Review of Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) by Kevin R — 03 Dec 2012

And anyone who doesn't like it can blow it out his ass.

Alice is an unhappily married woman with a son. One day, her husband dies and she's left to sell off all their things and hit the road to her hometown. Unfortunately, she only has enough money to make it about half way there. She picks up jobs along the way and lives in hotels; but somehow, the wrong kind of man always finds her. Can she establish a life for her and her son or will her life continue to be ruined by men?

"My old man, he hasn't talked to me since Kennedy was shot.".

"Why, he think you had something to do with it?".

Martin Scorsese, director of Raging Bull, Goodfellas, The Departed, Taxi Driver, Casino, Boxcar Bertha, Bringing Out the Dead, and Hugo, delivers Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. The storyline for this picture is very good and well paced. The script is marvelous and the characters are wonderfully developed. The cast delivers excellent performances and includes Ellen Burstyn, Kris Kristofferson, Harvey Keitell, Diane Ladd, Vic Tayback, and Valerie Curtin.

"You don't mess around with it, it doesn't mess around with you. You mess with it, it's gonna kill you.".

Martin Scorsese is one of my all time favorite directors and I came across this picture on Turner Classic Movies (TCM). I found this film a step up on Boxcar Bertha but obviously not amongst my favorite Scorsese gems. This is definitely a great coming of age film from a unique perspective...a middle aged woman. I strongly recommend seeing this picture as it is like nothing else Scorsese has ever done.

"Don't worry about the mule going blind.".

Grade: B.