She's finally met the man of her dreams. He's not real, but you can't have everything.
Cecilia is a waitress in New Jersey, living a dreary life during the Great Depression. Her only escape from her mundane reality is the movie theatre. After losing her job, Cecilia goes to see 'The Purple Rose of Cairo' in hopes of raising her spirits, where she watches dashing archaeologist Tom Baxter time and again.
The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) is a fantasy, comedy and romance film directed by Woody Allen, released on March 1, 1985 with a runtime of 1h 22m. It stars Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, Danny Aiello and Dianne Wiest. Viewers rate it 7.4 out of 10 across 1,171 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for The Purple Rose of Cairo before you stream it.
Mia Farrow
as Cecilia
Jeff Daniels
as Tom Baxter / Gil Shepherd
Danny Aiello
as Monk
Dianne Wiest
as Emma
Milo O'Shea
as Father Donnelly
Van Johnson
as Larry
Deborah Rush
as Rita
Zoe Caldwell
as The Countess
Irving Metzman
as Theater Manager
John Wood
as Jason
John Rothman
as Mr. Hirsch's Lawyer
Edward Herrmann
as Henry
Directed by Woody Allen, written by Woody Allen, produced by Robert Greenhut.
Average viewer score of 7.4/10 from 1,171 ratings.
Initially, this reminded me a little of the scenario for “King Kong” as the impressionable young “Cecilia” (Mia Farrow) manages, not unreasonably it has to be said, to get fired from her waitressing job in 1930s New York. Despondent, she heads to the cinema to see the “The Purple Rose of Cairo” only for it’s star “Tom” (Jeff Daniels) to quite literally leap off the screen at her and soon her world is in turmoil.…
Reviewed on May 30, 2025
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The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) is currently available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. No subscription streaming option is listed right now, so availability may change.
The main cast of The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) includes Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, Danny Aiello, Dianne Wiest and Milo O'Shea. The film was directed by Woody Allen. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Purple Rose of Cairo was released on March 1, 1985 and runs for 1h 22m.
The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) holds an average rating of 7.4 out of 10 from 1,171 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy fantasy, comedy and romance films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official The Purple Rose of Cairo trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
