A Woman Under the Influence (1974)

Mabel, a wife and mother, is loved by her husband Nick but her mental illness proves to be a problem in the marriage.

Director:

John Cassavetes

Writer:

John Cassavetes

Stars:

Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk, Fred Draper

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Falk	...	Nick Longhetti
Gena Rowlands	...	Mabel Longhetti
Fred Draper	...	George Mortensen
Lady Rowlands	...	Martha Mortensen
Katherine Cassavetes	...	Margaret Longhetti
Matthew Labyorteaux	...	Angelo Longhetti
Matthew Cassel	...	Tony Longhetti
Christina Grisanti	...	Maria Longhetti
George Dunn	...	Garson Cross (as O.G. Dunn)
Mario Gallo	...	Harold Jensen
Eddie Shaw	...	Dr. Zepp
Angelo Grisanti	...	Vito Grimaldi
Charles Horvath	...	Eddie
James Joyce	...	Bowman
John Finnegan	...	Clancy

Storyline

Peter Falk is a blue collar man trying to deal with his wife's mental instability. He fights to keep a semblance of normality in the face of her bizarre behavior, but when her actions affect their children, he has her committed.

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Plot Keywords:

mental illness | marriage | working class | mental instability | construction worker | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

18 November 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Woman Under the Influence

Filming Locations:

1741 N. Taft Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$13,336,830

Company Credits

Production Co:

Faces

Technical Specs

Runtime:

155 min 146 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Katherine Cassavetes (Margaret Longhetti) was the mother of John Cassavetes.

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Goofs

When Nick and the kids are sitting in the back of the truck on their way back from the beach, A radio microphone is visibly taped to Tony's shoe. You can also follow the cables coming off the mic which are visible too.

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Quotes

Mabel Longhetti: Dad... will you stand up for me?
George Mortensen: Sure.
[stands up]
Mabel Longhetti: No, I don't mean that. Sit down, Dad. Will you please stand up for me?

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Connections

Referenced in Lion: A Pride of Lions - Casting the Film (2017)

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Soundtracks

Swan Lake
(uncredited)
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

User Reviews

Brava, Mabel!

Everyone views movies differently. I for one didn't think we were meant to wonder who was crazier Mabel or her husband. Cassavetes makes a strong, bold (and rarely voiced) point...it is the husband! Mabel loved her children, loved to dance and sing and for that she was committed. Her "unidentified mental illness" seems to intensify when her husband mistreated her and was physically or verbally violent...in my opinion going a bit crazy after someone slaps you is probably healthier and saner than being polite, demure, and rational.

Mabel loves life, shows her love without apology, and is severely punished for it. Everyone else in the movie struggles to calm everyone down and avoid showing too much emotion. While this may be more socially acceptable it isn't sane or even healthy. Humans are emotional beings...I for one say Brava! Mabel.

I think the director tips his hand and proves his point when Mabel's character comes home from the institution. She hasn't seen her children, husband, and family for 6 months and people assault her, some she has never even met, before she even leaves the car. When she does get inside the safety of her own home the people who put her away and told to forget the past greet her with small talk and politeness! Then when she finally sees her children after being told to "wait a minute" she says to herself that she wants to remain calm and show "no emotions." It seems obvious that this is a perfectly acceptable time to be emotional but fresh from the institution she know being normal doesn't allow you to be emotional. Emotions are scary, messy, and inconvenient and I for one am thrilled that John Cassavetes didn't shy away from them.

This movie is a true original.