A Woman Under the Influence. 1974. USA. Written and directed by John Cassavetes. With Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk, Fred Draper
35mm. 155 min.
Mabel Longhetti, a wife and mother in a stable marriage, is often overwhelmed and awkward around guests, traits magnified by her husband Nick's easygoing, gregarious manner. The film is set just prior to and just following her six-month stay in a psychiatric ward, as the fragile Mabel perseveres in keeping their family life together. Gena Rowlands, Cassavetes's real-life wife, received an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Mabel.