ultimately the story of humanity, and will have resonance for anyone who has had to leave the familiar and try to make it on their own. Some might dismiss it as an extended metaphor for feminism (which it is) but it is also much more than that--it cuts far deeper, but it is ultimately a very humanistic film.
I can't stop singing this movie's praises. It inspires without being "inspirational". It is not an exultation of the human spirit, but rather the embodiment of it. It never sounds a hollow, false, or obvious note, but rather sticks with utter realism throughout, and as a result is immensely satisfying. I would highly recommend the movie to anyone who appreciates a good drama that doesn't unfold along the expected path.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a powerful drama and an absolute acting marathon, December 15, 2005
"Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" tells the story of a woman who attempts to forge her own path following her husband's sudden death. The general concept of a woman having her own career and not just being a housewife certainly isn't as radical today as it was when this first came out in 1974, but "Alice..." nevertheless remains a powerful drama thanks to thoroughly terrific performances, and to that trademark Scorsese grittiness.
You can tell that while filming this movie, Ellen Burstyn really WAS Alice Hyatt--her performance is brilliant and flawlessly convincing. Alice's husband Donald (Billy "Green" Bush) dies early in the film in a traffic accident, and it becomes apparent that Alice relied on his financial support while not really being in love him. As we see in the dreamlike opening scene, Alice had aspired to be a singer as a child, a dream that she let fall by the wayside in favor of a typical role as a housewife. With her husband out of the picture, Alice has an 'everything-must-go' type garage sale, sells the house, and hits the road, leaving Socorro, New Mexico with her often annoying, yet sharp 11-year-old son Tommy (Alfred Lutter).
When in Phoenix, a sympathetic bar owner is impressed enough by Alice's audition to hire her to play piano and sing, leading to her meeting of Ben Eberhardt, a character brilliantly portrayed by Harvey Keitel. Ben displays a certain laidback charm, and Alice, who deep down does want to have a man around, falls for him, only to discover that he's already married and prone to fits of violence. Keitel is absolutely devastating in the unforgettable "break in" scene that occurs at the motel Alice and Tommy are staying at, a scene which prompts Alice to get out of town immediately.
Their next stop is Tucson, where Alice despairingly settles for a waitressing job. At the restaurant begins her initially rocky relationship with fellow waitress Flo (Diane Ladd). She also meets at the restaurant the charming, divorced farmer David, played by Kris Kristofferson in a natural, engaging performance. Despite her wariness, Alice does fall in love with David, but the relationship isn't exactly smooth sailing, and it leads Alice into a painful realization about her own son. Meanwhile, Tommy is hanging out with his new friend, the mischievous Audrey, played astonishingly by an 11 or 12 year old Jodie Foster.
Ultimately, we do get a full-blown happy-ending, and that's okay, because it's touchingly done, and the path that leads to that ending is such a rewarding one. "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" is a film no serious viewer should miss.
As usual for a Martin Scorsese direction, this DVD release of "Alice..." is very, very well done, featuring an absolutely superb widescreen transfer of the film. Additionally, there's an excellent, informative documentary featuring interview segments with Burstyn and Kristofferson; and there's also insightful and unfailingly entertaining commentary from the often motor-mouthed Scorsese.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A real life "over the rainbow" search for meaning., January 27, 2005
A dream-like sequence begins this film with Alice, looking very much like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, fantasizing about becoming a singer in Monterey. This whimsical, nostalgic scene is abruptly ended when Alice exclaims, "If they don't like it they can blow it out their ass!" Suddenly the muted, highly stylized images of Oz become starkly realistic and we are no longer in dreamland! It's the early 70's and Alice, 27 years removed from her Dorothy period, is middle aged with a smartass difficult boy, and a not so smart husband she can't seem to please and who makes no attempt whatsoever to please her. Her dream is now somewhere over the rainbow until fate steps in, removing her husband and freeing Alice from drudgery. Now what? Broke, no job, no one to lean on and yet having a child that needs support, Alice sets out on the road with her dream as the ultimate destination. Soon Alice will discover that real life has a way of lowering expectations, and Martin Scorsese's film is a slice of real life. The struggle and uncertainty, especially for a woman in a man's world, can be daunting, but Alice is nothing if not determined. This film works due to the genuineness of the characters, the outstanding performance of Ellen Burstyn, and because it glorifies something everyone can strive for: small victories. Sometimes less is more.
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