Woody Allen's love letter to romance movies, "The Purple Rose of Cairo," is an honest look at the blurred line between fantasy and reality which, in today's world, is becoming hazier than ever. Every day, the gossip rags are filled with the goings on of the rich and the famous, to the point where people find it hard to differentiate between the actor and their character.

So what would happen if a character came right off the screen and into your life? Cecilia (Mia Farrow, "Rosemary's Baby") faces this problem when her favorite character leaves his movie screen to come to her. And like all romantic characters, Tom Baxter (Jeff Daniels, "Dumb and Dumber") is perfect. He's head over heels for her, can kiss perfectly and spouts all those gushy romantic words. And for a woman in an abusive relationship during Depression-era America, this man is quite the catch. Even if he isn't quite real.

The actor playing Tom, however, is real, and less than happy with the sudden independence of his creation. Gil Shepard, also played by Daniels, comes to New Jersey to straighten out the situation after Baxter's movie absence causes his film's other characters to be stuck on screen. It's ironic tat Baxter might be damaging Gil's career, since it's usually the actor's behavior that damages his reputation, not the type of characters he or she plays.

In reality, of course, life is less than a fairy tale. People are not perfect. Cecelia's humdrum daily routine lacks excitement and love, and she finds both in the movies. But in the end, like the movies, neither are real.

The Purple Rose of Cairo
Tonight at 7 p.m.
At the Michigan Theater