A Woman Under the Influence

A Woman Under the Influence is a 1974 American drama film written and directed by John Cassavetes. The story follows a woman (Gena Rowlands) whose unusual behavior leads to conflict with her blue-collar husband (Peter Falk) and family. It received two Academy Award nominations, for Best Actress and Best Director.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) John Cassavetes pretty much pioneered American independent film with his use of cinéma vérité in fictional narrative. Plus the film's one of the first feature films to be successfully self-distributed.
 * 2) Cassavetes' trade marks of long takes, desultory lighting, and handheld cinematography really help which making the events of the seem realistic and "convince the audience that what's on the screen is really happening."
 * 3) The film is pretty personal and a self-portrait for the director, as Mabel Longhetti was based on Cassavetes himself (even though she's a female) and her situation was John's representation of his own life.
 * 4) Mabel was the director's reflection on the pressures he felt he was subjected to not only by marriage but, more generally, by social conventions and expectations of what is and is not “normal” and “acceptable” behavior.
 * 5) The film portrays drinking addictions and mentally ill behavior in a frighteningly realistic way.
 * 6) Gena Rowlands does a remarkable performance as a New York housewife slowly losing her grip on reality.
 * 7) All of the characters are fairly well-written and believable, even though they can be pretty unlikable.
 * 8) Various Cassavetes characters act pretty crazy, but Mabel is the first to be clinically unsound. Her childlike spontaneity and unpredictability makes the love between her and Nick pretty messy and unhealthy.
 * 9) Meanwhile, as earnest as he may be in his own way, Nick is not emotionally equipped for proper caring and understanding. Mabel is confronted about her illness and is committed, but in the days that follow, Nick himself appears unhinged, irresponsible, and dangerous.
 * 10) Mabel's reasoning for being mentally ill and snapping all the time is purposefully left ambiguous and left for the viewer to decide, although there are some subtle suggestions for eagle-eyed viewers.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) It can be a pretty tough to follow at times.

Trivia

 * The film was personally financed by director John Cassavetes, with additional support from star Peter Falk. Cassavetes initially released the film through his own company, Faces International, Inc. -- having been told by major distributors that audiences were not interested in films about "women's problems."
 * This film marked the fourth feature film project between John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands, who were also married. Cassavetes and Rowlands' mothers -- Katherine and Lady, respectively -- also appear in the film.
 * The film took 13 weeks to shoot, but pre-production and post-production financial challenges kept the picture from being completed for nearly two years.

The Film
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