Overview
A widow embarks on a journey of self-discovery and resilience while raising her son.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- warm
- melancholic
- reflective evening
- road movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Ellen Burstyn's vivid, warm, and emotionally layered performance, the film's perceptive humor, and Martin Scorsese's New Hollywood energy, while finding the melodramatic story uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Alice travels with Tommy from New Mexico through Arizona while pursuing work, singing opportunities, and a new life in California.
Alice seeks work and independence after widowhood while confronting habits formed by marriage and relationships with men.
The Tucson diner brings Alice together with Mel, Flo, and Vera, whose humor and conflict shape her transition.
The film combines bereavement, parenting strain, sexual uncertainty, and workplace banter through an empathetic but unsentimental lens.
Films like Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and why
Five Easy Pieces
shared new hollywood character study, road-movie structure, feminist themes, and bittersweet warmth
An Unmarried Woman
shared female-centered drama, working-class realism, romantic uncertainty, and emotionally complex protagonist
The Last Picture Show
shared road movie framework, single-parent struggle, intimate realism, and hopeful self-reinvention
Minnie and Moskowitz
shared new hollywood naturalism, working-class relationships, sharp humor, and mature romantic drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Martin Scorsese
- Release Date
- 1974-12-09
- Runtime
- 112 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (558)
Cast
- Ellen Burstyn
- Alfred Lutter
- Kris Kristofferson
- Harvey Keitel
- Diane Ladd
- Lelia Goldoni
- Billy Green Bush
- Jodie Foster
- Valerie Curtin
- Vic Tayback
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore about?
- A newly widowed singer travels west with her precocious son, finding precarious work, complicated romance, and a hard-won chance to define herself.
- What is Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore as mild.
- What did critics think of Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore?
- Critics broadly praised Ellen Burstyn's vivid, warm, and emotionally layered performance, the film's perceptive humor, and Martin Scorsese's New Hollywood energy, while finding the melodramatic story uneven.
- Which films are like Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore?
- Films with a similar feel include Five Easy Pieces, An Unmarried Woman, The Last Picture Show, and Minnie and Moskowitz.
- How long is Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore?
- Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore runs 112 minutes.
- Where can I watch Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore?
- In United States, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
