She's finally met the man of her dreams. He's not real but you can't have everything.

Starring: Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, Danny Aiello, Edward Herrmann, John Wood, Deborah Rush, Zoe Caldwell, Dianne Wiest, Paul Herman, Van Johnson, Karen Akers, Milo O'Shea

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Last week I was unloved. Now, two people love me - and it's the same two people." - Cecilia

Why watch this? This unique film is speaks of love, longing and old Hollywood.

Plot Summary: Cecilia is a woman struggling to make ends meet during the Great Depression. The passionate young woman is tied down by a deadbeat, abusive husband and a diner job she is not very good at. Her true love is attending movies at the local theater. The settings are usually exotic, the stars dashing and handsome. When a new feature begins its run, The Purple Rose of Cairo, she becomes enamored with an adventurous character, Tom Baxter. As her life gets harder, she retreats to the theater, again and again. Then something truly unbelievable occurs: In a critical scene, Tom Baxter looks into the audience, addresses Cecilia directly, and does the impossible - he walks off the screen and into her life, eagerly escaping the fictitious film universe.

Dad's Preview: As I slowly come around to director Woody Allen's cinematic works, I found this tribute to nostalgic creativity. The film's premise alone should blow your mind, as the fantastical tale rockets onward, exploring the concepts of love and heartbreak. It is Cecilia's story - a meek woman, caught in-between two realities, determined to find her true strength in a life of hardships. Mia Farrow (Allen's wife at the time) is captivating, and Jeff Daniels does a nice job playing the dual roles of Tom Baxter and Gil Shepherd. This magical story says a lot about our big screen heroes juxtaposed to people in the real world - and it leaves it up to us to decide which is better or worse.

Robert Greenhut; Orion Pictures