In Socorro, New Mexico, Alice Hyatt's husband, Donald, a Coca-Cola delivery driver, is killed on the job in a traffic accident. A former singer, Alice sells most of her belongings, intending to take … See more

• Ellen Burstyn as Alice Hyatt (née Graham), a widowed single mother who dreams of being a professional singer in Monterey
• Alfred Lutter as … See more

Ellen Burstyn was still in the midst of filming The Exorcist when Warner Bros. executives expressed interest in working with her on another project. Burstyn recalled: "It was early in the woman's movement, and we were all just waking up and having a look … See more

Vincent Canby of The New York Times called the film a "fine, moving, frequently hilarious tale", and wrote that "the center of the movie and giving it a visible sensibility is Miss Burstyn, one of the few actresses at work today ... who is able to seem appealing, … See more

The film inspired the sitcom Alice, which was broadcast on CBS from 1976 to 1985. The only member of the film cast to reprise his role was Vic Tayback as Mel (though his diner was moved to Phoenix). Lutter portrayed Tommy in the pilot episode but was replaced by See more

Warner Home Video released the film on Region 1 DVD on August 17, 2004. It is in anamorphic widescreen with audio tracks in English and French and subtitles in English, French, and Spanish. Bonus features include commentary by Scorsese, Burstyn, and … See more

In 2019, BearManor published Media Alice: Life Behind the Counter in Mel's Greasy Spoon (A Guide to the Feature Film, the TV Series, and More), a book chronicling the development of the film and its spin-off television series. See more