Sunday, May 14, 2006

One Hell of an Underrated Flick


Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, directed by Martin Scorcese, 1974. This movie was on Channel 13 last night; I had Netflixed it before, but it took another look to confirm that it is one of my all tme favorites. It stars Ellen Burstyn, Kris Kristofersson, Harvey Keitel, Diane Ladd, Jodie Foster and more--including Mel of Mel's Diner fame--it's the movie that inspired the sitcom Alice.

Burstyn is outstanding, and so is her kid, Tommy, played by Alfred Lutter (The Bad News Bears). Their dialogue is pants-pissing funny. He's about 10, her husband just died, and they're driving cross country in search of a new start:

Ellen: Let's you and me get gussied up tonight and paint the town red, like my grandma used to say.
Tommy: What?
Ellen: I said, let's get you cleaned up and we'll go out amongst 'em.
Tommy: What?
Ellen: What, are you Helen Keller? I said, let's go out and have a nice dinner tonight. Geez.

If you haven't seen it. See it! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll fuckin' love it.

2 comments:

Bello (Buddy) Manjaro said...

I completely loved that film too. I saw it when it was "first run" in the theatres a thousand years ago. I should buy it DVD.

Peter Matthes said...

Poor Vic Tayback!

He played Mel, who was first introduced to audiences in the 1974 movie "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore". He again found himself in that role two years later when CBS introduced the comedy television series Alice, starring Linda Lavin, and the show became an instant hit with audiences worldwide. The popular TV series ran from 1976 to 1985 and made Vic, who played the part of crusty Mel's Diner owner, as well as his zany waitresses, household names. He won Golden Globe awards in 1979 and 1980.

Unfortunately, on May 25, 1990, Vic suffered a heart attack which proved to be fatal.

Yeah yeah ... I can hear what you're going to say already ... "UM ... THANKS LEONARD MALTIN!"