Overview
Mabel Longhetti, desperate and lonely, is married to a Los Angeles municipal construction worker, Nick. Increasingly unstable, especially in the company of others, she craves happiness, but her extremely volatile behavior convinces Nick that she poses a danger to their family and decides to commit her to an institution for six months. Alone with a trio of kids to raise on his own, he awaits her return, which holds more than a few surprises.
First and foremost, Rowlands gives one of the all-time great performances that you are ever going to see in a film. This role had to have been incredibly difficult to make it look authentic, and I believed every second that she was on the screen. And Falk was excellent in a role that – rather sneakily – required a lot of range as the movie progressed. What (partially) ruined it for me was the ending. Really? After all that we just saw, that is how it ends?
IHATEBadMovies.com reviews A Woman Under the Influence
Movie title: A Woman Under the Influence
Movie description: Mabel Longhetti, desperate and lonely, is married to a Los Angeles municipal construction worker, Nick. Increasingly unstable, especially in the company of others, she craves happiness, but her extremely volatile behavior convinces Nick that she poses a danger to their family and decides to commit her to an institution for six months. Alone with a trio of kids to raise on his own, he awaits her return, which holds more than a few surprises.
Date published: 2026-02-16
Director(s): John Cassavetes
Actor(s): Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk, Fred Draper, Lady Rowlands, Katherine Cassavetes, Matthew Labyorteaux, Matthew Cassel, Christina Grisanti, George Dunn, Mario Gallo, Eddie Shaw, Angelo Grisanti, Charles Horvath, James Joyce, John Finnegan, Vincent Barbi, Cliff Carnell, Frank Richards, Hugh Hurd, Leon Wagner, Dominique Davalos, Xan Cassavetes, Pancho Meisenheimer, Sonny Aprile, Ellen Davalos, Joanne Moore Jordan, John Hawker, Sylvester Words, Elizabeth Deering, Jackie Peters, Elsie Ames, N.J. Cassavetes
Genre: Drama, Romance
My Review
First and foremost, Rowlands gives one of the all-time great performances that you are ever going to see in a film. This role had to have been incredibly difficult to make it look authentic, and I believed every second that she was on the screen. And Falk was excellent in a role that – rather sneakily – required a lot of range as the movie progressed. What (partially) ruined it for me was the ending. Really? After all that we just saw, that is how it ends?
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My Review - 7/10
7/10