The Color Purple

1985
PG-13
2h 34m

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

100K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer1:22

Epic Period Drama Drama

A tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry.A tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry.A tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

100K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

2,095

1,024

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 11 Oscars
- 14 wins & 25 nominations total

Videos13

Trailer 0:30

The Color Purple

Clip 1:33

What You Need to Know About 'The Color Purple'

Clip 3:39

Three Movies That Changed Billy Porter's Life

Clip 1:31

'The Color Purple' | Anniversary Mashup

Clip 1:58

Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks Give Movies Lego Remakes

Photos216

+ 210

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Sofia's speech at the dinner table was an ad-lib prompted by Steven Spielberg, in the middle of filming the scene. He asked Winfrey to express to Celie how she felt that day when she saw Celie in the store, as Sofia was shopping for Miss Millie.

Goofs
When she is returning from Memphis on the train, Celie is sipping wine in the dining car. An African-American person could not eat in the dining car in the late 1930s, especially on a Southern run.

Quotes
Celie: [on leaving the farm in Shug's car, shouting to Albert] I'm poor, black, I may even be ugly, but dear God, I'm here. I'm here!

Crazy credits
The credits are all colored purple.

Alternate versions
The Blu-ray remaster features the 2003 Warner Bros. Pictures logo plastering both the 1984 variant and closing Saul Bass variant.

Connections
Featured in At the Movies: Enemy Mine/The Color Purple/Out of Africa/Spies Like Us (1985)

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

User reviews283

Featured review

9/10

Spielberg crushing my heart

Review following a 2020 rewatch of this brilliant movie. Tears streaming down my cheeks on several occasions throughout and writing after a few minutes to reflect and recover. Leads all fantastic, particularly Whooping Goldberg. She was gentle, pathetic, strong and fierce and times throughout and all felt honest and believable. I was truly taken in her journey and came out almost exhausted from the roller coaster of emotions that she, and me, went through. Danny Glover does the impossible by being genuinely unlikeable through the majority of the movie. Oprah was another standout and well deserved of her Oscar nom. Overall, an outstanding movie that crushed my heart and had me sobbing but beautiful at the same time. Long yet fast paced. I'll watch again in a decade and have no doubt that I will be crying again.

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