Common Sense Media Review
By Charles Cassady Jr.
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Whimsical Woody Allen love note to '30s films.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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The Purple Rose of Cairo
What's the Story?
To escape her terrible marriage to an unemployed jerk (Danny Aiello), unassertive waitress Cecilia (Mia Farrow) frequents the movie theater to watch Hollywood movies. She particularly loves "The Purple Rose of Cairo," and sees it repeatedly -- so much that eventually the romantic lead character Tom Baxter (Jeff Daniels) notices Cecilia. He falls in love with her, and steps out of the movie, leaving his baffled castmates unable to move the plot forward. Cecilia tours Tom around the real world, where things aren't always fair and sex isn't an abstract, unseen concept. Meanwhile, Tom's defection panics movie-industry executives, who fear other fictional characters will start coming to life and roaming around. They summon the actor who portrayed Tom, Gil Shepard (Daniels again), to find and bring his unruly creation under control. Gil also winds up romancing Cecilia, urging her to leave her husband for him.
Is It Any Good?
Woody Allen's whimsical tale seems like a valentine -- with some doubts -- to 1930s movies and their glossy black-and-white make-believe that uplifted downtrodden, Depression-era audiences. Grown-ups can take this breezy comedy as both a tribute to and a cautionary tale of women who love movies too much. Kids can enjoy it as one the many fish-out-of-water plots, in which a fantasy-film archetype must deal with the 20th-century real world. And Woody Allen fans will get their fill of his clever dialogue, tinged with existential angst and uncertainty around the edges.
The gimmicky premise pays off in a number of very funny scenes, but there's also a wistful quality about the film, its sepia-toned settings, and an ending twist that puts into sharp focus the idea that true love and happy endings exist more often in movies than in real life. Younger viewers, especially those not into the time period, might be restless that the farce here is more about dialogue, relationships, and concepts than special effects and action.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the many layers of the comedy here, and the depiction of Depression-era movies (that filmmaker Woody Allen obviously cherishes) as a form of escape from dismal reality. How might this plot have worked out today? What would you have done in Cecilia's place, faced with Prince Charming suitors in both the imaginary and the actual world? Is Tom Baxter right to equate his scriptwriter with God? Do you think the film ultimately makes a positive statement or a negative one about Hollywood and its ways?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 2, 1985
- On DVD or streaming : November 6, 2001
- Cast : Danny Aiello , Jeff Daniels , Mia Farrow
- Director : Woody Allen
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : MGM/UA
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Run time : 84 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : parental guidance
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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