Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

Synopsis: Despite admitting that she was scared of him in her never-ending quest to please him, thirty-five year old housewife and mother Alice Hyatt is devastated when her husband Donald is killed in an on the job traffic accident. With few job skills except that as a singer, Alice, along with her precocious eleven year old son Tommy, decides to move from their current home in Socorro, New Mexico to her home town of Monterrey, California, the only place she has ever felt happy. She plans on getting singing gigs along the way to earn money to get back to Monterrey by the end of the summer and the start of Tommy's school year. Alice's quest for a job at each stop leaves Tommy often to fend for himself, which may make Tommy even more precocious. His behavior is fostered by Alice, as their relationship is often more as trouble-making friends than mother and son. Alice's plans often do not end up as she envisions, especially as she is forced to take a waitressing job at Mel and Ruby's Diner in Tucso
Genre: Drama, Romance
Director(s): Martin Scorsese
Production: Warner Home Video
  Won 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 11 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.4
Rotten Tomatoes:
88%
PG
Year:
1974
112 min
2,313 Views


ALICE:
Wait. No, wait. I can do that better.

I can sing better than Alice Faye.

ALICE:
I swear to Christ I can.

MOTHER:
Allie!

Allie!

Alice Graham, you get in this house...

before I beat the living daylights

out of you. Do you hear me?

You wait and see.

And if anybody doesn't like it,

they can blow it out their ass.

DONALD:
Alice!

DONALD:
For God's sake,

do something about that kid!

Turn that damn thing down!

I'm sorry, Don.

Now keep it off.

You're going to drive us deaf.

Do you want me to have a fight with him?

ALICE:
How are we to have

a meaningful family relationship...

when he's on the verge of killing you

half the time?

And why do we have to have

Mott the Hoople 24 hours a day?

Maybe if I had a Kitty Kallen record.

Kitty....

Am I lucky?

I don't know. I'm an okay sort of person.

How did I get such a smart-ass kid?

You got pregnant.

The mouth. The mouth on him.

Honey, dinner will be ready

in about 30 minutes.

DONALD:
Whatever you say.

You're the cook.

Come on and help me clear up the table.

What are you doing on the floor, kid?

Act like you got good sense.

TOMMY:
Thanks a lot.

Harold wasn't home.

Good. You're just in time

for some peach shortcake.

DONALD:
Let him finish dinner first.

ALICE:
He doesn't want any more.

But he wants that old sugar crap,

don't he?

I hope this is good, now.

Alice, what the hell have you done

to the coffee?

I didn't do anything to the coffee.

Doesn't it taste good?

It tastes like hell.

Mine tastes all right.

Oh, God, it's salty.

-You think that's supposed to be funny?

-What do you mean?

You know what I mean.

What the hell did you do to the sugar?

What?

Don't lie to me, boy.

It's not sugar. It's salt!

ALICE:
Donald!

DONALD:
That's okay, boy.

That's okay. You run.

I'll save it for you. When you get back,

you're going to drink it!

See how you like it.

Alice, if you'd show a little respect

around here, it just may rub off on him.

Socorro sucks!

Watch your head.

GROCER:
You're sure laying the money out

for meat. Company coming?

No, my husband hates me.

I'm trying to get him

to chase me around the bedroom.

Tommy, do you want to give the thanks

this evening?

No, thank you.

Father, make us truly humble

and thankful...

for these and all the other blessings.

We realize that all good things

come from you.

In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Amen.

I made the lamb the way you like it.

-Is it good?

-It's okay.

Irene Payson got back from Denver today.

Said she had a real good time.

She did? Well, what all did she do?

Let's see. She went to visit her family.

Then she went to this mountain resort,

and she did a whole lot of shopping.

Do you like it?

I hate lamb.

Right.

What are you watching?

I don't know.

Is it a movie?

Looks like one to me.

Is it any good?

I don't know. I just turned it on.

BEA:
Don't move.

ALICE:
You make me laugh.

BEA:
Sorry.

Don't make it too tight.

I got to be able to sit.

BEA:
Don't I know? I know.

ALICE:
All right.

I thought he was going to kill Tommy

this morning. I really did.

Yeah, I heard him yelling.

He sure sounded mean.

He's not mean. He's just....

You know, he gets so....

I don't know.

He just gets so loud sometimes.

I sure couldn't live without

some kind of man around the house.

ALICE:
I could.

BEA:
And neither could you.

Yes, I could. Easy.

-No, you couldn't.

-Easy.

Could be just as happy

if I never saw one again, ever.

Of course, it might be different if I ever,

you know....

If I met a man like Robert Redford,

that could be different.

I'll bet it's different.

He wouldn't be the kind of man

that would roll over and go to sleep...

as soon as he's finished.

I think he'd be very gentle.

Listen, I wonder what kind of build

he's got on him.

Did you ever see his feet?

Feet?

I heard one time

that's supposed to be an indication.

Excuse me.

I saw a picture. They're huge!

ALICE:
Bea, wait a minute.

BEA:
They're like this!

ALICE:
Shut up, you nut.

Hello?

Yes.

This is his wife.

What?

No!

ALICE:
My Donald is dead.

God, forgive me.

You know, I still expect him

to come home for dinner.

I know.

KEN:
Wait here, Harold.

ALICE:
Bye, Harold.

HAROLD:
Bye, Allie.

KEN:
I'm sorry.

ALICE:
Thank you.

KEN:
See you later.

You want me to come in with you

for a while?

No, I have to get used to it sometime.

I might as well start now.

ALICE:
Thank you.

BEA:
I'll be over in a while with dinner.

ALICE:
Thanks, Bea.

-How much money is there left?

-Don't ask.

I'm asking.

Before the funeral,

there was a little over $2,000, but....

TOMMY:
What's left?

ALICE:
About $1.59.

TOMMY:
What are you going to do, Mom?

ALICE:
I don't know, pal.

ALICE:
What are you going to do?

We're in this together, you know.

TOMMY:
You've got to be able

to do something.

ALICE:
The only job I ever had was singing.

It ain't Peggy Lee.

-I had a little trouble--

-Seven more dollars.

Thank you very much. Terrific.

TOMMY:
I'm going to turn 12 in Monterey.

ALICE:
That's right.

You'll love it there.

I can't wait till you see it.

TOMMY:
It's got to have Socorro beat.

ALICE:
That it does, by a lot.

Thank you. Wear it in good health.

WOMAN:
Are you asking $12.50

for this shawl?

ALICE:
Yeah, but you see,

it was originally $50.

This is the original price tag.

I don't know.

It is beautiful, but that's too much for me.

It's not too much for a $50 shawl.

WOMAN:
I don't know.

ALICE:
Neither do I.

I may kill myself before this day is over.

I can't believe I didn't sell this:

a homemade apron with a daisy on it.

Ma'am, I'd like to give this to you

as a present.

No, I couldn't.

Please, as a favor to me.

It would make me happy if you'd take it.

I certainly do appreciate it, and thank you.

You're welcome.

I'm sorry if I was rude before.

I've been kind of nervous lately.

Enjoy it.

I certainly will. You can just bank on that.

Bye.

Lock your door.

Hope it doesn't rain too hard.

I wish you weren't going.

There's room in the car.

Want to come with us?

Maybe I will.

Just leave Ken and the kids flat.

ALICE:
Wouldn't that be hysterical

if you got in the car and drove off with us?

And they never saw you again.

I can see their faces.

I wish I could.

ALICE:
Bye, Harold.

-Be a good boy, now.

-Okay.

I'll miss you, Allie.

I'll write to you.

No, you won't.

People say they will, but they don't.

Don't cry. That'll make me cry.

-Who's going to make me laugh?

-No. Don't, Bea.

Bye.

BEA:
Here, take this with you for luck.

ALICE:
Thank you.

BEA:
Take care of yourself.

ALICE:
I will.

-Goodbye.

-God bless you.

Thank you for everything.

Oh, God.

Are we there yet?

ALICE:
Don't look back.

You'll turn into a pillar of sh*t.

TOMMY:
The whole state is sh*t.

ALICE:
Don't talk dirty, Tommy.

How may times do I have to tell you?

Give me a potato chip.

Take this off my hand.

Mom, I feel sick.

-What do you mean?

-Like I might throw up.

ALICE:
You want me to pull over?

No, I'll tell you when I feel it coming.

Rate this script:3.0 / 2 votes

Robert Getchell

Robert Getchell (December 6, 1936 – October 21, 2017) was an American screenwriter. Getchell wrote the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore and created the sitcom based on that film, Alice. Getchell was also the screenwriter for the 1981 Docudrama film "Mommie dearest" which is based on Christina Crawford's Nightmarish childhood with her adoptive mother and Actress Joan Crawford. Getchell's screenplay didn't took the film seriously and won the 2nd "Golden Raspberry Award" for worst screenplay due to the scripts over-the-top and uncanny dialogue. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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