Purple Rain (1984)

A young man with a talent for music has begun a career with much promise. He meets an aspiring singer, Apollonia, and finds that talent alone isn't all that he needs. A complicated tale of ... See full summary »

Director:

Albert Magnoli

Writers:

William Blinn, Albert Magnoli

Stars:

Prince, Apollonia Kotero, Morris Day

Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Prince	...	The Kid
Apollonia Kotero	...	Apollonia
Morris Day	...	Morris
Olga Karlatos	...	Mother
Clarence Williams III	...	Father
Jerome Benton	...	Jerome
Billy Sparks	...	Billy
Jill Jones	...	Jill
Charles Huntsberry	...	Chick
Dez Dickerson	...	Dez
Brenda Bennett	...	Brenda
Susan Moonsie	...	Susan (as Susan)
Sandra Claire Gershman	...	Beautiful Babe
Kim Upsher	...	Kim
Alan Leeds	...	Stage Hand

Storyline

A young man with a talent for music has begun a career with much promise. He meets an aspiring singer, Apollonia, and finds that talent alone isn't all that he needs. A complicated tale of his repeating his father's self destructive behavior, losing Apollonia to another singer (Morris Day), and his coming to grips with his own connection to other people ensues.

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Plot Keywords:

singer | aspiring singer | nipples | husband wife relationship | room | 

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Genres:

Drama | Music | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 July 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bíboreső

Filming Locations:

Eagan, Minnesota, USA

Box Office

Gross:

SEK 2,121,738 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Purple Films, Water

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although Albert Magnoli and William Blinn shared the writing credits, it is not known how much of Blinn's material was used. Albert Magnoli estimates that only two or three of Blinn's scenes are in the final cut of the film.

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Goofs

In the "Lake Minnetonka scene after Apollonia starts to redress from getting wet, her makeup is noticeably perfect. Also, when Apollonia gets back on Prince's motorcycle, Prince replies "don't get my seat all wet". She kisses him and before they ride off you can see hair is still wet, and unstyled. In the next shot filmed from behind, her hair is totally dry, and restyled as if it was never wet.

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Quotes

[first lines]
First Avenue M.C.: Ladies and gentlemen... The Revolution!

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Crazy Credits

"May u live 2 see the dawn"

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Connections

Referenced in The Simpsons: Special Edna (2003)

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Soundtracks

"Let's Go Crazy"
Words and Music by Prince
Performed by Prince and the Revolution
© 1984 Controversy Music

User Reviews

Prince is the man! Minneapolis funk 80s style!

As a big-time Prince fan of the last three to four years, I really can't believe I've only just got round to watching "Purple Rain". The brand new 2-disc anniversary Special Edition led me to buy it. Wow, I was really looking forward to watching it, but I wasn't prepared for just how electric it actually is. Prince's musical performances throughout the movie are nothing short of astounding - he REALLY has the moves in this one. I am very familiar (from repeated listens) with the classic "Purple Rain" album and all its songs, but to see them in the context of the movie completely alters your perception of the tunes and lyrics - like COMPUTER BLUE, THE BEAUTIFUL ONES, WHEN DOVES CRY and PURPLE RAIN itself. There is something indescribably hypnotising about the scenes where Prince and The Revolution perform. The closing songs BABY I'M A STAR and I WOULD DIE FOR U show how much energy and sheer talent Prince was brimming with in his mid-20s (he's overflowing!), it blew me away. It even makes Michael Jackson seem inanimate even in his peak years.

Prince shows you how to win the girl of your dreams - drive her to a lake, make her jump in, then drive off - absolutely hilarious stuff in hindsight.

Some of the scenes are very 1980s and unintentionally hilarious but this adds to the film's overall charm. Morris Day is the coolest cat on the block (and hilarious), and when his group The Time perform THE BIRD you get to see Morris Day and Jerome Benton light up the stage Minneapolis funk style - I love their dancing in this bit, and how Benton provides Morris with a mirror mid-performance.

I already can't wait to watch it again, I really can't! Extras are terrific - particularly seeing a young Eddie Murphy pre-Beverly Hills Cop admit he is a "Prince groupie".