The Beverly Theater presents a screening of John Cassavetes' groundbreaking 1974 drama "A Woman Under the Influence," a raw and emotionally intense portrait of a working-class marriage under strain. Gena Rowlands delivers one of cinema's most powerful performances as Mabel Longhetti, a devoted wife and mother whose increasingly erratic behavior worries her construction worker husband and threatens to tear their family apart. Shot in a raw, documentary-like style that was revolutionary for its time, the film runs nearly two and a half hours but holds viewers in its grip through Cassavetes' unflinching examination of mental health, gender roles, and the meaning of normalcy.
This screening offers a chance to experience one of American independent cinema's masterworks on the big screen, where Rowlands' fearless performance can be fully appreciated. The film's intimate setting at The Beverly Theater, with its excellent acoustics and carefully curated programming, makes it an ideal venue for this kind of challenging, important cinema. Cassavetes' handheld camera work and improvisational approach created something that still feels urgent and alive today, a deeply human story about love, family, and the struggle to maintain one's identity within societal expectations.