A Woman Under the Influence

John Cassavetes was inspired to write A Woman Under the Influence when his wife Gena Rowlands expressed a desire for a role about the difficulties faced by contemporary women. After trying to raise money for the project and being told “no one wants to see a crazy, middle-aged dame,” Cassavetes mortgaged his own home and borrowed from family and friends (including Peter Falk). Rowlands plays Mabel Longhetti, a Los Angeles housewife and mother of three married to Nick (Peter Falk), head of a construction crew. In their chaotic Italian-American household, Nick thinks nothing of bringing his entire crew over for spaghetti — at 7:00 am after an all-nighter! Mabel is expected to cook. As played by Falk, Nick lives at a perpetual bursting point, shouting and storming and always on. Mabel is insecure, childlike, hyper; she behaves strangely, especially when other people are around. As her behaviour becomes increasingly erratic, Nick reluctantly has her committed to an institution. Left alone with his children, Nick soon proves to be no better or wiser a parent than his wife. Now considered a classic of American cinema, Cassavetes’s self-distributed film turned a respectable profit and earned two Academy Award nominations, for Rowlands as Best Actress and Cassavetes as Best Director. Colour, 35mm. 155 mins.

Post-screening discussion with Michael van den Bos, a Vancouver-based film teacher, writer, historian and producer. Michael spent 20 years in the Vancouver animation industry, producing a variety of animated television programming and short theatrical cartoons. Currently, he teaches Film Theory at the Vancouver Film School; Film History at the Pacific Audio Visual Institute; and the History of Character Animation at Capilano University. Michael writes a bi-monthly film column called "Cinemascope" for Vancouver View magazine and film reviews and film essays for his website/blog "Movie Mad."

Moderated by Caroline Coutts. Programmer of the Frames of Mind Monthly Mental Health Film Series since its inception in September 2002, Caroline is also a filmmaker and a programmer at the Knowledge Network, B.C.’s public educational broadcaster.