Go Ask Alice (1973)

Inadvertently, a 14-year-old girl in the late American 1960's is sucked into an odyssey of sex and drugs. She eventually seeks help.

Director:

John Korty

Writers:

Beatrice Sparks (book), Ellen M. Violett

Stars:

William Shatner, Ruth Roman, Wendell Burton

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Shatner	...	Sam
Ruth Roman	...	Psychiatrist
Wendell Burton	...	Joel Clements
Julie Adams	...	Dorothy
Andy Griffith	...	Priest
Ayn Ruymen	...	Jan
Mimi Saffian	...	Beth Bonds
Jennifer Edwards	...	Chris
Jamie Smith-Jackson	...	Alice
Danny Michael Mann	...	Richie (as Daniel Michael Mann)
Frederick Herrick	...	Ted
Robert Carradine	...	Bill
Michael Morgan	...	Tim
Gary Marsh	...	Tom
Mackenzie Phillips	...	Doris (as Mackinzie Phillips)

Storyline

Inadvertently, a 14-year-old girl in the late American 1960's is sucked into an odyssey of sex and drugs. She eventually seeks help.

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Plot Keywords:

drug | lsd | rape | teen | psychedelic | 

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Taglines:

A teenage girl's downward spiral into drug addiction.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 January 1973 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metromedia Producers Corporation (MPC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

74 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Book, Go Ask Alice, which this movie is based on, was not a true story at all. The book is purported to be "A True Story" and "A Real Diary" of a 15-year old girl who becomes an accidental drug addict and then slips seamlessly into the 1970's drug scene, before dying much too young of an overdose, either accidentally or on purpose (no one really knows). The problem with this? The book was not a true story and was not a real diary, but rather a cautionary tail whipped up by the establishment to drive fear into the minds of naive teenagers. Think "After School Special" of the 1970's. The book is debunked on Snopes at snopes.com/language/literary/askalice

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Goofs

When Alice is in the hospital drinking from the cup, she holds it with her palms since her fingers are bandaged. Then there's a close-up of the cup and she's cupping it and then palming it again in the next shot.

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Quotes

Priest: Do you want an opinion or an alibi?

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Crazy Credits

Opening disclaimer: This motion picture is based on the authentic diary of a 15 year old American girl. The only alterations have been those necessitated by considerations of length and acceptability for family viewing.

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Soundtracks

"It Ain't Easy"
Music and Lyrics by Ron Davies

User Reviews

Darth Marc says:

When the book came out in the late 60's or early 70's it was promoted as non fiction. The author hoped to inform, educate or scare kid's about the dangers of drug use. At that time in the 60's and 70's drugs were considered cool and hip and the dangers of it weren't really known on a wide scale as they are now. The author went onto pen more books about the perils of teens going down the wrong path. She did a popular one almost as popular as go ask Alice and it was on teen prostitution, and another on aids. Decades later the author was revealed (Beatrice Sparks?)and Go ask Alice was changed to being classified as fiction. The book is still either way a great read and written so amazingly sincerely that after finding out it was fiction it is still hard to believe. The movie doesn't do the book justice, but it is fun to watch for 70's kitsch purposes. However when I watched it at 12 after shortly after I read the book, it sort of freaked me out but that was before I got HBO. The movie should really be remade as a time period piece of the late 60's early 70's, and not set in todays world.