Gena Rowlands

Peter Falk

Fred Draper

Lady Rowlands

Katherine Cassavetes

Matthew Labyorteaux

Matthew Cassel

Christina Grisanti

George Dunn

Mario Gallo

Eddie Shaw

Angelo Grisanti

Charles Horvath

James Joyce

John P. Finnegan

Vincent Barbi

Cliff Carnell

Frank Richards

Hugh Hurd

Leon Wagner

Dominique Davalos

Xan Cassavetes

Pancho Meisenheimer

Sonny Aprile

Ellen Davalos

Joanne Moore Jordan

John Hawker

Sylvester Words

Elizabeth Deering

Jackie Peters

Elsie Ames

N.J. Cassavetes

John Cassavetes

Al Ruban

Mitch Breit

Sam Shaw

Bo Harwood

David Armstrong

Sheila Viseltear

Phedon Papamichael

Faces International Films

Mabel Longhetti, desperate and lonely, is married to a Los Angeles municipal construction worker, Nick. Increasingly unstable, especially in the company of others, she craves happiness, but her extremely volatile behavior convinces Nick that she poses a danger to their family and decides to commit her to an institution for six months. Alone with a trio of kids to raise on his own, he awaits her return, which holds more than a few surprises.

Drama

English

Italian

A Woman Under the Influence

Subscribe to HBO Max using our link and support us while you watch A Woman Under the Influence!

Get HBO Max

protolexus’s diary entry for A Woman Under the Influence

Either nick can see through that hat or he is bluffing and completely blind. Next on 70mm

slim’s ★★★ diary entry for A Woman Under the Influence

Peter Falk stresses me out.More on a <a href="http://www.70mmpod.com" rel="nofollow">very special 70mm podcast</a>.

SBerrett’s ★★★½ review of A Woman Under the Influence

This is an ulcer inducing front row seat to one family’s mental health crisis. Had to watch in 25 minute segments. Heavy, heavy stuff. Incredibly well acted. But I am left wondering if it has anything to say about the issues it portrays, or if it's too focused on making sure the portrayal is gut wrenchingly visceral. Which IT IS.

groogruxdave’s ★★★★ diary entry for A Woman Under the Influence

A look into a chaotic relationship, and for a few personal reasons leaves me unsettled. I hated watching the children but also was riveted with how real the filming and feel of it was. Though somewhat of a nothingburger, the dynamic between the leads was wild and deserving of all the acclaim already thrown their way. The whole time watching I kept thinking, was this based on a play? Cause it would probably be a great play.

Tyler’s ★★★★½ diary entry for A Woman Under the Influence

So I thought I had seen this movie but I realized I only have seen the first 45 minutes of it. Regardless, there isn’t much that can be said more about this one other than Cassavettes had a truly remarkable gift for creating empathy for all characters in situations that are truly distressing. His characters won’t always make the right choices, but you understand them and you relate to them and you are there with them. A masterclass in staging, acting and editing.

Sean Cohen’s ★★★★½ diary entry for A Woman Under the Influence

While movies are static, one's life is not. The growth we all experience changes the lens in which we view the world around us. Becoming a parent might be the largest aperture change we can have. Revisiting "A Woman Under the Influence" after becoming a parent doesn't diminishing its brilliance but only brings into focus how painful and emotional this film is to experience.

middlecasey’s diary entry for A Woman Under the Influence

Be extremely wary of a grown ass man whose mother says “my son is a good boy!” I have no clue how to rate this. It is so hard to watch children be actively traumatized in a film. It is so hard to watch a man portray dysregulation and its consequences for such a huge majority of a film. I went in thinking that Mabel’s mental health issues would be what made me uncomfortable, and it was probably last on the list of why sitting through this movie was so difficult.

Ben Jessup’s ★★★½ diary entry for A Woman Under the Influence

𝙬𝙚𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙮’s ★★★★½ diary entry for A Woman Under the Influence

Holy mother of all that is holy. I can't even begin to describe the complexity of emotions I felt while watching this. The futility in that ending is one of the most gut-wrenching things I think I've ever seen. Peter Falk is astounding in this. Gena Rowlands might be even better. The camerawork is masterful. The casting inspired. I'm gonna have to watch the rest of the Cassavetes on my watchlist immediately now. Right after I rewatch all of Columbo, that is.

kkoechner’s ★★★ diary entry for A Woman Under the Influence

I have very mixed feelings about this film. Pros Gena Rowlands is astounding! She's the only reason this movie didn't sink. If she wasn't competing against Ellen Burstyn &amp; Faye Dunaway during the 47th Academy Awards, (which they also gave career defining performances that year) she would have received the Oscar gold! NO DOUBT!Cons I know they had budget and producing issues in this movie and you can tell. It looks like an attempt in filming in the style of today's Lars Von Tier filmmaking, but having no clue how to do it. Also, the film feels very dated.

Marcie’s ★★★ diary entry for A Woman Under the Influence

That spaghetti dinner, my word. Thanks for the dinner inspiration tonight. The reunion scene with the kids made me cry more than I expected. I definitely need a nap after watching this, I feel exhausted.

ChefPablo’s ★★★★½ diary entry for A Woman Under the Influence

Gena Rowlands gives one of the best performances I have ever seen. Peter Falk is also fantastic, but Rowlands is on another level.

boomsheekajones’s ★★★ diary entry for A Woman Under the Influence

I always feel weird with stuff like this because this film is so highly regarded and I really don’t understand why, lol. A big part of it is probably that nothing happening on screen really resonated with me at all and I found it quite boring. I thought the acting was pretty good, but both the lead characters were pretty ridiculous. Everything felt so loose, unfocused and melodramatic. Is that the point? Maybe, but it’s still a miss for me.

plamentzvetkov’s ★★★★★ diary entry for A Woman Under the Influence

Chris’s ★★★★½ diary entry for A Woman Under the Influence

Sean Allen’s ★★★★ diary entry for A Woman Under the Influence

What an uncomfortable watch. Depiction of mental health is always a tricky balance and I'm still not sure how I feel about what I saw. I'll commend this film for not falling into the standard mold and really just throwing the viewer into this families life. We don't get a scene of them going to visit a doctor, we don't see the clinic Mabel is sent to and we never hear any kind of diagnosis. Having experienced Mania myself I can say some of the erratic behaviors felt familiar but there's clearly a lot going on. Coupled with Nick being completely out of his element and being a 'bit' of a hothead, my heart really broke for these kids. The scene where the kids are 'Under the Influence' is so sad and I guess is there to highlight that both parents have some deep flaws. But there's absolutely love in this home which was the added layer that I appreciated the most. Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk give amazing/ complex performances but I still don't think I'll be revisiting this one anytime soon.

IVM’s ★★★★½ diary entry for A Woman Under the Influence

The acting here is absolutely top notch. Some of the best acting from a leading lady I might have ever seen from Gena Rowlands. Incredible range within the film itself, such a loving, caring mother who cares so much to a fault. Some quotes from her delivery just break your heart to pieces.<blockquote>I'm just trying very hard not to get excited.</blockquote><blockquote>No emotions now. I really want to be calm.</blockquote><blockquote>Dad, will you please stand up for me?</blockquote>Good lord what a performance. Really unbelievable.Falk also does a great job but he stresses me tf out. What a terrible husband and father lol. The manhandling I just couldn't take it. This dude was telling at her to be happy out of the tip of his lungs, forcing her to be herself after coming back home my goodness.Again, I reiterate, Gena Rowlands was the absolute highlight. Fantastic.

Sophie Shin’s ★★★★ diary entry for A Woman Under the Influence

I am still trying to fully wrap my head around this one. I think where I land right now is that this is a very good movie but I had a horrible time watching it and will probably never revisit. I was fully entranced by Gena Rowlands’ performance. What a wonder.

EwanS93’s ★★★★ diary entry for A Woman Under the Influence

I found this intense and upsetting to the point of exhaustion. Gena Rowlands is a force of nature. What a performance. I might add to this later but need some time to think about it. I'm glad to have seen it but can't see myself revisiting.