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The Color Purple (1985)

PG-13  |   |  Drama  |  7 February 1986 (USA)
7.8
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Ratings: 7.8/10 from 57,107 users  
Reviews: 191 user | 64 critic

A black Southern woman (Whoopi Goldberg) struggles to find her identity after suffering years of abuse from her father and others over 40 years.

Director:

Writers:

(novel), (screenplay)
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Title: The Color Purple (1985)

The Color Purple (1985) on IMDb 7.8/10

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Nominated for 11 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 12 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Harpo Johnson (as Willard Pugh)
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Leonard Jackson ...
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John Patton Jr. ...
Carl Anderson ...
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Storyline

This film follows the life of Celie, a young black girl growing up in the early 1900's. The first time we see Celie, she is 14 - and pregnant - by her father. We stay with her for the next 30 years of her tough life... Written by Colin Tinto <cst@imdb.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize Winning Story. See more »

Genres:

Drama

Certificate:

PG-13 | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

7 February 1986 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Moon Song  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$94,175,854 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

As of 2015, this is one of three theatrical films directed by Steven Spielberg that was not scored by John Williams, the others being the anthology film Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), scored by Jerry Goldsmith and _Bridge of Spies (2015), scored by Thomas Newman. See more »

Goofs

When Shug is opening the letter from Nettie to Celie, she runs her finger underneath the flap of the envelope, although the flap is shown to be already open. See more »

Quotes

Celie: The more things change, the more they stay the same.
See more »


Soundtracks

Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)
Music by Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton
Lyrics by Quincy Jones, Rod Temperton and Lionel Richie
Vocals by Táta Vega
See more »

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User Reviews

Forgotten Spielberg Masterpiece
2 December 2000 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

Alice Walker's epic novel is put on the big-screen by director Steven Spielberg and the results are excellent. The film deals with the maturity and independence of a mistreated black woman (Whoopi Goldberg in an Oscar-nominated role) from the years 1909 to 1947. The audience gets to experience all of her triumphs and tragedies through the film's running time. A very strong cast of supporting players make the film memorable as well. Danny Glover, Adolph Caesar, Rae Dawn Chong, Margaret Avery, and Oprah Winfrey (the last two Oscar-nominated) all shine with the great screenplay and Spielberg's subtle direction. Somewhat forgotten on Spielberg's list of credits, but still one of his very best films. 5 stars out of 5.


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