Alice (1990): Woody Allen’s Fantasy-Dramedy, Starring Mia Farrow, Alec Baldwin, Blythe Danner, Judy Davis, William Hurt, Joe Mantegna Bernadette Peters, Cybill Shepherd, Gwen Verdon (One of Allen’s Weakest Film)

In a brief encounter, Alice is smitten with Joe Ruffalo (Joe Mantegna), a handsome jazz musician, which makes her feels guilt-ridden.

When her turmoil causes backache, she is referred to Dr. Yang, an Asian herbalist who hypnotizes her. She confesses that she was attracted to her husband for his looks and money.

Dr. Yang gives Alice ancient herbs that make her act on her feelings toward Joe Ruffalo. But when the herbs wear off, Alice is appalled at her own behavior.

The next herbs she receives turn her invisible, and she spies on Joe going visiting his ex-wife, Vicky. Much to Alice’s horror, they make love in Vicky’s office.

The next herbal remedy allows Alice to communicate with the ghost of her first lover, Ed, and the latter encourages her to find out more about Joe. Alice and Joe finally meet, under the pretense of their children having a ‘play-date’.

When her guilt bothers her, Alice returns to Dr. Yang, who gives her a pipe.

While asleep, she has vivid dreams about her Catholic upbringing. She realizes that she has lost her goals in her materialistic luxurious lifestyle, and the realization occurs at a fundraising in honor of Mother Theresa, Alice’s idol. After the fundraiser, Joe and Alice sleep together, and she falls for him.

Friends gossip about her and Joe, and Doug hears it too, though he has been having affairs, too. Invisible, Alice goes to his office party, and observes Doug kissing a colleague.

When her invisibility wears off, she confronts Doug. Alice decides to leave Doug and to be with Joe, only to realize that he has decided to reunite with his ex-wife, who still has feelings for him.

Stunned, Alice goes back to Dr. Yang, who gives her one final packet of herbs, able to create a potent love potion. Alice seeks the advice of her sister Dorothy, who is having a Christmas party. The herbs get mixed in with the eggnog, and all the men become enamored with Alice, who then flees in panic.

Alice tells Doug that their marriage is over, declaring her intent to go to Calcutta and work with Mother Teresa. Doug doubts that Alice could survive without the luxuries, but he is wrong.

After meeting Mother Teresa, she becomes a new person. She returns to New York, moves into a modest apartment, and raises the children on her own.

The film, which was inexplicably nominated for the Best Original Screenplay, does not work as a comedy or a fable fantasy, and Allen struggles in juggling the tone from scene to scene in his incoherent text.

Farrow is given a rich role, allowing her to go through varied experiences, but the structure is flimsy, and most of the characters around her underdeveloped.

Even so, as always, there are some interesting moments, offered by the talented ensemble, composed of Joe Mantegna, Alec Baldwin, Blythe Danner, Judy Davis, Bernadette Peters, and Cybill Shepherd.

A second (or third) tier movie in Allen’s output, Alice is an underwhelming quickie, motivated by Allen’s obsession to make one picture a year, without ever thinking if it’s worthy or not.

A Christmas release, the movie was a commercial flop, failing to recoup its production budget.

 

Oscar Nominations: 1

Screenplay (Original): Woody Allen

Oscar Awards: None

Oscar Context

The winner of the Original Screenplay Oscar was Bruce Joel Rubin for Ghost.

Credits:

Orion (Jack Rollins and Charles H. Joffe)

Directed, written by Woody Allen

Cinematography Carlo Di Palma

Edited by Susan E. Morse

Distributed by Orion Pictures

Release date: December 25, 1990
Running time” 106 minutes

Budget: $12 million

Box office: $7.3 million