Alice (Woody Allen) - 1990

Woody's "Alice" (Mia Farrow)  lives in a wonderland of wealth and privilege, but she wants more - namely a lover and a career.  Mia's character is the poster child for insecurity, self-doubt and self-deprecation.  She cannot decide whether she should continue to be the rich, loving mother of two healthy children with a cook, nanny and chauffeur, or go to Calcutta and live in filth with Mother Theresa.  Fortunately, she has friend in Dr. Yang (Keye Luke 1904-1991) who has a cabinet full of mind-altering herbs.  However, Mr. Yang's tricks also prove not to be enough for this vapid woman.  I think that Woody was running out of ideas for Mia as lead actor in 1990.  Unfortunately for Woody's fans, there are two more Mia movies (Shadows and Fog and Husbands and Wives to come before the breakup. Love that red hat though.  [JAM 3/11/2010]

["I wanted to do something about a rich Upper East Side lady ... like the kind I used to see when I took Dylan to school.  I would see these mothers in sneakers and running suits with a Blackglama sable or mink coat over it and I always got a kick out of that.  Now, there are people who resent that kind of thing.  I'm not one of them.  I am amused by it, affectionately.  There is a line in Alice that I don't exactly remember but it is about if the kid doesn't get into the right preschool he won't get into the right college.  That whole world interested me." Conversations with Woody Allen February 2006]