Purple Rain (1984)

Film and Plot Synopsis

In an alleged semi-autobiographical film, musician Prince plays the musician The Kid, the lead singer and lead guitarist for the band The Revolution. The son of two musicians, The Kid finds himself in conflict with his own band members, the club owner, a rival singer from another band, and the new female singer who just came into town to make it big. Will The Kid follow the destructive path of ego and violence like his father, or will he choose a new way for himself that may take him all the way to the top?

‘Purple Rain’ Movie Summary

Set in 1980’s Minneapolis, Purple Rain is the “fictional” story of The Kid (Prince), the lead singer in an up-and-coming band named The Revolution, played by the real-life band The Revolution. The Revolution is one of the three headlining bands at the hot nightclub, First Avenue. However, The Revolution, although popular, is beginning to draw smaller and smaller crowds as the audience seems less interested in The Revolution’s continually more and more niche music, which is written exclusively by The Kid. As The Revolution’s crowd begins to fade, the other two bands on the marque, Dez Dickerson (played by Dez Dickerson) and his band the Modernaires and Morris Day (played by Morris Day) and his band The Time (played by the band The Time) begin to influence more favor with the club’s owner, Billy (played by Billy Sparks). Morris attempts to oust The Revolution from the rotation by suggesting to Billy that a girl group might draw bigger crowds. Morris sets out to recruit women to join his envisioned group.

The Kid is haunted by his home life as he continues to live with his parents, apply named Mother (Olga Karlatos) and Father (Clarence Williams III). The Kid’s parents also used to be up and coming musicians before their obsession with each other, and alcohol, derailed their careers. Now, Mother steps out on her lover frequently which results in Father verbally and physically abusing Mother and The Kid both. At the same time, there is a revolution in The Revolution as guitarist Wendy (played by Wendy Melvoin) and keyboardist Lisa (played Lisa Coleman) feel creatively stifled as The Kid refuses to play some of the music that they have written.

At the same time, a new woman, named Apollonia (played by Apollonia Kotero), arrives in Minneapolis, seemingly on the run from someone, although the film quickly abandons that storyline in favor of another musical number. Apollonia is seeking to make it big as a singer, which is what some one does when they are trying to keep a low profile. She attempts to further her musical career by making “fuck me” eyes at The Kid and jumping naked into random bodies of water near Minneapolis. However, her efforts are rewarded as The Kid takes an interest in her and officially makes her his “girl” by giving her one of his earrings. And who said romance was dead!

However, The Kid is not the only one infatuated with Apollonia as Morris solicits her to become the lead singer of his new girl group, the Apollonia 6. Boy, was he lucky she had the right first name. Morris successfully poisons the relationship between The Kid and Apollonia by suggesting to his new singer that The Kid is too self-centered to help her make it big. The Kid responds by becoming exceptionally jealous and singing insulting songs about Apollonia from the stage. The Kid also becomes physically abusive towards Apollonia just like his father does with Mother. Billy is none too pleased with The Kid working out his relationship issues from the stage of his club and warns The Kid that he is following the same path as his father. Not long after, Apollonia 6 successfully debuts at the club, and Billy warns The Kid that his slot on the stage of First Avenue is in jeopardy.

One night, The Kid kidnaps Apollonia from a drunk Morris who intends to do her harm. They jump on the Kid’s bike and ride “out towards old man Johnson’s farm.” The two argue, again, and The Kid becomes physical for a second time, knocking Apollonia down on the ground. Apollonia leaves The Kid. Depressed, The Kid returns home to find the front door open and the house a mess. The Kid cannot find Mother but finds Father in the basement with a loaded handgun. Father shoots himself in the head, but lives. After emergency medical staff and the police leave the house, The Kid sits alone in the basement with the chalk outline of his still living father and sees his potential future of himself failing in his music career and ending up like his father. The Kid begins tearing apart the basement and inadvertently knocks over a box with his father’s musical compositions, all signed Francis L. The Kid is mesmerized by his father’s music. The next morning, The Kid picks up the cassette tape of Wendy and Lisa’s music and begins to compose and write lyrics to their music.

Later that night at First Avenue, The Revolution’s dressing room is quiet and tense as they listen to another successful performance by Morris and The Time. As The Time walks by The Revolution’s dressing room, Morris taunts The Kid by asking him about his family. The Revolution takes the stage, and The Kid surprises everyone, including the band, by revealing that they will be playing Wendy and Lisa’s song, now tilted “Purple Rain.” At the conclusion of the song, The Kid rushes from the stage and out the back door of the club. However, instead of riding away on his motorcycle, he is stopped by the overwhelming applause from the crowd for the song.

The Kid reenters the club, and he is greeted warmly by his fellow musicians backstage as they all like the new song. He sees a teary-eyed Apollonia, and the couple embrace. The Kid returns to the stage and rejoins his band. They play two more songs to an extremely enthusiastic crowd. The film closes with scenes of The Kid visiting his father and mother in the hospital, and neatly organizing his father’s compositions with the assistance of Apollonia.