Is Purple Rain movie based on a true story? Explained

Purple Rain is a musical drama film based on the life of American singer-songwriter and musician Prince. The romantic rock musical drama is written and directed by Albert Magnoli, who later became the star’s manager. Made on a budget of $7 million, it was released theatrically by Warner Bros. on July 27, 1984, and earned $70.3 million globally.

Prince starred as The Kid in the film where most of the other cast members appeared as themselves. The movie follows the lead struggling through an abusive home, a singing rivalry, romantic turmoil, and a dissatisfied band amid his growing stardom. Although it is semi-autobiographical film, it is not based on a completely true story. The movie does borrow some elements from Prince's life.

Running for 111 minutes, Purple Rain won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. In 2019, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

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Exploring the plot of Purple Rain

Music, drama, and romance abound in Purple Rain, which portrays a cinematized version of the life of Prince. The film is set in the lively backdrop of the Minneapolis music scene in the early 1980s, where The Kid (Prince) tries to overcome personal and professional turmoil to earn his place among the rock and roll legends.

The stormy relationship of the star with aspiring singer Apollonia is explored as he struggles to bring together his band, The Revolution. Acclaimed singer Morris Day, lead singer of the band The Time, shines in the film as himself, as he shoulders the role of antagonist in Kid’s life.

The movie contains multiple concert scenes as it was tied to the release of Prince’s eponymous album. The soundtrack won multiple accolades, including an Oscar and two Grammys, and the album became the first by Prince to reach the top spot on the Billboard 200.

According to the House of Quake, Prince had once said that he “didn’t write Purple Rain. Someone else did. And it was a story, a fictional story, and should be perceived that way and nothing else.”

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What are the songs in the album Purple Rain?

The celebrated album of the same name, released in 1984 alongside the film, lists the following nine songs, all of which are available for streaming on Spotify.

• Let's Go Crazy
• Take Me With U
• The Beautiful Ones
• Computer Blue
• Darling Nikki
• When Doves Cry
• I Would Die 4 U
• Baby, I'm a Star
• Purple Rain

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Celebs who appeared as themselves in Purple Rain

A scene from the movie (Image via Prime video)

As a result of being semi-autobiographical, the cast had numerous music stars appearing as themselves in the film. Prince, who named his character The Kid, had actors Olga Karlatos and Clarence Williams III portray his mother and father, respectively, in the film.

The three bands—The Revolution, The Time, and Apollonia 6—appear as themselves in the film. Other musical celebs who were similarly included in the cast are listed as follows:

• Apollonia Kotero
• Morris E Day
• Jerome Benton
• Billy Sparks
• Jill Jones
• Dez Dickerson
• Wendy Melvoin
• Lisa Coleman

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Purple Rain got a one-night re-release in Dolby

The celebrated film was reportedly released for just one night in Dolby Cinema at AMC Theaters across the United States and Odeon locations across the United Kingdom on March 5, 2025. Digital restoration of the film was made from an 8K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative, with the colors graded specifically for Dolby Vision.

The audio, which includes the acclaimed soundtrack, was restored with the help of both the original Dolby Stereo tracks and the 5.1 multi-channel mix master created for it.

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Where to watch the movie?

Purple Rain is now available for streaming on several platforms. In America, viewers have the option to avail themselves of it on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, fuboTV, and the Microsoft Store.