Editing A Woman Under the Influence (section)

== Production ==
John Cassavetes was inspired to write ''A Woman Under the Influence'' when his wife [[Gena Rowlands]] expressed a desire to appear in a play about the difficulties faced by contemporary women. His completed script was so intense and emotional that she knew she would be unable to perform it eight times a week, so he decided to adapt it for the screen.<ref name=TCM>{{cite web |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/96181/a-woman-under-the-influence#articles-reviews?articleId=138056 |title=A Woman Under The Influence |last=LoBianco |first=Lorraine |date=June 7, 2006 |website=Turner Classic Movies |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420145144/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/96181/a-woman-under-the-influence#articles-reviews?articleId=138056 |archive-date=April 20, 2021 }}</ref>

When he tried to raise funding for the film, Cassavetes was told that "No one wants to see a crazy, middle-aged dame."<ref name="TCM" /> Lacking studio financing, he mortgaged his house and borrowed money from family and friends, one of whom was [[Peter Falk]], who liked the screenplay so much that he invested $500,000 in the project.<ref name="TCM" />

The crew consisted of professionals and students from the [[American Film Institute]], where Cassavetes was serving as the first "filmmaker in residence" at their Center for Advanced Film Studies. Working with a limited budget forced him to shoot scenes in a real house near [[Hollywood Boulevard]], and Rowlands was responsible for her own hairstyling and makeup.<ref name="TCM" />