Cecilia (Mia Farrow) is a bored waitress who has a womanising slob for a husband and who regularly visits her local cinema in order to escape from the harsh realities of Depression-era America. One night, while rewatching her latest favourite, 'The Purple Rose of Cairo', the film's hero (Jeff Daniels) steps down from the screen and asks her to show him around. A fantasy love affair ensues, but the couple's bliss comes under threat from Cecilia's husband, the bemused actor whose fictional alter-ego has gone walkabouts, and the studio who want their character back on the screen.