Cast
- Mia Farrow - Cecilia
- Jeff Daniels - Tom Baxter/Gil Shepherd
- Danny Aiello - Monk
- Edward Herrmann - Henry
- John Wood - Jason
- Deborah Rush - Rita
- Zoe Caldwell - The Countess
- Van Johnson - Larry Wilde
- Karen Akers - Kitty Haynes
- Milo O'Shea - Father Donnelly
- Dianne Wiest - Emma
- George Martin - Movie Audience
Trailer
Summary http://content9.flixster.com/movie/25/86/258623_det.jpg
In Woody Allen's 1985 comedic fantasy, The Purple Rose of Cairo, he combines the real world with fantasy. The setting is a small town in New Jersey during the mid-1930s, at the time of the Great Depression. Cecelia, the protagonist, feels trapped by her abusive marriage with Monk,* who not only abuses her, but also cheats on her with her own knowledge and drinks away their money. Another obstacle for her, is at her work at the local diner*, with her pushy and rude boss. She utilizes a local theater to escape this, as she finds the stories serve as a distraction from her tiring life. The film playing there, The Purple Rose of Cairo, enthralls Cecelia as she goes to see it five times. During one of her viewings, Tom Baxter, the protagonist of the movie, interrupts his dialogue and begins talking to Cecilia in the audience, after spotting her sitting all alone, asking her why she continues to come back to see the movie over and over again, alone every time. Everyone begins to panic, as he exists the movie, breaking the fourth wall, making his way towards Cecelia. He tours the town with her, experiencing a town outside of his black and white one he had become so accustomed to. From early on, he falls in love with her. However, the characters in the film cannot proceed with the script so they talk among themselves, essentially creating a real world within the screen. Gil Shepherd, the creator of Baxter, is called on to find Baxter. He is in search of him because he is afraid that if his creation is running around, it will cost him his career. Eventually, he runs into Cecelia and also falls in love with her. This forces her to choose between real life Gil and imaginary Baxter. This theme, of her having to choose between fantasy and reality, is interesting because it is a struggle of most people. However, the audience learns that Gil Shepherd never truly liked Cecilia; he was just using that as a way to get Baxter away from her, to save his career. This shows the happiness you can find in a fantasy and the disappointment and cruelty that comes along with reality. Baxter returns to the movie, and Cecilia is left by herself to accept her life as it is. Interestingly enough, the final scene shows Cecilia at a new movie, Top Hat. As she watches, a slim grin stretches across her face, and as another critic puts it, “I think this moment contains the movie’s real message: life will disappoint, but fantasy will always be there for you, even in your darkest hour.” (http://www.everywoodyallenmovie.com/post/the-purple-rose-of-cairo/) However, this movie as well, must come to an end and Cecilia must return to her old life. The critic believes the deeper meaning of this movie would be that “great art will always have the power to temporarily distract you from how crappy your life is.” (http://www.everywoodyallenmovie.com/post/the-purple-rose-of-cairo/).
Personal Reflection http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lZeIaRgkXnE/TNSqLJ4P7bI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/3WJQpNqaNPs/s1600/Picture+1.png
Personally, I found myself relating to Cecilia, as a creative person, where I constantly find myself drifting into a fantasy in difficult times. These times include before races, when I have a lot of homework, when I am stressed about an assignment, and an array of others. This is exactly what Cecilia does, as a way to escape her difficult life. Frequently, I find myself daydreaming about fantasies and wishing they were true until that moment you snap, realizing you are still in reality and that fantasy is only a degree of your imagination.
Which character do you find yourself relating to?
Do you find yourself daydreaming like Cecilia? Or avoid fantasies, sticking solely to reality?
Which character do you find yourself relating to?
Do you find yourself daydreaming like Cecilia? Or avoid fantasies, sticking solely to reality?