John Cassavetes' harrowing masterpiece charts the emotional meltdown of a suburban housewife and its effects on her blue-collar Italian family. Gena Rowlands stars as Mabel Longhetti, a mother of three whose husband Nick (Peter Falk) works as a construction worker; a mismatched couple like so many others in Cassavetes films, the Longhettis seem to be complete opposites: she's impetuous, extroverted, and fragile, while he's controlling, distant, and hard-bitten. Their differences underscore a series of domestic dramas, culminating in a nervous breakdown that sends Mabel to a psychiatric hospital for six months, only to return to a home environment on even thinner ice than before. The improvisational style central to Cassavetes' vision is at its most acute throughout A Woman Under the Influence. Like its title heroine, the film threatens to veer out of control at any time, its shape and scope defined not by narrative but by the emotional upheaval at its center. Embracing the full spectrum of the Longhettis' relationship, from seismic bursts of high drama to small, even trivial moments of domestic tedium, its long scenes relentlessly probe every nook and cranny of the family's life, drawing out each moment for maximum emotional impact; the film is by turns beautiful and ugly, illuminating and frustrating, and it features a performance by Rowlands as heartwrenching and unforgettable as any ever committed to celluloid. (Synopsis courtesy of AllMovie.com)
Cast Peter Falk ... Nick Longhetti
Gena Rowlands ... Mabel Longhetti
Fred Draper ... George Mortensen
Lady Rowlands ... Martha Mortensen
Katherine Cassavetes ... Margaret Longhetti
Matthew Laborteaux ... Angelo Longhetti
Matthew Cassel ... Tony Longhetti
Christina Grisanti ... Maria Longhetti
O.G. Dunn ... Garson Cross
Mario Gallo ... Harold Jensen
Eddie Shaw ... Dr. Zepp
Angelo Grisanti ... Vito Grimaldi
Charles Horvath ... Eddie
James Joyce ... Bowman
John Finnegan ... Clancy
Vincent Barbi ... Gino (as Vince Barbi)
Cliff Carnell ... Aldo
Frank Richards ... Adolph
Hugh Hurd ... Willie Johnson
Leon Wagner ... Billy Tidrow
Dominique Davalos ... Dominique Jensen
Alexandra Cassavetes ... Adrienne Jensen (as Xan Cassavetes)
Pancho Meisenheimer ... John Jensen
Sonny Aprile ... Aldo
Ellen Davalos ... Nancy
Joanne Moore Jordan ... Muriel
John Hawker ... Joseph Morton
Sil Words ... James Turner
Elizabeth Deering ... Angela
Jackie Peters ... Tina
Elsie Ames ... Principal
N.J. Cassavetes ... Adolph
Release Dates Spain 20 September 1974
USA 12 October 1974
USA 18 November 1974
Spain 20 January 1975
Argentina 14 August 1975
Sweden 22 October 1975
Finland 13 February 1976
France 14 April 1976
West Germany 24 June 1977
Hungary 31 May 1979
Portugal 6 September 1996
Argentina 10 April 2000
Israel 29 March 2002 (re-release)
Germany 2 January 2003 (re-release)
Czech Republic 7 July 2004
USA April 2009
Directed by
John Cassavetes
Writing credits
John Cassavetes
Produced by
Sam Shaw .... producer
Original Music by
Bo Harwood
Cinematography by
Mitch Breit (uncredited)
Al Ruban (uncredited)
Film Editing by
David Armstrong
Sheila Viseltear
Art Direction by
Phedon Papamichael
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Corrick .... first assistant director
Roger Slager .... second assistant director
Gary Graver .... second unit director (uncredited)
Art Department
Steve Hitter .... graphics
Kevin Joyce .... props
Sound Department
Michael Denecke .... sound mixer (as Henry Michael Denecke)
Nick Spaulding .... boom operator (as Nick Spalding)
Bo Harwood .... sound (uncredited)
Camera and Electrical Department
Mitch Breit .... in charge of lighting (as Mitchell Breit)
Cliff Carnell .... key grip
Merv Dayan .... lighting technician
Caleb Deschanel .... additional photographer
Frederick Elmes .... assistant camera (as Fred Elmes)
Michael Ferris .... camera operator (as Mike Ferris)
Gary Graver .... additional camera operator
David V. Lester .... gaffer (as David Lester)
David B. Nowell .... camera operator (as David Nowell)
Leslie Otis .... assistant camera
Anthony R. Palmieri .... assistant camera (as Tony Palmieri)
Larry Silver .... assistant camera
Bo Taylor .... lighting technician
Chris Taylor .... lighting technician
Brian Hamill .... still photographer: special assignment (uncredited)
R. Michael Stringer .... additional photographer (uncredited)
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Carole K. Smith .... wardrobe (as Carole Smith)
Editorial Department
Tom Cornwell .... supervising editor
Robert Heffernan .... executive in charge of post-production
Other crew
Elaine Goren .... continuity
Carole K. Smith .... production secretary (as Carole Smith)
