Gloria

Gloria is a 1980 American crime drama directed by John Cassavetes, who also wrote the screenplay. Gena Rowlands plays Gloria Swenson, a woman with past ties to organized crime who suddenly finds herself responsible for a young neighbor boy after his family is murdered by gangsters. The child holds information the criminals want, and the two of them flee across New York while Gloria, tough and experienced with firearms, tries to keep him alive.

The film came sixth in Cassavetes's directing career, following Opening Night in 1977 and preceding Love Streams in 1984. Rowlands, a frequent collaborator of the director, leads a cast that also includes Buck Henry, Julie Carmen, John Adames and Tony Knesich, with around sixty credited performers and a similar number of credited crew. Sam Shaw produced it for Columbia Pictures.

It was made and released well before much of its audience was born, opening on October 1, 1980, and running 122 minutes. The worldwide box office of about 4 million dollars suggests a modest commercial return rather than a major hit. Audiences rate it 6.9 out of 10 on TMDB from 276 votes, while the critics' rating stands at 7.2 out of 10 from 30 reviews, a slightly warmer critical reception than the audience score.