Writer/director John Cassavetes and lead performer Gena Rowlands astonished audiences in 1974 with A Woman Under the Influence, part of our American Independent series.
Mabel Longhetti (Rowlands) is the domestic partner of Nick (Peter Falk), leaving her and their three children in isolation as he works full-time in construction. One night, Mabel becomes gradually overwhelmed by Nick's emotional volatility and is forced into a mental hospital following a severe episode. Months later, Mabel returns home, but Nick finds himself unable to reckon with Mabel's desire to change for the better.
Originally written by Cassavetes as a play for his partner/lead performer, Gena Rowlands embeds A Woman Under the Influence with a performance that is at once raw, courageous, and devastatingly unflinching.
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