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Purple Rain
Warner Bros. Pictures


8.5

based on 8 reviews
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based on 2 votes
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MPAA RATING: R

Starring Prince, Apollonia Kotero, Morris Day, Olga Karlato, and Clarence Williams III

The Kid (Prince) fights for his music career and the affections of Apollonia (Kotero) with a rival musician (Day) in Minneapolis.

GENRE(S):	Drama \| Musical \| Romance
WRITTEN BY:	William Blinn Albert Magnoli
DIRECTED BY:	Albert Magnoli
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: June 25, 1997 Theatrical: July 27, 1984
RUNNING TIME:	111 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

Won Oscar for Best Music, Original Song Score. Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song - Motion Picture - "When Doves Cry." Won Grammy for Best Album of Instrumental Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Variety Cynthia Kirk

Playing a character rooted in his own background, and surrounded by the real-life members of his Minneapolis-based musical 'family,' rock star Prince makes an impressive feature film debut in Purple Rain, a rousing contemporary addition to the classic backstage musical genre.

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

Fresh music and silly dialogue - those aspects of Purple Rain haven't changed over the years. [Review of re-release]

The New York Times Vincent Canby

However, like many album covers, Purple Rain, though sometimes arresting to look at, is a cardboard come-on to the record it contains.

TV Guide Staff (Not Credited)

If you like Prince's music, you'll love this movie. If not, stay away.

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

The pop-music star Prince makes his movie debut in this bizarre drama about a rock singer with a troubled career and a miserable home life.

Empire Ian Nathan

A fairly dappy and overlong attempt to turn Prince the then emergent rock-funk superstar into a movie star.

Chicago Reader Dave Kehr

The project would have been much more palatable as a TV special; as it stands, it's just another symptom of the American cinema's addiction to facile mythmaking.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Jay Scott

Purple Rain is not a revolution. It's not even a good movie. What it is, is a cosmic letdown. [27 Jul 1984]

The average user rating for this movie is 8.5 (out of 10) based on 2 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Jennifer gave it a7:
Love Purple Rain. The acting is very bad in most parts but Prince gives a great performance. Watch this movie for the music and great performances by Prince and the Revolution.

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Purple Rain Warner Bros. Pictures

Purple Rain
Warner Bros. Pictures