''Purple Violets'' is a 2007 American independent

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

film written and directed by

Edward Burns Edward Fitzgerald Burns (born January 29, 1968) is an American actor, producer, writer, and director best known for appearing in several films including ''Saving Private Ryan'' (1998), '' 15 Minutes'' (2001), ''Life or Something Like It'' (200 ...

, who also co-stars. It is set in

lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan (also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York) is the southernmost part of Manhattan, the central borough for business, culture, and government in New York City, which is the most populated city in the United States with ...

, about four friends from college who unexpectedly meet again after twelve years apart. The film stars

Selma Blair Selma Blair Beitner (born June 23, 1972) is an American actress. She played a number of roles in films and on television before obtaining recognition for her leading role in the film '' Brown's Requiem'' (1998). Her breakthrough came when she s ...

Patrick Wilson Patrick Joseph Wilson (born July 3, 1973) is an American actor and director. He began his career in 1995, starring in Broadway musicals. He received nominations for two Tony Awards for his roles in ''The Full Monty'' (2000–2001) and ''Oklahoma ...

Debra Messing Debra Lynn Messing (born August 15, 1968) is an American actress. After graduating from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Messing received short-lived roles on television series such as '' Ned and Stacey'' on Fox (1995–1997) and ...

and Burns, and

Bill Hader William Thomas Hader Jr.''Finding Your Roots'', January 26, 2016, PBS. (born June 7, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is the creator, producer, writer, director, and star of the HBO dark comedy series ''Barry'' (201 ...

in his screen debut. It also features

Dennis Farina Donaldo Gugliermo "Dennis" Farina (February 29, 1944 – July 22, 2013) was an American actor. Often typecast as a mobster or police officer, he is known for roles such as FBI Agent Jack Crawford in '' Manhunter'', mobster Jimmy Serrano in th ...

Donal Logue Donal Francis Logue (born February 27, 1966) is a Canadian actor. He starred in the film '' The Tao of Steve'' and has had roles in the TV series ''Sons of Anarchy'', ''Vikings'', ''Grounded for Life'', ''Copper'', '' Terriers'', and, as Detecti ...

and

Elizabeth Reaser Elizabeth Ann Reaser (born July 2, 1975) is an American film, television, and stage actress. Her work includes the films ''Stay'', ''The Family Stone'', '' Sweet Land'', '' Against the Current'', '' The Twilight Saga'', ''Young Adult'', and '' Ou ...

. ''Purple Violets'' became the first feature film to debut on the

iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...

Plot summary

Patti Petalson (

) is a promising writer, but her marriage and conventional job keep her from her dream. She longs to return to her writing, especially after running into her first love Brian Callahan (

), a successful crime novelist. Kate (

) is Patti's best friend since college. She's a tough-talking schoolteacher who plays therapist to all Patti's problems, while she's got a few of her own. Despite Brian's gorgeous Tribeca loft and perfect house in the Hamptons, he longs to write works of greater literary value. Michael Murphy (

), his lawyer and best friend from college, still carries a flame for former girlfriend Kate, even though their relationship ended badly. Since spotting Kate at a restaurant she has become all he can think about. She holds a grudge, but he will go to any length to win Kate back. When Patti sells Murphy a new apartment, and Brian publishes his personal novel, these old friends reconnect in unexpected ways.

Cast

Soundtrack

''Purple Violets''′ soundtrack mainly includes songs by the

Alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

band " The Blue Jackets", notoriously the indie-rock ballads "Do You Remember" and "You Send Shivers"; the latter is played during the final scene and end credits.

Distribution

''Purple Violets'' became noteworthy for being the first feature film to debut on the

. It was released on November 20, 2007. The movie was exclusive to

Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company ...

for one month after release. Subsequently, ''Purple Violets'' was released on DVD through

The Weinstein Company The Weinstein Company (usually credited or abbreviated as TWC) was an American independent film studio, founded in New York City by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in March 2005. TWC was one of the largest mini-major film studios in North America prior ...

References

External links

Official siteiTunes Page
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Movie trailer
{{Edward Burns 2007 films Films about writers 2007 romantic comedy films American independent films Films set in New York City Films directed by Edward Burns American romantic comedy films 2007 independent films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films