“A Woman Under The Influence” is a very powerful film directed by John Cassavettes. This movie was released in 1974. The story begins with what seems to be a husband and wife and their beautiful three children living a normal life. The husband, Nick, has plans to take his wife, Mable, out for a date night. Mable’s mother has arrived at their home to take the children for the evening. Mable does seem a little flustered in the beginning of the movie, possibly because her nerves for her date. Nick makes a phone call from his job site informing his wife that he is going to have to work late and that he isn’t going to make it for their date. The scene then shows Mable, who is clearly upset, drinking a cocktail. She then goes out on her own to a bar where she harmlessly befriends a man. At first, this seems to be a man she knows, but shortly into the film it is clear that this is their first meeting.

The gentleman offers to buy Mable a drink. It was at this point in the movie that one would guess that she is an alcoholic. The bartender pours her a shot of Seagram’s 7 over ice and she tells him to pour some more. She then downs the entire drink at once, implying that she is an alcoholic. The title of this film also implies that the film will be about a woman’s struggle with an addiction. However, shortly into the film it is clear that alcohol is not what she is under the influence of.

The next day the main characters are hosting a lunch at their house for Nick’s coworkers. During the meal, Mable starts to act weird. She causes a little scene after the men leave. This was the first time during the film that it was clear that something was not right with her mentally.

The film continues on and it is very clear that she is struggling to tell the difference between what is right and wrong. At one point she invites some other children over to play with her own, and their father has a fear of leaving them alone with her. She is just trying to be the best mother she can be, but she is not making appropriate choices. There was one scene in particular that really upset me. She had told the girls to go dress up in costumes and the boys to dress as pirates. It was clear that she felt this was a great idea, however, the father of the other children did not agree. It was at this point that Nick and his mother, Margaret return home to find his youngest, Maria, running around the house naked. This was very odd for me to watch. The fact that the girl was only about four or five years old and was running around the house for several seconds completely nude was very disturbing. I current times this type of cinematography would not be acceptable.

The movie continues on with the husband reaching out to the local doctor to observe his wife’s behavior. It was at this point that the acting done by Gena Rowlands was Oscar worthy. The film maker used his camera skills to show this from a first hand view. I really liked the way that the camera blurred in and out of focus almost as if it was showing the world through her eyes. The doctor concluded that she shall be committed to a mental hospital. It was very clear that this was hard for her husband to accept. The hurt and pain in his eyes showed that he wanted what was best for his wife, while trying to keep her trust with him.

The film then flashes forward six months. The scene shows Nick, his coworkers, and other friends and family gathering at his house. They are all dressed in their best suits and are ready to give Mable a warm welcome home from the institution. At second thought this was not the best idea. His mother continues to tell everyone that it is best if they leave with the exception of immediate family and there closest friends.

When Mable returns home she is welcomed by her loved ones. It is clear that she is still unstable. The most touching part of the movie is when she asked little Maria to come to her. Maria asks, “you want me to come to you mama?” Mable replies, “only if you want to.” Maria then tells her “Okay mama, I am going to stay right here.” This was heartbreaking because it was clear that all Mable wanted to be was the best mother she could be. I feel at this point she felt as if she was a failure. She has another episode and the family leaves her and Nick to themselves. Mable attempts to cut her wrists and her children want to be near her and make sure she is okay. Her and Nick put the children to bed and all seems normal again.  At the end of the film the two of them seem to be completely content. The music turns very upbeat and the two of them clean up the mess from dinner with no issues what so ever. The film ends with the two of them going to bed as if it was just another ordinary day.

I would say this movie is very unconventional. It had similarities to other movies such as “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” I really appreciate the way that John Cassavettes directed the film from the view of someone that was in the room with the actors. He really portrayed it on a real-life level.

“Well she’s insecure, hyper, manic. She laughs too much and pushes too hard. She’s not good with other people around.” This description of Mable by Roger Ebert is very spot- on. I agree with his overview of the movie. I also really liked the way he described the differences in their parenting styles.

I feel that historically this movie shows how a person can be affected by mental illness. I feel that the risque scenes were very different than what would be seen in films today. I would suggest this film for psychology students to review. Cassavettes did a great job showing how people reacted to those with mental issues in the 1970’s. I also really appreciate the fact that Cassavettes was an actor before he was a director and worked in films such as “Rosemary’s Baby” to help fund his own movies.