Purple Violets (2007)

60% of users liked it
(2,152 ratings)

An unhappy woman finds new love with her old boyfriend in this romantic comedy-drama from writer and director Edward Burns. Patti Selma Blair) is a woman in her early thirties living in New York City. For years, Patti chased after her dream of becoming a successful novelist, but recently she's had… More An unhappy woman finds new love with her old boyfriend in this romantic comedy-drama from writer and director Edward Burns. Patti Selma Blair) is a woman in her early thirties living in New York City. For years, Patti chased after her dream of becoming a successful novelist, but recently she's had to put writing on hold and is unhappily working in real estate. Patti's ennui isn't helped by the fact her marriage has fallen into a rut and neither she nor her husband are interested in one another anymore. When she was in college, Patti was in love with Brian (Patrick Wilson), and while Brian is fortunate enough to support himself writing crime fiction, he's smarting from the uncharitable reviews given to his latest and most personal work. One night, Patti is having dinner with her best friend Kate (Debra Messing) when she bumps into Brian, who is out with his friend Murph (Edward Burns), who in turn used to be involved with Kate. As the former lovers talk about their past and where life has taken them, Patti finds herself falling for Brian all over again, but both she and Brian are still dealing with the differences and insecurities that drove them apart years before. Purple Violets received its world premiere at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 41 min.
Directed By: Edward Burns
Written By: Edward Burns
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Apr 30, 2007 Wide
On DVD: Aug 26, 2008

Critic Reviews

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
This is a sweet and funny romance.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Nicki M

This was good. I usually find Edward Burns's movies pretty boring, but somehow end up watching them anyhow because they have a good cast. This one was a big improvement, soundtrack is excellent, and a story and characters I could actually relate to for once.
Chris G

The only word I can use to describe Purple Violets is "eh". Eh. The story is basically about two writers (though one isn't one at the moment) who want each other, so they go through a series of mis-steps to achieve their goal. Of course they have a pair of friends… More
The only word I can use to describe Purple Violets is "eh". Eh. The story is basically about two writers (though one isn't one at the moment) who want each other, so they go through a series of mis-steps to achieve their goal. Of course they have a pair of friends who once dated, now hate each other, but you know will get back together again. The problem is that I really didn't give a shit about the characters. There was no soul in any of them (except Dennis Farina perhaps) and watching them was just numbing. You didn't feel for these people. For being in love there wasn't much affection between them with the last fifteen minutes being a total disaster. I can't even recommend this as a chick flick because I don't think Edward Burns knows how to write for women. It's not a horrible film, but it's not great. It's "eh".
Marisol M

I'm not crazy about Edward Burns as an actor, but I admire his determination to direct honest friendships and romances. Selma Blair and Patrick Wilson are likable enough, but not particularly interesting. The romance between Burns and Debra Messing however, lacks spark; he makes… More
I'm not crazy about Edward Burns as an actor, but I admire his determination to direct honest friendships and romances. Selma Blair and Patrick Wilson are likable enough, but not particularly interesting. The romance between Burns and Debra Messing however, lacks spark; he makes many attempts to rekindle their relationship, but we're never shown why they're right for each other.
Leo L

Good movie with a fascinating story plot by Edward Burn. Great cast- Patrick Wilson, Selma Blair, Debra Messing, and Donal Logue. Worth seeing.