The Purple Rose of Cairo poster & wallpaper

Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, Danny Aiello

One of the high points of Woody Allen's career. Cecilia (Mia Farrow), a depression-era waitress married to a brutish husband (Danny Aiello), finds her only escape at the movies, her current favorite b...( read more  read more... )eing a light comedy about an explorer among socialites, called The Purple Rose of Cairo. She sees it so many times that the main character, Tom Baxter (Jeff Daniels), falls in love with her and steps off the screen to woo her. When news of this gets back to the movie studio, the producers send the actor who played Baxter (also Daniels) to convince Baxter to get back on the screen. The script is one of Allen's funniest, but underlying the whole story is a current of sadness that gives the movie's ending a surprising impact. Allen himself considers The Purple Rose of Cairo to be his personal favorite of his own films. A gem. --Bret Fetzer

Flixster Users

85% liked it

14,767 ratings

Critics

90% liked it

29 critics

PG, 1 hr. 22 min.

Directed by: Woody Allen

Release Date: March 1, 1985

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: November 6, 2001

Stats: 754 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites
report incorrect info

Photos

simple and beautiful The Purple Rose of Cairo
Upload a Photo |

View All The Purple Rose of Cairo Photos (2)

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (754)

  • hypathio7
    August 31, 2009
    hypathio7
    This and Pleasantville are both about disrupted routine and comparing the fictional world of 30's movies or 50's TV to real life. Woody Allen doesn't appear in this one. But a year after Broadway Danny Rose, Mia Farrow turns in another excellent performance. Dianne Wiest is on...( read more) hand too in her first Allen film. Jeff Daniels plays a dual role with a lot of youthful energy. I was tickled by Allen's recreation of Depression Era life and 1930's high society movie fantasy! Farrow as Cecilia escapes her poor hum-drum existence by going to the movies. Daniels as Tom Baxter is an "honest, dependable, courageous, romantic" movie character in a pith helmet. During one "performance" he notices Cecilia out in the audience and steps off the screen into the real world. The adventures of the fictional character trying to adjust to the real world are hilarious. Later, Daniels as Gil Shepherd, the actor, is brought to Cecilia's town by the movie's producers to find his creation and convince him to go back in the movie to finish the story. The actor's self-absorption and ability to charm Cecilia makes for an interesting shift between Daniels' two characters. Meanwhile, the rest of the movie cast is lost and unable to continue with the scene, they sit around making witty comments about the lives of movie characters and heckling the audience as some audience members heckle back. It's a puzzling situation for the fictional characters and curious audience members alike, actually interacting with each other. Cecilia falls in love with both versions of Jeff Daniels and must choose between the fictional and the real. But, is the real life man any less fictional in the end?
  • rubystevens
    June 12, 2009
    rubystevens
    wonderful fantasy for film fans. i love jeff daniels' performance in this. in new jersey, anything can happen...
  • DrZeek
    March 31, 2008
    DrZeek
    Cecilia: I just met a wonderful new man. He's fictional but you can't have everything.

    Considered by Woody Allen himself to be his favorite film, this film takes a premise set in a surreal world during the depression involving a high concept, romance, and Allen's own love for ci...( read more)nema.

    The story centers around Cecilia, played by a lovely Mia Farrow, she is working as a waitress during the depression era. Her husband, Danny Aiello, is a bully and spends his days doing nothing with his friends, and drinks at night. Meanwhile, Cecilia loves to go to the movie theaters.

    After having enough of her husband for one night, she retreats to the theater to watch The Purple Rose of Cairo. She sits in the theater for hours, rewatching the movie, when all of the sudden something extraordinary happens. One of the characters, Tom Baxter played by Jeff Daniels, literally breaks the fourth wall by stepping out of the picture after noticing Cecilia watching him, and runs off with her.

    Not only is the audience shocked, but so are the remaining characters in the movie. Cecilia and Tom spend time together, meanwhile the studio becomes involved, worrying of danger if one of their characters could do something wrong.

    Mr. Hirsch's Lawyer: As your lawyer, I advise you to get control of it fast. A character from one of your productions on the loose? Who knows what he's capable of? Robbery? Murder? I see lawsuits.

    This includes the actor who plays Baxter, Gil Shepherd also Daniels, to come and try to reason with Cecilia and Tom to go back to how things were. Problems arise when both Tom and Gil claim to have fallen in love with Cecilia.

    Tom Baxter: [To Cecilia] I love you. I'm honest, dependable, courageous, romantic, and a great kisser.
    Gil Shepherd: And I'm real.

    This movie succeeds do to a number of things. Its very enjoyable for one. The premise is fun and at about 80 minutes, it moves along quickly enough to hit the notes it needs to. The dialog is of course good in the way Allen's style as a writer works. The characters are very entertaining, though I wished for a little more depth on Aiello as the husband. However, I particularly enjoyed Daniels, who is great in both his roles, which are played differently and both work. The overall impact of the story is also effective. Without spoiling much, by the end of the film, it is clear that themes involving cinema vs. the real world have provided for an appropriate conclusion.

    As a film it is technically very well done. The art direction is very good, working with both depression era themes, and the events taking place from within the projected films. The soundtrack is lovely. Allen doesn't go overboard with special effects, but the couple scenes involving some trickery are well handled.

    This is a very entertaining film, that works with the premise it sets up.

    Tom Baxter: Cecilia, it's clear how miserable you are with your husband. And if he hits you again, you tell me. I'd be forced to knock his teeth out.
    Cecilia: I don't think that'd be such a good idea. He's big.
    Tom Baxter: I'm sorry. It's written into my character to do it, so I do it.
  • sapphirechaos05
    March 25, 2008
    sapphirechaos05
    Very entertaining..surprisingly liked it since it was a woody allen movie
  • LauralyBeautiful
    November 24, 2007
    LauralyBeautiful
    I barely recall seeing this but I remember my sister and I both loved it. It was a bit disapointing in the end, but it was still a very sweet movie.
  • adegirmenci89
    October 30, 2009
    adegirmenci89
    A magical film! I recommend all to watch it.
  • ahhh1989
    October 27, 2009
    ahhh1989
    Superb piece of filmmaking by Woody Allen. It's one of his funniest and most heart pounding films. It's simple without being limiting and constricting. It's beautiful without being sappy and overdone. It's imaginative without being confusing and overly bizarre. It's the kind of f...( read more)ilm that makes you appreciate film more. It's a masterpiece.
  • holliewoodby
    October 25, 2009
    holliewoodby
    Such a fun pleasure of a movie! Classic!
  • fluturash
    October 10, 2009
    fluturash
    one of the greatest movies i've ever seen....strange and delightful. i am not so keen on woody allen, but one of the major reasons for seeing this one is the fact that there's no woody allen starring in center line.i loved the story. kinda disappointed at the end, but i still thi...( read more)nk it is great.
  • HuskersNC949597
    September 21, 2009
    HuskersNC949597
    1985, bitches. Decent year, particularly important for me.

View All The Purple Rose of Cairo Reviews

Critic Reviews

No recent reviews.

View more The Purple Rose of Cairo reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "The Purple Rose of Cairo" !

Post A Comment | View All Comments

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

All Rotten Tomatoes content is used under license from Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes, Certified Fresh, and the Tomatometer are the trademarks of Incfusion Corporation, d/b/a Rotten Tomatoes, a subsidiary of IGN Entertainment, Inc.

Official Trailer

View Larger The Purple Rose of Cairo Trailer

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Alice
    Alice (60%)
  • Annie Hall
    Annie Hall (100%)
  • Deconstructing Harry
    Deconstructing Harry (100%)
  • The Cooler
    The Cooler (100%)

More Movies like The Purple Rose of Cairo

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

The Purple Rose o... : Watch Free on TV

The Purple Rose of Cairo Trivia

  • Fill in the blanks: The Color ________ ________ Heart ________ Rain The ________ Rose of Cairo  Answer »
  • Complete the title of this movie, The ______ Rose of Cairo.  Answer »
  • In which of the following Woody Allen films does Woody Allen not star as a major character?  Answer »
  • Name the Actor who appeared in the following: Terms Of Endearment The Purple Rose Of Cairo Heartburn Arachnophobia 101 Dalmations Dumb & Dumber  Answer »
More The Purple Rose of Cairo Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add The Purple Rose of Cairo to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?