raywest

Answer: Actors are usually required to use movie prop cigarettes or herbal cigarettes that don't contain tobacco or nicotine. These usually contain marshmallow root, passion flower, cloves, or jasmine. While some actors might be smokers, prop cigarettes protect other actors and crew from second-hand smoke, especially during long filming sessions. There is debate about how much safer herbal cigarettes are compared to tobacco.

raywest ★

Answer: Along with RayWest's comment, I want to add that Alice probably had previous experience as a server due to her lifestyle as a wanderer. (It's an easy job to get in many places.) If an employer needed someone badly enough, especially someone with experience, they might agree to pay her under the table/illegally.

Answer: "Alice," whose legal name was later revealed to be Jane Jones, had a valid passport. She could have used that to get the job and said she preferred being called "Alice." An employer is not going to discuss an employee's credentials with anyone. Being that she was an American, she may also have been working illegally and was paid "under the table," getting less money than a regular employee.

raywest ★

Answer: Anna says that Alice has "had quite a life" (after she read Dan's book that was based on Alice). Presumably Alice has been through difficult situations: abuse, neglect, etc. She considers herself a "nobody" and enjoys lying as a form of control. Which is why she never told Dan her real name, or everything about herself. She could never trust anybody completely. She also says "I'm the one who leaves." She prefers to leave men before they can leave her.

Answer: Yes there is a connection, but the exact meaning of it is deliberately left ambiguous as to why Alice/Jane kept her true identity hidden. It is up to the audience to interpret why she did this.

raywest ★