Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore

A departure from the urban underworld of Mean Streets, Martin Scorsese’s first studio film, set in the Southwest with a female lead, afforded him the opportunity to show his versatility. Alice earned Academy Award nominations for writer Robert Getchell and actress Diane Ladd, as well as a Best Actress win for Ellen Burstyn for her nuanced performance as a widowed mother who hits the road with her preteen son in the hope of finding work as a singer. Scorsese and Burstyn bonded over Alice’s emotional journey while leaving space for the rest of the excellent cast—including Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, and Kris Kristofferson—to shine.