I came upon this scene from ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE on TCM the other day and realized how much about this film directed by Scorsese in the seventies I'd forgotten. I'd forgotten the naturalistic performances that movies from the era had. I'd forgotten what real settings can do for a film.
When Alice Hyatt (Ellen Burstyn) is suddenly widowed, she travels to California with her 11-year-old son Tommy (Alfred Lutter) to resurrect a singing career. In route in Phoenix, she gets a job singing at a piano bar and meets us with Ben, (Harvey Keitel) who turns out to be married and abusive. In Tucson, she puts her dream of singing on hold and becomes a waitress. She meets a farmer, David (Kris Kristofferson) and begins to think about a new life with him.
In an interview with Richard Schickel, Scorsese said it was really about a woman and her son and those scenes are the strongest in the movie. He says, "It was not for the feminists. They felt that because she got involved with another man, it undercut the independence of the woman...but that's the movie I made."
I remember the same issues being raised with AN UNMARRIED WOMAN. Both great films.
If you've never seen this one, you are in for a treat. We allow a little more latitude in what constitutes feminism now. For better or for worse.
FOR MORE FORGOTTEN MOVIES, GO TO TODD MASON'S BLOG.
14 comments:
Wonderful film. And, bizzarly, it was turned into a sitcom!
Yes, although it had a completely different feel to it and they let Flo take over the show. What was her catch phrase?
Kiss my grits.
I didn't realize that Alice (the tv show) was based on a movie. Hmmm.
Patti - Ah, yes! This is a good 'un, and it's interesting how the show veered away from the original main focus of the movie.
Not too uncommon for sitcoms based on movies to do so. There was usually some dumbing down and blanding out (even eventually in the case of M*A*S*H).
Actually, there was always a feminist case to be made for getting out of a bad het relationship and getting into a better one, If One Chose To, rather than being Required to...Scorcese was whining. With AN UNMARRIED WOMAN, as I recall it, all the guys were pretty foolish...but it's been some years now.
I grew up on the show but years later watched the Ellen Burstyn film and realized how superior it was in everyway.
Great film. Loved the part where KK was talking about the turkey's drowning themselves during a hard rain. Just a really good scene.
Ellen Burstyn really forgotten movie is RESURRECTION. As far as I know it has never officially been released on either VHS tape or DVD.
In one bar scene, you can hear Dolly Parton's original version of "I Will Always Love You" on the jukebox. It took another two decades for that song to become a hit--with a different singer. Scorcese always had a good ear for background music.
You could listen to MS soundtracks forever.
Resurrection is an amazing little film, isn't it. Just one of those big surprises.
Now I have to rent the film and see the whole thing because I forget that scene.
I think Alan Bates was pretty seductive in UW. But she walks away with the painting on her head. She's more independent than she was for sure.
Kiss my grits. That's it.
A favorite that brings back a feeling of promise that Hollywood once gave to its films. Alas, no more. No one so far has mentioned the film's great performance by Jodie Foster.
She was so precocious as an actress, wasn't she?
I remember loving the movie when I first saw it and liked it a lot more than the Clayburgh film. But then I'm much more of a Burstyn fan. Just read about it again in the Schickel interview book and thought I might like to watch it again.
Yes, I've always liked Dolly's version better.
Jeff M.
I certainly had a media crush on her, as she's about my age (a couple of years older) when we were Very Young, something not stymied at all by THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE...which I missed in theaters but caught shortly thereafter, probably on HBO during a brief period of my family having the service in the latter '70s.
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