Purple Rain (1984)
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74% of critics liked it
(31 reviews) -
78% of users liked it
(45,484 ratings)
Purple Rain, the first starring film for Prince, is the story of an arrogant, young black singer, born and raised in Minneapolis, who reaches the pinnacle of stardom. The dramatic complications include "The Kid's" (Prince) miserable home life, where he suffers the brutalities of his… More Purple Rain, the first starring film for Prince, is the story of an arrogant, young black singer, born and raised in Minneapolis, who reaches the pinnacle of stardom. The dramatic complications include "The Kid's" (Prince) miserable home life, where he suffers the brutalities of his father (well played by Clarence Williams III) and the youth's efforts to win the love of the beautiful Apollonia. Despite the misogynistic undercurrents in Purple Rain, the film's biggest fans were young women. Gorgeously photographed by Donald Thorin, Purple Rain is essentially a glorified music video, highlighted by a catalogue of Prince's hits, including I Would Die 4 U, When Doves Cry and Let's Go Crazy; the score deservedly won an Academy Award and a Grammy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Albert Magnoli
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, Musical & Performing Arts
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 1984 Wide
- Studio
- Warner Home Video
Critic Reviews
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Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic
It's probably best to think of the film as an extended music video, a watershed moment for movie sound tracks, and not much more.
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John A. Nesbit, Old School Reviews
worth a rental for the curious and is a keeper for his fans
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Rob Nelson, City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called Purple Rain--the Citizen Kane of Minnesota movies and a worldwide showcase for the ascendance of its then-26-year-old star into rock 'n' roll eternity.
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John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
It helps to remember that Purple Rain is a much better music video than it is a personal drama. (HD-DVD Edition)
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John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...there is so much good music involved...it easily distracts one's mind from the clunky histrionics.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Prince
as The Kid
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Apollonia
as Herself
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Morris Day
as Morris
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Olga Karlatos
as Mother
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Clarence Williams III
as Father
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Jerome Benton
as Jerome
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Billy Sparks
as Billy Sparks
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Brenda Bennett
as Brenda
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Dez Dickerson
as Dez
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Claire Gershman
as Beautiful Babe
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Israel Gordon
as Taste MC
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Charles Huntsberry
as Chick
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Jill Jones
as Jill
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Alan Leeds
as Stage Hand
- The Time
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Kim Upshur
as Kim
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Lisa Coleman
as Lisa
- David Graham
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Wendy Melvoin
as Wendy
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Jesse Johnson
as Jesse
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Susan Moonsie
as Susan
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Paul Peterson
as Paul
- Apollonia Kotero
- Morris E. Day

