Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

Infobox_Film
name = Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore


image_size = 175px
caption = Theatrical Poster
writer = Robert Getchell
starring = Ellen Burstyn
Alfred Lutter
Kris Kristofferson
Diane Ladd
Billy Green Bush
Harvey Keitel
Jodie Foster
director = Martin Scorsese
producer = Audrey Maas
David Susskind
cinematography = Kent L. Wakeford
editing = Marcia Lucas
distributor = Warner Bros.
released = flagicon|USA December 9 1974 (LA)
flagicon|USA 29 January, 1975 (NYC)
runtime = 112 minutes
language = English
budget = US$1,800,000 (est.)
imdb_id = 0071115|

"Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" is a 1974 film which tells the story of a widow who moves with her young son to Tucson, Arizona to start her life over again, and finds a job working at a diner. It stars Ellen Burstyn, Alfred Lutter, Billy Green Bush, Harvey Keitel, Diane Ladd, Vic Tayback, Valerie Curtin, Kris Kristofferson and Jodie Foster. The movie was written by Robert Getchell and directed by Martin Scorsese. Ellen Burstyn won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Alice.

Production

During the filming of her previous film "The Exorcist", Burstyn was contacted by Warner Bros. about working with them again. After looking through various scripts, the actress was dissatisfied to note that the woman in each was "the victim, the understanding wife of the hero ..., a prostitute, or some other style of sex object," which she believed did not represent the shift in women's roles that she saw happening in U.S. society. Her agent eventually found the script for "Alice" and interested John Calley, Warner head of production in the project. Calley offered Burstyn the chance to direct, but she did not feel ready for this step; she did, however, take on what she calls "shepherding" the film, acting as an unofficial executive producer. Looking for "someone new and exciting," she called Francis Ford Coppola for ideas, at which point he suggested Scorsese.Ellen Burstyn. [http://www.ellenburstyn.net/press2.htm "A lesson in becoming myself,"] "Oprah Magazine", November 2006, pp. 255-258. Online reprint retrieved September 8, 2007.] In an interview for the program "The Directors" on ReelzChannel, Scorsese said he took the job because he wanted to dispel the notion that he was only good at directing male leads. Burstyn and Scorsese jointly decided to have "as many women in positions of authority as possible," including the unusual choice to have a woman as art director.

In one scene, Flo wears a lacy silver cross around her neck, and reveals to Alice that it is actually made of safety pins, saying "it keeps me together". In the DVD commentary, Diane Ladd says that a waitress in Tucson made the necklace for her for ten dollars.

The film features an early appearance by actress Laura Dern, the daughter of Diane Ladd, who can be seen in the second to last scene, eating ice cream in Mel's Diner.

Awards

The film won the Academy Award for Best Actress (Ellen Burstyn) and was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Diane Ladd) and Best Writing, Original Screenplay. It also won the BAFTA Award for Best Film.

TV spinoff

The film inspired a television series, "Alice". The only member of the original cast to feature in it was Vic Tayback, who reprised his role as Mel. Diane Ladd also joined the show later, but in a role different from that she had played in the movie. Alfred Lutter reprised his movie role of Tommy for the pilot of "Alice", but was then replaced by another child actor named Philip McKeon (brother to actress Nancy McKeon).

Footnotes

External links

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* [http://www.geocities.com/classics4ever/alice/movie/movie.htm Short movie synopsis and biographies - ALICE Website]