After stunning audiences with his ferociously personal, gritty depictions of masculinity in WHO'S THAT KNOCKING AT MY DOOR? (1968) and MEAN STREETS (1973), Martin Scorsese bade farewell to his native New York City in order to direct this delightfully bittersweet portrait of an... [More]

After stunning audiences with his ferociously personal, gritty depictions of masculinity in WHO'S THAT KNOCKING AT MY DOOR? (1968) and MEAN STREETS (1973), Martin Scorsese bade farewell to his native New York City in order to direct this delightfully bittersweet portrait of an unflappable single mother. The Oscar-winning Ellen Burstyn is flat-out marvelous as Alice Hyatt, a newly widowed woman who hopes to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming a singer. Fleeing her small New Mexico town with her 11-year-old son, Tommy (the hilariously spunky Alfred Lutter), Alice promises not to stop until they reach her hometown of Monterey, California. But after a near disaster in Phoenix (compliments of the fiery Harvey Keitel), the pair settles in Tucson, where Alice grudgingly takes a job as a waitress. It's there where she meets the irresistible David (Kris Kristofferson), a warmhearted customer who won't take no for an answer. At the same time, Tommy befriends Audrey (Jodie Foster), a young tomboy with a mischievous streak. Scorsese's realistic modern fairytale (as evidenced by the film's opening ode to THE WIZARD OF OZ) breathes with a hard-edged tenderness that is a wonder to behold. Robert Getchell's script deftly balances comedy and drama, as well as reality and fantasy, creating a distinctive tone that has inspired numerous imitators (TUMBLEWEEDS, ANYWHERE BUT HERE). ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE is that rare gift, a film that reflects the era in which it was shot but never feels dated. [Less]