Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)

A recently widowed woman on the road with her precocious young son, determined to make a new life for herself as a singer.

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writer:

Robert Getchell

Stars:

Mia Bendixsen, Ellen Burstyn, Alfred Lutter III

Won 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mia Bendixsen	...	Alice - Age 8
Ellen Burstyn	...	Alice Hyatt
Alfred Lutter III	...	Tommy (as Alfred Lutter)
Billy Green Bush	...	Donald
Lelia Goldoni	...	Bea
Ola Moore	...	Old Woman
Harry Northup	...	Joe & Jim's Bartender
Marty Brinton	...	Lenny (as Martin Brinton)
Dean Casper	...	Chicken
Murray Moston	...	Jacobs
Harvey Keitel	...	Ben
Lane Bradbury	...	Rita
Diane Ladd	...	Flo
Vic Tayback	...	Mel
Valerie Curtin	...	Vera

Storyline

Despite admitting that she was scared of him in her never-ending quest to please him, thirty-five year old housewife and mother Alice Hyatt is devastated when her husband Donald is killed in an on the job traffic accident. With few job skills except that as a singer, Alice, along with her precocious eleven year old son Tommy, decides to move from their current home in Socorro, New Mexico to her home town of Monterrey, California, the only place she has ever felt happy. She plans on getting singing gigs along the way to earn money to get back to Monterrey by the end of the summer and the start of Tommy's school year. Alice's quest for a job at each stop leaves Tommy often to fend for himself, which may make Tommy even more precocious. His behavior is fostered by Alice, as their relationship is often more as trouble-making friends than mother and son. Alice's plans often do not end up as she envisions, especially as she is forced to take a waitressing job at Mel and Ruby's Diner in ...

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Plot Keywords:

singer | phoenix arizona | on the road | diner | spouse | 

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Taglines:

A picture for anyone who has ever dreamed of a second chance!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 May 1975 (France)

Also Known As:

Alicia ya no vive aquí

Filming Locations:

Amado, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,800,000 (estimated)

Gross:

SEK 3,444,810 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the time of shooting, Ellen Burstyn (Alice) was real-life best friends with her on-screen best friend Lelia Goldoni (Bea).

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Goofs

When Alice and her son leave in their station wagon for Arizona, the rear view mirror is removed during close-ups of Alice and Tommy together shot through the windshield (56:53-58:14 and 59:33-59:35).

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Quotes

Tommy: [to Alice, disparaging David's style of music] Shit-kicking! shit-kicking! shit-kicking!

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Crazy Credits

introducing Alfred Lutter as Tommy

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Connections

Featured in I Love the '70s: Volume 2: 1974 (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Daniel"
(1972)
Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
Performed by Elton John

User Reviews

Landmark from the 70's

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.