Another Cassavetes entry, A Woman Under The Influence is a painful look at the apparent psychological collapse of a middle-aged housewife and the impact her instability has on her family. Unable to get studio financing, Cassavetes mortgaged his house and borrowed from family and friends, including co-star Peter Falk. When he couldn't find anybody to distribute the film, he personally rang theatre owners and asked them to show the movie. The results were worth it for Cassavetes and crew - the film was nominated for two Academy Awards for Cassavetes as director and Gena Rowlans as Best Actress for her unflinching portrayal of the main character. The film was also one of the first fifty films to be added to the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". A prime example of the never-say-die attitude of independent film-makers and a huge source of inspiration for struggling artists.
