Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

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Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

PG

Released Dec 9, 1974

1h 52m

Drama

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92%

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83 Reviews

82%

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5,000+ Ratings

After her husband dies, Alice (Ellen Burstyn) and her son, Tommy, leave their small New Mexico town for California, where Alice hopes to make it as a singer. Money problems force them to settle in Arizona instead, where Alice takes a job as waitress in a small diner. She intends to stay in Arizona just long enough to make the money needed to head back out on the road, but her plans change when she begins to fall for a rancher named David (Kris Kristofferson).

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Critics Consensus

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore finds Martin Scorsese wielding a somewhat gentler palette than usual, with generally absorbing results.

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Tom Milne

Sight & Sound

Juggling the moods of Robert Getchell’s script with the brilliance of Godard in his prime, Scorsese flips scenes over to reveal the other side of the coin, then balances them on edge with both sides on view.

Oct 12, 2023

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Joe Pollack

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

There are a few moments when it borders close enough on soap opera that a couple of bubbles squish around some bare toes, but the bulk of Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is a solid motion picture.

Oct 12, 2023

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Molly Haskell

Village Voice

"Alice" has been put together in so obvious an attempt to answer the womanless or woman-hating films of today, that I only wish I could have liked it more than I do.

Oct 12, 2023

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Sean Burns

Crooked Marquee

A more volatile movie than you’d expect from a story like this, with scenes suddenly exploding into laughter or tears as befitting an exhausted mom’s mood swings.

Feb 4, 2024

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Mike Thorn

Vague Visages

The cumulative effect of Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore is one of openness and warmth.

Dec 12, 2023

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Erica Peplin

Vague Visages

Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore stands as a remarkable chapter in the Scorsese canon.

Dec 5, 2023

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Allen R

The relationship between Ellen Burstyn and the kid is so amazing, funny and heartbreaking that the only thing not as good was the slightly convoluted ending of running off with the guy.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/24

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Alec B

The improvising works (mostly because the actors are all perfectly cast) and it is one of the rare movies that understands how truly weird children are.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/28/24

Full Review

Mauricio R

Cuando uno habla de Martin Scorsese se le viene a la mente demasiadas cintas de cualquier género, dígase desde Mean Streets, Raging Bull, Cape or Fear, sus clásicos de gangsters como GoodFellas, Casino, The Departed e incluso infantiles como Hugo y también más recientes como The Irishman o Killers of the Flower Moon. Lo cierto es que de esta cinta se habla poco o nada y es que apesar de ser uno de sus primeros proyectos como cineasta considero que es una cita obligada para un fan de Scorsese ya que aquí se encuentra su estilo desde lo técnico con esos movimientos de cámara o la sinergía que maneja para con sus actores (incluso ya empezaba a colaborar con un joven y audaz Harvey Keitel). Ellen Burstyn está en una de sus mejores actuaciones que le valdría un premio de la academia por mejor actriz principal y no es para menos porque la vemos reír, llorar, sufrir junto con Alfred Lutter que intrerpreta al hijo de Alice, empatizamos con ambos personajes y logra caernos mal por momentos.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/24/24

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Chuck S

Wonderful flick …. It's cool seeing Tucson how it was in the mid 70's … early Keitel and Jodie Foster was interesting. 8/10

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/25/23

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Gertrude F

Great film. Ellen Burstyn's performance in this movie is amazing, and Alfred Lutter is perfect as Tommy. It seems like people often underestimate the importance of having a great child actor. Lutter's performance is spectacular. The story is truthful and raw, and the contemplation of identity portrayed in this film is amazing and heartbreaking to watch. The cinematography is amazing, it's just such a well-crafted film (with a great soundtrack, too). Also- that was Jodie Foster?!?!?!?

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/02/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Great movie. Great performance. A Must See. Only if she wants to be a singer and is headed to Monterey, and stops in Phoenix, has to leave Phoenix…why go in the opposite direction to Tucson? Las Vegas is a short drive away, in the right direction, and she would certainly have better chances at singing there.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/02/22

Full Review

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Martin Scorsese

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Ellen Burstyn

Alice Hyatt

Kris Kristofferson

David

Billy Green Bush

Donald

Diane Ladd

Flo

Lelia Goldoni

Bea

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Synopsis

After her husband dies, Alice (Ellen Burstyn) and her son, Tommy, leave their small New Mexico town for California, where Alice hopes to make it as a singer. Money problems force them to settle in Arizona instead, where Alice takes a job as waitress in a small diner. She intends to stay in Arizona just long enough to make the money needed to head back out on the road, but her plans change when she begins to fall for a rancher named David (Kris Kristofferson).

Director: Martin Scorsese
Producer: David Susskind, Audrey Maas
Screenwriter: Robert Getchell
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Bros.
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 9, 1974, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 1, 2008
Runtime: 1h 52m

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