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. The Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".
Plot
Mabel Longhetti, a Los Angeles housewife and mother, sends her three children, Tony, Angelo and Maria, to spend the night with her mother but is extremely hesitant to do so. She is a heavy drinker and exhibits strange behavior. An unexpected pipe leak forces her husband, Nick, a construction foreman, to cancel their date night over the phone, and Mabel is devastated. That night, drunk, she meets a man at a bar, Garson, who offers her some more drinks, and then he takes her home almost passed out. Despite her protests, he forces her to dance with him and appears to sexually assault her at the bottom of the stairs, while she hits him with her handbag.
Awards
More details
author | John Cassavetes |
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award | National Board of Review: Top Ten Films |
contentLocation | Los Angeles |
director | John Cassavetes |
editor | Beth Bergeron David Armstrong Sheila Viseltear |
genre | drama historical |
keywords | bad mother birthday party bleed date night disturb doctor who drink electroshock therapy even injured institutionalize involuntary commitment mental health mental hospital morning nothing outgo strange behavior wake up warn |
musicBy | Bo Harwood |
nomination | Academy Award for Best Actress Academy Award for Best Director |
producer | Sam Shaw |
productionCompany | Faces International Films |
publisher | Faces Distribution |
theme | independent |