Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

Always heard of this movie. Never saw it till this week. Not the worst movie I've ever seen, but pretty close. Ellen Burstyn won the Oscar? Must have been a slim year for "best actress in a leading role." Her performance was average at best, unless you like women who scream and argue a lot. Kris Kristofferson's role is proof he should have kept to songwriting and skipped acting. And that kid!! Has there ever been a more obnoxious kid in a movie? No. Not even close. Every time he came on the screen I got the same feeling as hearing fingernails on a chalkboard. I kept watching this movie hoping there would be a reason to get to the end of the movie. Never got it, other than the actual end of the movie. Now why I gave it the two stars. Though her role was of a deviant punk, Jodie Foster was actually pretty good. Also, it was interesting to see a young Harvey Keitel, though he was an angry psycho. The role of Flo by Diane Ladd pretty much carried the movie. I'm glad I had nothing better to do. I'd have been upset to lose two hours I'll never get back.

source: Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

Trailer—Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

The beginning of the movie starts off with a bang. Martin Scorsese sees to that with his brilliant directing ability. I laughed out loud within the first minute. Even the opening credits and song were perfect for the intro. Harvey Keitel was great in his performance as well. He played his character to a T. But Ellen Burstyn completely takes the cake as far as performances go in this wonderfully realistic film. I want to rush and see every movie she's ever been in!!

I actually prefer this film to Mean Streets or Raging Bull. Ellen Burstyn was always a personal favorite and she is absolutely brilliant as Alice. This film bears no resemblance to the sitcom that would spin off from it. This is a textured, touching and humorous look at a woman's journey BACK towards independence. It is far superior and a much more mature film than, say, Thelma & Louise. If you're looking for female "empowerment" movies. Alice is reality. The fine cast also includes, Harvey Keitel and Diane Ladd. Both in fantastic performances. This is just a great movie and very overlooked. If you're getting into Scorsese, don't miss this one!

In what may be his most unusual movie, Martin Scorsese tells the story of Alice Hyatt (Ellen Burstyn), a woman who is looking for a new direction in life. So, she and her son Tommy move to Phoenix, where she feels that she may have a shot at greatness. As a singing waitress, she struggles to make something of herself. Ellen Burstyn won a well-deserved Best Actress Oscar for this role (it was especially interesting seeing her in this kind of a role, given that she'd most recently starred in "The Exorcist"), and Kris Kristofferson, Harvey Keitel, Alfred Lutter and an androgynous Jodie Foster offer good supporting roles. I recommend "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" to everyone.

I loved this movie when I saw it in its initial release - after "The Exorcist", I thought Ellen Burstyn ruled the world. This movie is still good today, has many interesting and funny characters. There are touches that suggest director Martin Scorsese was still getting familiar with actors and camera movement - when Alice cries at an audition in a bar, and goes to another bar because they have a piano..its Marty all the way. Harvey Keitel & Jodie Foster are in the movie in small parts; maybe they were having their own audition - for "Taxi Driver". Diane Ladd is very funny as filthy-mouthed Flo, but Ellen Burstyn is fantastic in the part that won her an Oscar against some pretty stiff competition - Faye Dunaway in "Chinatown" among them - and she holds the movie together.

People forget that "ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE" is a Scorsese film. Look at it again and you'll see it is one hundred percent Scorsese. Totally focused on a female character. I read somewhere that Ellen Burstyn asked Scorsese "How well do you know women" and Scorsese replayed "Not well at all, but I'm willing to learn" The portrait of Alice adds something to film female characters that had never been present on the screen before. All those Joan Crawford fighting working class women seem like a joke compared to Ellen Burstyn's Alice. Jodie Foster steps into the screen with a funny, touching BANG. If you've never seen this film, hurry up! If you've seen it, see it again.