Alice's childhood dreams of becoming a singer were never fulfilled. Locked in a loveless marriage with a precocious son, her life is nothing more than routine. A freak accident, killing her husband, forces Alice and son to hit the road in pursuit of her dream with nothing but determination and spirit. This is Alice's chance to change her life forever but will the American Dream sour along a hot, dusty highway filled with disappointed and disillusioned people?
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The review of this Movie prepared by Mike Tomlinson
For those of you who thought Martin Scorsese only made gangster movies, here's a real surprise: not only did he make a housewife melodrama somewhere in the seventies, but he made the best one around for miles. Ellen Burstyn is fantastic as middle-aging wife and mother Alice, whose life is torn apart when her neglectful husband is killed in a car accident and she is left with nothing to take care of her fast growing son (Alfred Lutter III). The two find themselves on a road trip across the country to Tucson where she plans to start all over again, but not before various stops along the way keep them from achieving their goal too soon. Diane Ladd is brilliant as Flo, the nasty-mouthed waitress at the diner where Alice gets a job to stay afloat (Polly Holliday made a name for herself playing the role on the hit television show "Alice" that was based on this film). Look for little Laura Dern eating an ice cream cone at the diner counter, and a twelve year-old Jodie Foster as a precocious little thief who hilariously refers to her prostitute mother as "Ramada Rose". Excellent stuff.
The review of this Movie prepared by Bil Antoniou
