IMDb > A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
A Woman Under the Influence
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

A Woman Under the Influence (1974) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
8.1/10   4,389 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 20% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
John Cassavetes
Writer:
John Cassavetes (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for A Woman Under the Influence on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
18 November 1974 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
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. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 4 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
Top 7 Films Directed by Actors Turned Directors
 (From Scorecard Review. 30 October 2009, 4:34 AM, PDT)

cinemadaily | Recent Restorations Shine at MoMA
 (From indieWIRE. 26 October 2009, 8:14 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Courageous and Uncompromising Film more (71 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

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
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
155 min | USA:146 min (TCM print)
Country:
USA
Language:
English | Italian
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
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
Company:
Faces more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
John Cassavetes, could not find any distributor for this film after completion, and was at one point literally carrying the reels of the film under his arm from one theater to another in hopes of getting one to play his movie. Finally, 'Martin Scorcese' , who had recently become a critically acclaimed director thanks to his film Mean Streets (1973) and happened to be a huge fan of Cassavetes' work threatened to pull his film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) from a major New York film festival unless they accepted this film. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Mabel puts her bare feet up on table soon after packing kids off to their grandmother, her soles are perfectly clean although she'd just been running around on lawn and carport, riding bike and walking around house with no shoes on. more
Quotes:
Mabel Longhetti: All of a sudden, I miss everyone... more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Edge of Outside (2006) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
11 out of 16 people found the following comment useful.
Courageous and Uncompromising Film, 12 June 2006
9/10
Author: Galina from Virginia, USA

This movie is a breakthrough - courageous and uncompromising view at the family and at the marriage where both spouses love each other deeply but they are both not well, they don't know how communicate when somebody else present, even their own children. They could be happy on the deserted island but not surrounded by friends and families. I was fascinated by both, Peter Falk's and Gena Rowlands' performances. She looked like a little girl, trapped in a woman's body - confused, insecure, listening to what is inside of her. When she said to her children, "I hope that you will never grow up", she meant it because she never felt comfortable as a grown up. I could not take my yes off Rowlands. Her performance is on par with the best study of nervous breakdown I've seen, and this is Liv Ullmann in Bergman's "Face to Face".

Peter Falks was also a revelation - I love him as Lt. Columbo in the TV series but he is a completely different character here; in a way, he is as mentally unbalanced as his wife is. The fact that he loves her but never hesitates to abuse her makes him terrifying - you never know how he will act in the next moment, and he does not know himself. Directing and writing are absolutely first class, and I am very exited to see more films by John Cassavetes, the Godfather of American Independent film-making and a father of American "New Wave" 9.5/10

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (71 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
What was the purpose of this movie? astor1998
Boring, and I blame it on the direction Rrichboy
mable's health zachhh
A Woman Under the Influence or Repulsion? sightless
Possible core of the film. nateedwardsone
Dad, will you please stand up for me runamuckinkent
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
The Aviator Malèna Short Cuts The Naked Kiss La historia oficial
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.