It's quite deep really - Prince's life and career is failing because he feels he is doomed to repeat his father's mistakes - but actually finding out that they have a lot in common is what ultimately leads to Prince's redemption.

My take on it is:

The father is bitter that his own musical career didn't go anywhere. He takes this bitterness out on his wife and son. When Prince finds him playing a tune, he tries to reach out to his father, but his father just slams him back down to earth saying he didn't need to write his songs down, that he was basically better than Prince. In reality, his ego is too ashamed to let Prince understand his failure in life.

Prince can't understand why his father treats him so bad, and the passed-on anger leads Prince to making the same mistake and passing his anger onto Apollonia and his music.

Prince becomes scared that he will end up like his father, beating women and similarly attempting suicide.

Then when Prince finds out his father did in fact write his music down, it shows Prince that actually he and his father have something positive in common, their shared passion about music. His father lied about it, not wanting to show Prince that they really were alike.

It gives Prince an insight into why his father is the way he is, and how to avoid the same mistakes. By singing Purple Rain, a song which in the film is co-written by Wendy & Lisa, he symbolically lets go of his ego and the dark side of his character, as previously he claimed he would never sing a song written by them. And by doing so, not only does success come to him naturally, but in the shot where he kissed his father and mother in the hospital as they sleep, it shows he has a new understanding about his life and is no longer carrying the anger around towards his father.

It's quite deep really - Prince's life and career is failing because he feels he is doomed to repeat his father's mistakes - but actually finding out that they have a lot in common is what ultimately leads to Prince's redemption.
[Edited 6/19/05 4:00am]

but I tought he DIDNT want to make the same mistake....leaving his music in a shoe box ( read: vault)

My take on it is:

The father is bitter that his own musical career didn't go anywhere. He takes this bitterness out on his wife and son. When Prince finds him playing a tune, he tries to reach out to his father, but his father just slams him back down to earth saying he didn't need to write his songs down, that he was basically better than Prince. In reality, his ego is too ashamed to let Prince understand his failure in life.

Prince can't understand why his father treats him so bad, and the passed-on anger leads Prince to making the same mistake and passing his anger onto Apollonia and his music.

Prince becomes scared that he will end up like his father, beating women and similarly attempting suicide.

Then when Prince finds out his father did in fact write his music down, it shows Prince that actually he and his father have something positive in common, their shared passion about music. His father lied about it, not wanting to show Prince that they really were alike.

It gives Prince an insight into why his father is the way he is, and how to avoid the same mistakes. By singing Purple Rain, a song which in the film is co-written by Wendy & Lisa, he symbolically lets go of his ego and the dark side of his character, as previously he claimed he would never sing a song written by them. And by doing so, not only does success come to him naturally, but in the shot where he kissed his father and mother in the hospital as they sleep, it shows he has a new understanding about his life and is no longer carrying the anger around towards his father.

It's quite deep really - Prince's life and career is failing because he feels he is doomed to repeat his father's mistakes - but actually finding out that they have a lot in common is what ultimately leads to Prince's redemption.
[Edited 6/19/05 4:00am]

My take on it is:

The father is bitter that his own musical career didn't go anywhere. He takes this bitterness out on his wife and son. When Prince finds him playing a tune, he tries to reach out to his father, but his father just slams him back down to earth saying he didn't need to write his songs down, that he was basically better than Prince. In reality, his ego is too ashamed to let Prince understand his failure in life.

Prince can't understand why his father treats him so bad, and the passed-on anger leads Prince to making the same mistake and passing his anger onto Apollonia and his music.

Prince becomes scared that he will end up like his father, beating women and similarly attempting suicide.

Then when Prince finds out his father did in fact write his music down, it shows Prince that actually he and his father have something positive in common, their shared passion about music. His father lied about it, not wanting to show Prince that they really were alike.

It gives Prince an insight into why his father is the way he is, and how to avoid the same mistakes. By singing Purple Rain, a song which in the film is co-written by Wendy & Lisa, he symbolically lets go of his ego and the dark side of his character, as previously he claimed he would never sing a song written by them. And by doing so, not only does success come to him naturally, but in the shot where he kissed his father and mother in the hospital as they sleep, it shows he has a new understanding about his life and is no longer carrying the anger around towards his father.

It's quite deep really - Prince's life and career is failing because he feels he is doomed to repeat his father's mistakes - but actually finding out that they have a lot in common is what ultimately leads to Prince's redemption.
[Edited 6/19/05 4:00am]