''Alex in Wonderland'' is a 1970 American

comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

film directed by Paul Mazursky, written with his partner Larry Tucker, starring

Donald Sutherland Donald McNichol Sutherland (17 July 1935 – 20 June 2024) was a Canadian actor. With a career spanning six decades, he received List of awards and nominations received by Donald Sutherland, numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award ...

and

Ellen Burstyn Ellen Burstyn (born Edna Rae Gillooly; December 7, 1932) is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women in dramas, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Emmy A ...

. Sutherland plays Alex Morrison, a director agonizing over the choice of follow-up project after the success of his first feature film. The situation is similar to the one Mazursky found himself in following the success of ''

Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice ''Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'' is a 1969 American comedy-drama film directed by Paul Mazursky, written by Mazursky and Larry Tucker (screenwriter), Larry Tucker, who also produced the film, and starring Natalie Wood, Robert Culp, Elliott Gould, ...

'' (1969) and he casts himself in a role as a new-style Hollywood producer. His daughter Meg Mazursky appears as Amy, one of Morrison's daughters. Noted teacher of improvisational theater Viola Spolin plays Morrison's mother. The film also features

cameo appearance A cameo appearance, also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking on ...

s by

Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and ...

and

Jeanne Moreau Jeanne Moreau (; 23 January 1928 – 31 July 2017) was a French actress, singer, screenwriter, director, and socialite. She made her theatrical debut in 1947, and established herself as one of the leading actresses of the Comédie-Française. Mo ...

, and seems to be inspired by their work. In particular, Fellini's ''

8½ ''8½'' ( ) is a 1963 Italian avant-garde arthouse comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Federico Fellini. The metafictional narrative centers on famous Italian film director Guido Anselmi ( Marcello Mastroianni) who suffers from writer ...

'' (1963), about a film director who's artistically stuck, is referenced. Moreau sings two songs on the soundtrack, "Le Vrai Scandale" (for which she wrote the words) and "Le Reve Est La."

Plot

Young director Alex Morrison feels compelled to follow his recent box-office hit with another blockbuster. While mulling over this problem, the director's mind wanders to his past, his present, and probable future.

Cast

as Alex Morrison *

as Beth Morrison * Paul Mazursky as Hal Stern * Meg Mazursky as Amy Morrison * Glenna Sargent as Nancy * Viola Spolin as Mrs. Morrison * Andre Philippe as Andre * Michael Lerner as Leo * Joan Delaney as Jane * Neil Burstyn as Norman * Leon Frederick as Lewis *

as himself *

as herself

Reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics. Roger Ebert gave the film four stars, writing "the human story does work, remarkably well, and if the movie doesn't hold together we're not disposed to hold that against it." Emanuel Levy was more critical, calling it "arty and pretentious, lacking real wit." Tony Mastroianni of the ''Cleveland Press'' gave it a similarly negative review. In a retrospective review written in 2011, Nathan Rabin of ''The A.V. Club'' found the movie to be "pleasant" and suggested that "Studios, audiences, and critics may have expected a major statement after ''Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice''. Instead, Mazursky delivered a pleasant shrug of a movie, an affable afterthought." ''Time Out'' described the movie as "intriguing, if deeply flawed."

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alex In Wonderland 1970 comedy-drama films American black comedy films American comedy-drama films American satirical films 1970s English-language films Films directed by Paul Mazursky Films about filmmaking American independent films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films about film directors and producers 1970s American films English-language comedy-drama films

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links