Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore

Composite Score: 84.4

Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Kris Kristofferson, Alfred Lutter III, Billy Green Bush, Lelia Goldoni, Murray Moston, Harvey Keitel, Diane Ladd, Vic Taybeck, Valerie Curtin, and Jodie Foster

Director: Martin Scorsese

Writer: Robert Getchell

Genres: Drama, Romance, Comedy

MPAA Rating: PG

Box Office: $18.60 million worldwide

Why should you Watch This Film?

                Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore is Martin Scorsese’s film from Robert Getchell’s screenplay about a newly single mother and her search for belonging in the American Southwest with her son in tow. The film stars Ellen Burstyn in the titular role alongside Kris Kristofferson as potential love interest David, Alfred Lutter III as her son Tommy, Harvey Keitel as skeevy love interest Ben, Jodie Foster as Tommy’s friend Audrey, Valerie Curtin as Alice’s coworker Vera, and Diane Ladd as Alice’s charismatic fellow waitress Flo. The film follows Alice as she leaves Socorro, NM, after her husband’s sudden death in pursuit of her lost dream of becoming a professional singer, roadtripping with her son across the various cities of the Southwest on their way to her hometown of Monterey, CA. Burstyn’s performance won her the Oscar for Best Actress, and the film also received nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Diane Ladd.

Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?

                Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore plays in the difficult/dangerous space of women who tend toward abusive men, directed and written by men. For the most part, the film handles its subject matter with tact, portraying Alice (with the help of Flo at times) as a solidly independent woman who don’t need no man but deserves a great one. The issues come in the moments when she tries to settle for men who are less than great (first her husband Donald then her lover Ben). The film takes care not to fully victim blame Alice, but it doesn’t go so far as to excuse her choice in men either, living in a tragically realistic area that could be potentially problematic were it not for how the film turns out. While Kristofferson’s David is by no means a perfect man, his flaws stem more from his own self-perception and not some misogynistic worldview. Overall, the film plays well in its space, but some of its content taken out of context could become problematic when viewed through a modern lens.

So wait, why should you Watch This Film?

                People are always debating what the best performances from Scorsese’s films are, and I often see things like Joe Pesci in GoodFellas (probably the most correct answer), DiCaprio in Shutter Island or Wolf of Wall Street, and De Niro in Raging Bull and Taxi Driver. I would put Ellen Burstyn and Diane Ladd in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore up next to all of those performances as some of the most moving, authentic, and fun performances from any Scorsese film. Burstyn takes on her role of mother with a dream with an intensity and sincerity that sells the whole rest of the film. Without her, the film could not exist, and Burstyn’s performance is what makes the whole thing so great. Her on-screen relationship with her son Tommy feels so lived-in and relatable that it’s hard to believe that it’s just in the movie. Her dedication to every scene and every emotion in Alice’s wild summer road trip has to be celebrated and deserves to be mentioned alongside so many other greats. Diane Ladd gives one of the most fun supporting performances in my memory as Alice’s fellow waitress Flo. Her ability to dispense bathroom humor and wisdom at the drop of a hat makes her character incredibly memorable, which she plays with an intensely fun depth that very few actresses could have pulled off so well. She highlights the best and worst parts of Alice, perfectly accentuating the back half of the film in a way that elevates it from a solid character study to something truly great.

                With two quality performances, tactfully done explorations of human relationships, and an infectious amount of authenticity baked into its every moment, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore distinguishes itself as a highlight in Scorsese’s filmography and truly one of the Greatest Films of All Time. Its occasionally heavy subject matter can sometimes stray fairly close to victim blaming, but taken as a whole, the film maintains a pro-woman slant that never leaves a bad taste in the mouth. It is currently available to stream via the Criterion Channel for anyone looking to catch it in the near future.