A Woman Under the Influence (1974)

Director:

John Cassavetes

Writer:

John Cassavetes (written by)

Release Date:

18 November 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Mabel, a wife and mother, is loved by her husband Nick but her madness proves to be a problem in the marriage. The film transpires to a positive role of madness in the family, challenging conventional representations of madness in cinema.

Plot Keywords:

Fight | Marriage | Dinner Guest | Mental Illness | Child Nudity

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Peter Falk	...	Nick Longhetti
Gena Rowlands	...	Mabel Longhetti
Fred Draper	...	George Mortensen
Lady Rowlands	...	Martha Mortensen
Katherine Cassavetes	...	Margaret Longhetti
Matthew Laborteaux	...	Angelo Longhetti
Matthew Cassel	...	Tony Longhetti
Christina Grisanti	...	Maria Longhetti
O.G. Dunn	...	Garson Cross
Mario Gallo	...	Harold Jensen
Eddie Shaw	...	Dr. Zepp
Angelo Grisanti	...	Vito Grimaldi
Charles Horvath	...	Eddie
James Joyce	...	Bowman
John Finnegan	...	Clancy
Vincent Barbi	...	Gino (as Vince Barbi)
Cliff Carnell	...	Aldo
Frank Richards	...	Adolph
Hugh Hurd	...	Willie Johnson
Leon Wagner	...	Billy Tidrow
Dominique Davalos	...	Dominique Jensen
Alexandra Cassavetes	...	Adrienne Jensen (as Xan Cassavetes)
Pancho Meisenheimer	...	John Jensen
Sonny Aprile	...	Aldo
Ellen Davalos	...	Nancy
Joanne Moore Jordan	...	Muriel
John Hawker	...	Joseph Morton
Sil Words	...	James Turner
Elizabeth Deering	...	Angela
Jackie Peters	...	Tina
Elsie Ames	...	Principal
N.J. Cassavetes	...	Adolph

Directed by
John Cassavetes

Writing credits
John Cassavetes		(written by)

Produced by
Sam Shaw	....	producer

Original Music by
Bo Harwood

Cinematography by
Mitch Breit		(uncredited)
Al Ruban		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
David Armstrong
Sheila Viseltear

Art Direction by
Phedon Papamichael

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Corrick	....	first assistant director
Roger Slager	....	second assistant director
Gary Graver	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Steve Hitter	....	graphics
Kevin Joyce	....	props

Sound Department
Michael Denecke	....	sound mixer (as Henry Michael Denecke)
Nick Spaulding	....	boom operator (as Nick Spalding)
Bo Harwood	....	sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mitch Breit	....	in charge of lighting (as Mitchell Breit)
Cliff Carnell	....	key grip
Merv Dayan	....	lighting technician
Caleb Deschanel	....	additional photographer
Frederick Elmes	....	assistant camera (as Fred Elmes)
Michael Ferris	....	camera operator (as Mike Ferris)
Gary Graver	....	additional camera operator
David V. Lester	....	gaffer (as David Lester)
David B. Nowell	....	camera operator (as David Nowell)
Leslie Otis	....	assistant camera
Anthony R. Palmieri	....	assistant camera (as Tony Palmieri)
Larry Silver	....	assistant camera
Bo Taylor	....	lighting technician
Chris Taylor	....	lighting technician
Brian Hamill	....	still photographer: special assignment (uncredited)
R. Michael Stringer	....	additional photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Carole K. Smith	....	wardrobe (as Carole Smith)

Editorial Department
Tom Cornwell	....	supervising editor
Robert Heffernan	....	executive in charge of post-production

Other crew
Elaine Goren	....	continuity
Carole K. Smith	....	production secretary (as Carole Smith)

Production Companies

• Faces

Distributors

• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1976) (France) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Faces International
• Touchstone Home Video

Other Companies

• American Film Institute (AFI)  thanks

Runtime:

155 min | USA:146 min (TCM print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 | Brazil:12 | Australia:M | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-16 | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) (1992) | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

1741 N. Taft Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Faces

Trivia:

Last film of Elsie Ames.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Nick pulls up to the construction site in his pick up truck, the truck comes to a complete stop in the wide shot. In the close-up on the opposite side of the truck, it's still moving.

Quotes:

Mabel Longhetti: All of a sudden, I miss everyone...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Happy Days: A Woman Not Under the Influence (#10.1)" (1982)

Entertain Me With A Hair Ribbon

This film, "Woman Under The Influence" purports a very compelling illustration of mental illness. The movie depicts a blue collar family which is writhing in a very desultory state of affairs to begin with. This upheaval is compounded when it winds up culminating with the wife's debilitating cerebral condition! The aggregate domestic despondence that the Longhetti family is experiencing has thrown all of them into a tumultuous tailspin! Because Gena Rowland's mental anguish is unable to pinpoint, comprehension of the cause of such a disease became a proverbial needle in a haystack. Peter Falk plays the husband, he is rough around the edges to begin with, his patience has an agitated overtone attached to it!! The fact that his wife is stricken with a psychological handicap now manifested itself into an excruciating breaking point that he and his family were coerced into dealing with! While the wife (Gena Rowlands) seems presumably normal most of the time, she really is not, furthermore, being normal only 75% of the time will not suffice, sorry to be so fussy!! Her condition ruthlessly erodes at this family's emotional resolve, and presents itself as a heinous source of consternation for all parties involved! All of the major characters in this film were continuously elaborating on the rudimentary components of a very precarious and visceral survival. Gena Rowland's dubious plight was the virulent culprit to everyone else's anxiety, (including the children's) Her little skit, which she performed with a hair ribbon, sort of explained what type of person she was. Such a caricatured display gave you the indication that she was basically intelligent and imaginative, however, her illness had rendered her mentally irrational. As a result, the entire family became burdened with an apocalyptic living nightmare!! The director of this film, John Cassevetes, is absolutely phenomenal at portraying a number of pejorative aspects of human nature that are extremely difficult for many people to stomach. Reality has the potential to offend many movie viewers whether it intends to do so or not!! "A Woman Under The Influence" evokes such a scrutinizing display of haunting realism, that it has been the noteworthy recipient of the critically acclaimed accolade of "stunningly unique" in the cinema world. Gena Rowland's troubles did not delve into dirges of neon accented insanity, rather, they dealt with a series of illogical obsessions. These compulsions wound up pontificating an acute itemization of the type of disconcerting mental disease that she was afflicted with. Peter Falk did not want to commit his spouse to a mental institution, yet, living with her became an obstacle course from Hell!! His predicament became a choice between the devil or the deep blue sea!! This film is totally fabulous!! John Cassevetes is one of the greatest directors in the history of Hollywood!! Made right around the time of "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" "A Woman Under The Influence" deals with the same dreadful similarities to unexplained mental handicaps, and their lethal complexities. The directing to this movie is outstanding! The acting is incredible! "A Woman Under The Influence" possesses an overall ideological fervor which entitles it to be amidst an onslaught of movies which are categorized as emphatically first rate!!! TEN STARS!! Definitely!!!