"Ladies and gentlemen, the Revolution..."
Prince knew what he was doing when he began this movie and this song with church organs and a sermon-like intro. "Dearly beloved" we still here, just trying to get through "this thing called 'life.'" #PurpleRain #Prince #Prince4Ever

A few minutes later, we're introduced to the three other most important characters in #PurpleRain: Morris Day (immaculate coif under a white bandana), Apollonia (skipping out on paying her cab fare) ...and #Prince 's bike. #Prince4Ever

Apollonia is immediately smitten by #Prince . The stage is set immediately for The Time and The Revolution's rivalry when Morris and his band take the stage right after 'The Kid' and perform "Jungle Love." Two musical numbers right out the gate. #PrupleRain #Prince4Ever

Morris is already in the owner's ear, trying to get him to drop The Kid. He promises an all girl group and he already has two members of what will become Apollonia 6 rehearsing to the beat of what will become "Sex Shooter." #PurpleRain #Prince #Prince4Ever

Morris Day is in the tradition of great movie pimps, his voice, his valent, Jerome and a scene that paints him as something of a womanizer, when a jilted ex confronts him on the street. He snaps his fingers and Jerome summarily tosses her into a dumpster. #PurpleRain

Meanwhile, The Kid and Apollonia run into each other on the street. The Kid has a weird way of wooing her, stealing a piece of her jewelry. It works because she takes a ride with him on HIS BIKE (to the strains of "Take Me with U") but not before noticing him admiring a guitar.

"And you? What do you dream about? Will you help me?", Apollonia asks. The Kid tells her that if she wants his help, she has to purify herself in Lake Minnetonka. So she strips naked and dives in. Only problem? "That ain't Lake Minnetonka." #PurpleRain #Prince4Ever

"The password is WHAT?
It's this "Who's on first?"-like bit that establishes Morris and Jerome as a legendary and inseparable comedic duo. Jerome is still holding up Morris' mirror onstage today. #PurpleRain

There's dissention in the ranks amongst the Revolution in their dressing room. Lisa and Wendy want to contribute some music but The Kid isn't having it. They passed a song along to him earlier but he blew it off. When he plays it, we recognize it as... #PurpleRain

At First Avenue, Morris is at Apollonia's table, shooting his shot, pimp style ("I'm gonna make you love me") when The Kid takes the stage to perform "The Beautiful Ones." Apollonia is ENTRANCED. There's not a word ANY man can say to her that can compete with this song right now.

I totally forgot to mention, after his first show, the Kid went home to find his dad (also a musician) beating on his mom. His dad is played by Clarence Williams III. You know him from "The Mod Squad" back in the day, DEEP COVER, TALES FROM THE HOOD and HALF BAKED. #PurpleRain

After "The Beautiful Ones" it's a no-brainer that The Kid takes Apollonia back to his place. He throws on some freaky instrumental track that has a girl's moans in it. "So who's the lucky girl? Sounds like she's having a good time," Apollonia says. Soon, so is she. #PurpleRain

Prince drops Apollonia off in the morning and goes to First Avenue to rehearse. The only Revolution members there are Lisa & Wendy, working on #PurpleRain some more. The Kid says he's not doing their "stupid music." Meanwhile, Morris convinces Apollonia to join his girl group.

Alone, The Kid be feeling Wendy and Lisa's tune but he can't vibe to the shit because his dad upstairs slapping his mom around again. His father tells his mother that she doesn't understand him. "I would die for you," he says. FORESHADOWING!!! #PurpleRain

Apollonia drops by and turns out she pawned some jewelry to buy The Kid that white guitar he had his eye on. She tells the Kid she's going to join Morris' group and he backhands her across the room. Maybe he's just like his father. #PurpleRain

Club owner, Billy, breaks the news to The Kid: Morris is bringing in Apollonia 6 & if they're hot, he can't afford everyone. Someone's gonna have to go. Thus, the stage is set. The Revolution need to tighten up. Prince takes off on his bike as "When Doves Cry" plays. #PurpleRain

The Kid returns home to find his mother (Greek actress Olga Karlatos) in tears on the stoop. He storms in, determined to kill his father (which produces one of my fave moments but I'll come back to that later) but instead finds him playing a beautiful piece of music. #PurpleRain

The Father: You got a girlfriend?
The Kid: Yeah, I got a girlfriend.
The Father: You gonna get married?
The Kid: I don't know.
The Father: Never get married.
#PurpleRain #Prince4Ever

"The Kid is in rare form tonight."
He's up there doing "Computer Blue" and then launches into "Darling Nikki." Again, Apollonia is in the house and her eyes are affixed on #Prince . Her eyes are wide and wet but not like before. She gets up and leaves. #PurpleRain #Prince4Ever

The club owner, Billy, comes to The Kid's dressing room to give him shit about his music ("You better kick ass tomorrow night or else") and Jerome drops off some tickets to Apollonia 6's debut performance. "Oh, and don't forget to bring a girlfriend." I love Jerome. #PurpleRain

Prince more or less abducts Apollonia from Morris after her show and drives her out to have a talk. But they don't talk. He almost hits her again so he goes home...where his dad shoots himself in the head in front of him. I feel like this is all gonna affect his performance.

The Kid has a tantrum after the police leave & stumbles across a box of his father's music (his father previously said he didn't write anything down) Inspired, we hear the kid listening to Lisa & Wendy's music, rewinding, stopping, rewinding, presumably writing to it. #PurpleRain

The Moment of Truth is here. It's do or die night at First Avenue and The Time is on the Revolution's neck: they out there doing "The Bird" and while the club is ON FIRE, The Kid's dressing room, listens but it is a MORGUE. #PurpleRain

The Time passes the Revolution's dressing room, high off their performance. Morris peeks his head in: "How's the family?" DAMN. Fortunately, they give him a humanizing moment where he lags behind, regretting what he said. The Revolution, however, got game faces on now #PurpleRain

They take the stage and The Kid dedicates #PurpleRain to his dad and gives Wendy & Lisa their credit for writing the music. The First Avenue crowd is confused. They're all just kinda standing there, not expecting a ballad after The Time's high energy performance. #Prince4Ever

Slowly, you see the audience vibing to it, some of them near tears. When #Prince signals for them to put their hands in the air, everyone is swaying to that shit. Even Billy, the club owner is touched. #PurpleRain

The Kid runs off stage and outside, probably sure his time at First Avenue is over after doing a ballad. But he hears cheers. He comes back inside and the club is lined with admirers, females faces wet with tears, especially Apollonia. He grabs his tambourine and... #PurpleRain

It's encore time. The Revolution launches into "I Would Die 4 U" over a montage of plot resolving images: Prince organizing his father's sheet music in their basement, his mother by his father's bedside at the hospital and he and Apollonia reconciling. #PurpleRain

This could be the end of the movie but #Prince has one more jam in him: "Baby, I'm a Star." The First Avenue faithful are STANDING ON TABLES. Considering where his career went after #PurpleRain, has there ever been a more prophetic musical number in a movie? #Prince4Ever