A Woman Under the Influence by John Cassavetes is a haunting drama about the fragility of the American suburban household and society's expectations of marriage and family. It centers on Mabel Longhetti, who increasingly reaches her psychological limits between the traditional roles of wife, mother and housewife. Her husband Nick, a quarry worker, is overwhelmed by the difficult situation, which topples the seemingly perfect everyday life in the suburban settlement.

Cassavetes shows the suburban settlement not as an idyllic dream, but as a place where social constraints, pressure to perform and emotional isolation characterize everyday family life. Mabel's nervous breakdown reveals the balancing act between conformity and crisis that many people experience in American suburbia. The couple's relationship dynamics reflect the tension between love, responsibility and personal boundaries - in an environment that leaves little room for true individuality. With unsparing openness, the film tells of the cracks behind the smooth surface of suburban life, of helplessness and the search for closeness. A Woman Under the Influence is a masterpiece of American independent cinema and a timeless portrait of emotional complexity in the shadow of the American dream.