Ellen Burstyn played the lead role in 'Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'.
Burstyn portrays Alice Hyatt, a recently widowed mother who travels through the American Southwest with her young son, Tommy, while trying to build an independent life. Alice wants to revive her youthful dream of becoming a singer, but she must also find work, housing and stability along the way. The film places a woman's ambitions and frustrations at the center of the story.
Released in 1974, the movie was directed by Martin Scorsese from a screenplay by Robert Getchell. Burstyn helped bring the project to the screen and reportedly chose Scorsese after seeing his early film 'Mean Streets'. Her performance earned the Academy Award for Best Actress, making the role a defining achievement of her career.
The film later inspired the CBS television series 'Alice', but the television character and storyline differed in important ways. Linda Lavin played Alice in that series; she did not replace Burstyn in the original film.