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Rating: 4.75 out of 5
Sometimes, life comes at you quick, and everything gets turned upside down. As I continued to make my way through my Academy Award list, I was on Tubi or Netflix, and low and behold, the film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore popped up. I have been trying to find this film for a couple of years. I went to the library, and it wasn’t there. It was one of those films I thought I would never get to. I was excited to watch this film because it was the film in which Ellen Burstyn won her Academy Award, and I love her as an actress. She starred in Requiem for a Dream and the Exorcist. You know she is big time.
First off, I want to say that freakin Martin Scorsese directed this film. What is going on?? Scorsese has really been impressing me lately. I always associated him with gangster films, but Scorsese has shown me he can direct anything and has significant range and an eye for directing.
What is this film about? The movie starts in 1947 with an 8-year-old girl named Alice growing up on a farm near Monterey, California. Alice dreams of being a singer and what way to have a dream with the whole Wizard of OZ vibe along with a little bit of the OF film, Gone with the Wind. I thought homegirl was about to bust out, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” The scene is dreamy until, like most things, you must grow up, and reality sets in.
The film transitions to 1974, where Alice Hyatt (Burstyn) is 35 years old and lives with her husband, Donald, a truck driver, and their bad-ass 11-year-old son, Tommy. Tommy is spoiled and a pain in the ass, but I’ll get to him later. Donald is cold and somewhat a slob, but Alice loves him, and she gets to stay at home as a housewife. Things are okay and not what Alice wants to be when everything changes. Donald is killed, and Alice must find a way to provide for herself and Tommy. Alice gets the idea to sell everything she has and move back to her hometown of Monterrey, California, with the dream of becoming a singer.
The film shows the hardships of this whole adventure. The first stop the pair make is in hot-ass Phoenix, AZ. Alice finds work as a lounge singer and even meets Ben, played by Harvey Keitel. Damn, Keitel looks like a baby in this film. He is another person who seems to never age. Well, Ben charms the dress off of Alice, and the pair begins a relationship. Things feel normal until Ben’s wife, Rita, appears and tells Alice about Ben. Ben rolls up and shows his MAJOR anger issues when he breaks into Alice’s apartment and shows domestic violence against Rita in front of Alice. Then homeboy proceeds to smash up her place. You know what you need in this situation? A freakin stun gun. Zap that fool until he pisses himself, and then kick him a few times in the stomach and nuts. Alice makes the smart move of getting the hell out and leaving town as fast as possible.
After spending all their funds, Alice and Tommy moved to Tucson, AZ. This is where the characters shine the most. Let’s start off with Alice. She takes a job as a waitress, and there are some characters at this diner. There was Flo, who was outspoken and seemed to have no filter. The other was shy, a little weird, and seemed to have no business being a waitress, Vera. Flo and Alice don’t get along initially as they have different opinions. The comedic relief in the film is with Vera, who seems to not be able to handle the job, but I swear she is a person who will grow up and become a millionaire. I honestly like Vera. Things move for Alice when she meets divorced local rancher David, played by Kris Kristofferson. Kristofferson is a freakin cool ass dude in this film. Something about his voice is calming. The two strike up a romance, and David strikes up a paternal relationship with Tommy.
Speaking of Tommy, once again, homeboy is a little shit. I have to give it up to Alfred Lutter because I wanted to punch homeboy in the face or better yet, take that belt off and whip that ass. Tommy finds a friend, and I get that he isn’t happy, but damn, he runs his mouth, and Alice babies him. When Tommy gets arrested for drinking, she does nothing to him. Homeboy even stole. When David disciplines him, she flips out. Alice, your son is bad and a little shit. Get him under control. Alice doesn’t like what David did and breaks up with him. Ultimately, the pair get back together and decide to give up on her dream for stability.
I want to give major big ups to Ellen Burstyn for her performance as Alice Hyatt. I think Burstyn showed the life of a single mother when her husband unexpectedly died. Burstyn is a phenomenal actress who displayed more emotions in this film where you sympathize with her. The realization of having a dream and wanting to go for it but then have a pain in the ass, son. Finding love only for the person to be a complete loser and assaulter where you have to dip out. I am weary of love again and have to settle in a town. Burstyn displayed all the joys and hardships that Alice went through, and she deserved her Academy Award win. She also should’ve won for the Exorcist or Requiem for a Dream, but I’m happy with this. She still looks good at 91 in the present and still going strong.
Overall, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore is a fun film with the craziness of life and what one person must do to survive with their son. The cast was excellent, from Burstyn’s fantastic performance to Lutter being a little shit to Kristofferson being a cool-ass dude. Watch this film as you will enjoy it and have a few laughs with some cries. Maybe Alice won’t pick her shit up and leave again.
