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Alice's Restaurant (1969)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 6.2/10
Reviews Counted: 15
Fresh: 10 | Rotten: 5

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 1

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Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 3,450

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Movie Info

Intrigued by the counterculture tale of Arlo Guthrie's epic 1968 talking-blues record The Alice's Restaurant Massacree, director Arthur Penn, co-scripting with playwright Venable Herndon, adapted the song into the 1969 feature Alice's Restaurant. Hippie outsider Arlo (Guthrie, playing himself) encounters suspicion from the straight world; visits his dying father, renowned leftist activist/singer Woody Guthrie (Joseph Boley), in the hospital along with friend Pete Seeger; and hangs out in the

R, 1 hr. 51 min.

Classics, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comedy

Directed By: Arthur Penn

Written By: Arlo Guthrie, Venable Herndon

In Theaters: Aug 20, 1969 Wide

On DVD: Jan 23, 2001

MGM Home Entertainment

Alice's Restaurant Trailer & Photos

Cast

Arlo Guthrie
Arlo
Pat Quinn
Alice
James Broderick
Ray
Michael McClanathan
Shelly
Geoff Outlaw
Roger
Tina Chen
Mari-Chan
Kathleen Dabney
Karin
Pol. Chief William Obanhe...
Officer obie
Seth Allan
Evangelist
Monroe Arnold
Bluegrass
Joseph Boley
Woody
Pete Seeger
Himself
Sylvia Davis
Marjorie
Simm Landres
Jacob
Louis Beachner
Dean
Macintyre Dixon
lst Deconsecration Mini...
Rev. Dr. Pierce Middleton
2nd Deconsecration Mini...
Donald Marye
Funeral Director
Shelley Plimpton
Reenie
M. Emmet Walsh
Group W Sergeant
Lee Hays
Himself
Eleanor D. Wilson
Landlady
Simon Deckard
Medic
Thomas DeWolfe
Waiter
Judge James Hannon
Himself
Graham Jarvis
Music Teacher
John Quill
2nd Cop
Frank Simpson
Sergeant
Vinnette Carrol
Draft Clerk
Ron Weyand
1st Cop
Patricia Quinn

Critic Reviews for Alice's Restaurant

All Critics (16) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (11) | Rotten (6) | DVD (6)

[Penn] has transformed a charming shaggy-dog story into a melancholy epitaph for an entire era.

November 21, 2008 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine

| Comment

TIME Magazine

Top Critic

Penn's genius overtakes the dropout romance, like a final post-bacchanal hangover that suggests liberation as an El Dorado dream.

November 12, 2008 Full Review Source: Village Voice

| Comment

Nick Pinkerton

Village Voice

Top Critic

There are occasional flashes of wry humor and some rib-tickling sequences. But they are all too few.

May 30, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Variety

Top Critic

Good work in a minor key.

October 23, 2004 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times

| Comment

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Top Critic

It's worth checking out for the marvelous look back at how the counterculture dropouts related to each other and to the straight older generation in the late 1960s.

July 8, 2011 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews

| Comment

Dennis Schwartz

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

To his credit, Penn refused to romanticize his subjects, and the film stands as a fairly accurate chronicle of the times.

November 21, 2008 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide

| Comment

TV Guide's Movie Guide

Penn's strong sympathy with the outsider and anti-Establishment stance comes across in a film that appealed to those who could identify with this communal hippie haven, but now seems too naive and distant.

November 21, 2008 Full Review Source: Film4

| Comment

Film4

—

Brilliantly visualised.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Inspired by Guthrie's ballad, Arthur Penn's film is a summation of the anti-establishment, anti-Vietnam War generation, clinging to the ideal of a collectivist life in a Stockbridge commune.

February 10, 2006 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

| Comment

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

This is one of those time capsule films - for that it is important

April 13, 2005 Comment

Emily Blunt

Blunt Review

Not nearly as good as everyone keeps telling you that it is.

April 1, 2003 Comment

Alex Sandell

Juicy Cerebellum

...this is Arlo's story and he stars in it and all, but he's the least impressive part of it.

April 16, 2002 Comment

John J. Puccio

Movie Metropolis

The movie hasn't improved any over the years, but fortunately this version has Arlo Guthrie supplying commentary, making the DVD worth some historical value for '60s junkies.

April 17, 2001 Full Review Source: Old School Reviews

| Comment

John A. Nesbit

Old School Reviews Source: Old School Reviews

In the end, the slap-dash narrative loses focus and credulity, particularly when the tale turns to the disintegrating relationship of Alice and Ray, and to an ill-developed subplot involving the ex-con drug addict Shelly.

March 22, 2001 Full Review Source: Apollo Guide

| Comment

Dan Jardine

Apollo Guide

...the film itself remains a pleasant, oddball, and highly diverting glimpse into one of the country's most confusing times.

January 1, 2000 Comment

John J. Puccio

Movie Metropolis

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Audience Reviews for Alice's Restaurant

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Yes it's an off beat off key kind of movie, but that's not always good. I thought this movie was pretty boring for the most part. Maybe that's because I'm not familiar with Guthrie's work outside of the film, but I think the movie could have been more cohesive and entertaining. Overall, it's okay, though.

September 5, 2010

AJ Verser

Super Reviewer

One of those 'generational anthems' that's more endearing because it's a tad off key. Arlo Guthrie's semi-autobiographical homage to his father and his friends.

January 18, 2009