Purple Rain (1984)

A young musician, tormented by an abusive situation at home, must contend with a rival singer, a burgeoning romance, and his own dissatisfied band, as his star begins to rise.

Director:

Albert Magnoli

Writers:

Albert Magnoli, William Blinn

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 | female frontal nudity | breasts | androgyny | skinny dipping | 

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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:

Baran-e Banafsh

Filming Locations:

752 South Main Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,200,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,766,201, 29 July 1984, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$68,392,977

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$80,000,000

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

When The Kid's father is playing the piano, the music is actually being played by Prince.

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Goofs

During the "Purple Rain" performance, Prince's shirt starts to unbutton. After he runs to unlock his bike and make his getaway, it's buttoned up.

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Quotes

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

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Crazy Credits

Credits roll against a purple background.

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Alternate Versions

Network TV versions omit the song "Baby, I'm a Star", and simply have it playing over the end credits.

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Connections

Spoofed in True Stories (1986)

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Soundtracks

The Bird
Words and Music by Morris Day & Jesse Johnson
Performed by Morris Day and The Time
© 1984 Controversy Music

User Reviews

That's not Lake Minnetonka...

Not terribly different from many of the 1930s-era "backstage musicals," Purple Rain sports a contrived plotline that sees Prince (in the film referred to only as The Kid) battling rival musician Morris Day for the affections of new-in-town beauty Apollonia and a shot at stardom through a secure spot on the bill at legendary Minneapolis club First Avenue. A secondary narrative thread concerns The Kid's violent home life and his attempts to protect his mother from his raging, abusive father. Anyone looking for nuance and subtlety won't find it in the acting or the direction, but Prince's stage presence is commanding, and the musical numbers are electrifying. The Academy Award winning song score (irrefutably one of the best rock albums of the 1980s) and Prince's enigmatic, magnetic personality are undoubtedly the chief components in Purple Rain's sturdy cult, but for viewers of the right age, the youthful angst, flip attitude, and bold sexuality of the film will prove to be irresistibly attractive.