Synopsis
Set during the Great Depression, 'The Purple Rose of Cairo' follows Cecilia, a downtrodden waitress who finds solace in her local cinema. Her fantasy world collides with reality when Tom Baxter, a dashing adventurer from the film she repeatedly watches, steps off the screen and falls in love with her. The film is a bittersweet meditation on escapism, illusion, and the heartbreaking gap between fantasy and real life.
Did You Know?
- Woody Allen considered this one of his personal favorite films.
- Jeff Daniels almost lost the role to another actor.
- Mia Farrow's character is named Cecilia, meaning 'blind' in Latin.
- The film was shot in New Jersey during winter months.
- Allen originally wrote the story as a short prose piece.
Iconic Quotes
- I just met a man who couldn't love me back, so I fell for a fictional character.
- I'm a real person. No matter what you do, I'll still be here.
- I want what happened in the movie last week to happen this week.
- You make love without fearing the consequences.
- I'm a fictional character. I need to know about the real world.
