Cecilia, a waitress in New Jersey during the Depression, is searching for an escape from her dreary life. Tom Baxter is a dashing young archaeologist in the film "The Purple Rose of Cairo." After losing her job Cecilia goes to see the film to raise her spirits. Much to her surprise, Tom Baxter walks off the screen and into her life. There's only one problem: Tom isn't real. Meanwhile, Hollywood is up in arms when they discover that other Tom Baxters are trying to leave the screen in other theaters. Will Tom ever return and finish the film or will he decide to stay in the real world?