The Color Purple
Drama
Warner Bros.  (1985) 154 mins PG-13

7.6 (22,264 votes)
It's About Life. It's About Love. It's About Us.

Steven Spielberg’s film of The Color Purple became one of the moviemaker's most remarkable successes. It won the National Board of Review's Best Picture Award, garnered 11 Academy Award® nominations (including Best Picture) and earned Spielberg Best Director honors from the Director's Guild of America.

The unforgettable characters of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize novel populate this lyrical cinematic adaptation. At the center is Celie (movie-debuting Whoopi Goldberg), whose search for fulfillment in a world closed to her becomes a triumph of cruelty overcome by love, of pain eclipsed by joy. Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery, Adolph Caesar, Rae Dawn Chong and Akosua Busia also star in this enduring screen treasure....

Play Movie
Cast and Crew
Whoopi Goldberg  ......  Celie Johnson
Oprah Winfrey  ......  Sofia
Margaret Avery  ......  Shug Avery
Danny Glover  ......  Albert
Rae Dawn Chong  ......  Squeak
Adolph Caesar  ......  Old Mister Johnson
Director  .....  Steven Spielberg
Producer  .....  Jon Peters; Peter Guber; Carole Isenberg; Quincy Jones; Kathleen Kennedy
Writer  .....  Menno Meyjes; Alice Walker
Notes
Goofs:
Continuity: The postmark on the envelope of the letter from Nettie is dated July 1934, however the letter inside is dated for April 18 (Easter). She opens the letter at Easter (Albert is decorating Easter eggs) so the letter did arrive in a timely manner, however the July postmark doesn't make sense. (more)

Trivia:
Alice Walker attended the rushes at the end of filming each day, yet she was horrified with the final cut of the film, especially what she referred to as the "Oklahoma"-type opening scene. However, at the premiere, when she watched the movie with an enthusiastic audience, she changed her mind. She now says she likes the film very much, but thinks of it as being very different from her book. (more)

Filming Locations:
Anson County, North Carolina, USA (more)

Quotes:
Sophia: I loves Harpo, God knows I do. But I'll kill him dead 'fo I let him beat me. (more)

Awards:
Nominated for 11 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 8 nominations (more)