5 best Gena Rowland movies of all time

Gena Rowland, the four-time Emmy-awarded American actress, who had worked for the film industry for over seven decades, passed away on August 14, 2024, at the age of 94. Her son, Nick Cassavetes, who is known for directing the iconic film The Notebook (2004), announced on Wednesday about her departure. Gena Rowland is often considered one of the best actresses of the late 20th century and is mainly known for her films collaborating with her ex-husband, director John Cassavetes.

Gena Rowland and John Cassavetes' journey started in 1953 when she got selected by the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where John was a student. They soon got along and this collaboration gave a set of ten films, including A Woman Under the Influence (1974), Minnie and Moskowitz (1971), Faces (1968), Opening Night (1977), Love Streams (1984), and Gloria (1980).

Rowald brought a revolution into the cinema scene, portraying women who are not afraid to show their vulnerability, but still keep hold of their autonomy. Honored an Honorary Oscar for her unique roles in screen performances, Gena Rowland left an entire legacy behind her. So, in honor of this phenomenal actress, here we list the five best Gena Rowland films that deserve a watch.

Five best movies of Gena Rowland

1) A Woman Under the Influence (1974)

Being one of the best films in her collaboration with John Cassavetes. Gena Rowland in the movie plays the role of Mabel, the housewife of a construction worker Nick, who faces isolation and alcoholism. Mabel finds herself spending most of her time, hanging out in bars, and being with other men. This leads her to become extremely impatient, with shifting moods, and sometimes being outrageous.

This puts a crack in their relationship, and for the safety of their children, Nick sends her to a rehabilitation center. This decision deeply impacts both of them, with a constant longing for love, amidst responsibilities. Rowald has given a raw performance in the movie, showing the extreme difficulty of standing up to what society considers as normal.

2) Gloria (1980)

One of the other mutual creations of John and Gena, the movie revolves around the life of Gloria Swenson, a criminal and the girlfriend of a criminal, who finds herself in a moral dilemma. Gloria tries to leave her past and lead a normal life, but this becomes extremely hard when she encounters a gang killing a neighbor's family.

Only the six-year-old kid Phil survives this attack but is constantly chased by the mob. The gang suspects that Phil's father Jack Dawn has surpassed some crucial intels to his son before getting murdered. Gloria, who had lived her life in crime finds herself, taking care of the child, and protecting him from the criminals, who desperately want to get their hands on him.

3) The Notebook (2004)

Gena Rowland in The Notebook (Image via New Line Cinema)

Directed by Gena's son Nick Cassavetes, and based on Nicholas Sparks' 1996 book of the same name The Notebook, is a modern classic. The iconic couple Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams plays Allie and Noah, a young couple deeply in love during the 1940s.

Noah's father approves of Allie the first time they meet, but Allie's parents are outrageous when they come to know that Noah comes from a lower-class family. Allie is ultimately forced to engage a wealthy guy named Lon Hammond, but destiny reunites their love after years of longing and separation. Gena Rowland played the role of an old Allie, who is being narrated their story by Noah, from a notebook.

4) Broken English (2007)

Broken English is a romantic movie directed by Zoe Cassavetes, the daughter of Gena Rowland. The movie revolves around Nora Wilder, a single woman in her mid-thirties, who finds herself in a kind of mid-life crisis. She works in a hotel in Manhattan, where she has excellent skills in hospitality. But whereas Nora finds herself, very unlucky in love, where all her past relationships, end in vain.

She is constantly pressured by her mother Vivien, to get settled with a marriage. In this movie, we see a completely different shade of Gena's acting where she plays the role of a loving, yet possessive mother, who wants to keep herself per the social norms. But Nora's life comes to a sweet unexpected turn when she finds herself falling for a Frenchman named Julien.

5) Opening Night (1977)

Gena Rowland in Opening Night (Image via Faces Distribution)

Opening Night is a seventies psychological drama, that was directed by Rowald's husband John Cassavetes. Gena Rowland in the movie plays the role of a middle-aged actress Myrtle Gordon, who witnesses the sudden death of one of her fans. She meets an obsessive teenage girl named Nancy, who wants an autograph and runs after her on the street. In between that process, Nancy is suddenly hit by a car, which leads her to death.

After Nancy's death, Myrtle is haunted by the apparition of the teenage girl and faces a psychological breakdown, while preparing for her play which is named The Second Woman.

Edited by Tiasha