Mia Farrow is the wife of an unemployed bully and womanizer Danny Aiello. She works in a diner, and when she tries to forget her lousy life in the Depression she turns to the movies. Currently she is seeing a "B" feature again and again called THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO, about a bunch of bored socialites (Edward Herrmann, John Woods, Zoe Caldwell, Van Johnson) who go to Egypt for a change. They meet an archaeologist played by Jeff Daniels, who is trying to find a mythical flower (the one of the film title) that will lead to a true love. We see Farrow go again and again to the film until Daniel starts noticing her and asks if she really likes the film that much. This unsettles Farrow who leaves the theater. But she returns and she sees that Daniel is interested in her. Interested enough to leave the film, much to the consternation of Herrmann and the other characters in the film because they are trained by the fact that they were shot in a way by the film company and edited to follow the same pattern forever. So the characters are at a loss at how to continue. Also they can't leave the film (as Daniel did).<br /><br />Allan is one of the few directors brave enough to look at philosophical situations in his film. Here it is the odd rules governing reality and falsity. The world of the movie is as rigid as that of the real world, despite the cinematic Daniel's discovery of color and real space in the outside world. The real world requires real training (not the idiotic false title the cinematic Daniels has as a so-called archaeologist) and real money (Daniels has fake money on him from the movie set). But the characters in the film are losing their mind for being unable to go ahead with the plot without Daniels. That is some of them are: the actress playing the African-American maid in the movie becomes more real in her not acting like a female stereotype (she takes off her shoes and plots down on a couch, to the dismay of the others).<br /><br />The revolt sensed by Daniels stepping out of the screen spreads consternation in other worlds: the theater management and the movie company see it as a threat of left wingers trying to undermine the American film industry. Indeed, we hear that other copies of the film have incidents elsewhere in the country. The film company sends the real Daniel to the site where his character came to life, and soon it is Daniel v. Daniel wooing Farrow. Who will she choose - and will she choose wisely, between a naive fictional character who adores her and a man of flesh and blood and potential, who is ambitious and devious? But what is wisdom in such a choice?<br /><br />THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO is one of those films that makes one look twice at reality in the world we inhabit, and the world that we seek to enter through our imaginations. It is an exceptionally clever film, and a very funny one. Certainly one of Allan's top five movies.