The Purple Rose of Cairo is a 1985 American fantasy romantic comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen, and starring Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, and Danny Aiello.

After losing her job, she distracts herself by going to the movies, where she finds herself rewatching The Purple Rose of Cairo with a particular focus on archaeologist side character Tom Baxter, who falls in love with a Copacabana singer in the film's story.

The theater manager calls the film's producer and Baxter's actor Gil Shepherd is informed, who comes to town to fix the problem.

While Purple Rose producers plan to destroy its copies once they get Baxter back inside, he and Cecilia get engaged as he returns to the theater and takes her into the film.

Inside, he defies his pre-written romance and shows Cecilia the film's world, only for Shepherd to arrive at the theater and profess his love for her.

[4] Several scenes featuring Tom and Cecilia are set at the Bertrand Island Amusement Park, which closed just prior to the film's production.

The website's critics consensus reads, "Lighthearted and sweet, The Purple Rose of Cairo stands as one of Woody Allen's more inventive—and enchantingly whimsical—pictures.

[9] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film four out of four stars, writing, "The Purple Rose of Cairo is audacious and witty and has a lot of good laughs in it, but the best thing about the movie is the way Woody Allen uses it to toy with the very essence of reality and fantasy.

"[10] Time Out also gave the film favorable appraisal, writing, "the star-struck couple, Farrow and Daniels, work wonders with fantastic emotions, while Allen's direction invests enough care, wit and warmth to make it genuinely moving.

"[11] Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote some of the most glowing contemporary praise, stating, "My admiration for Mr. Allen extends to everyone connected with The Purple Rose of Cairo—all of the actors, including Mr. Daniels, Mr. Aiello, Dianne Wiest and the players within the film within; Stuart Wurtzel, the production designer, and particularly Gordon Willis, the director of photography, who has great fun imitating the look of the movie Cecilia falls in love with, as well as in creating a style fitting to the depressed times that frame the interior film.