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The Color Purple Details

1985 Certificate 15
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 8948 members

Steven Spielberg's masterful adaptation of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel stars Whoppi Goldberg (GHOST, SISTER ACT), in her impressive screen debut, as Celie, a sharecropper's daughter living in rural Georgia. The film opens in 1909 when Celie is a young girl, a victim of incest, pregnant with her father's child. .. Read more

Starring Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Leonard Jackson
Director Steven Spielberg
Genres Drama

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The Color Purple

Steven Spielberg's masterful adaptation of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel stars Whoppi Goldberg (GHOST, SISTER ACT), in her impressive screen debut, as Celie, a sharecropper's daughter living in rural Georgia. The film opens in 1909 when Celie is a young girl, a victim of incest, pregnant with her father's child. Ugly and unloved, separated from her children and her sister, Celie's only option is marriage to an abusive, philandering husband (Danny Glover - LETHAL WEAPON, BOPHA) who treats her little better than a slave. Her life changes forever when her husband brings his mistress, a beautiful blues singer named Shug (Margaret Avery), into the house. THE COLOR PURPLE was also the film debut for Oprah Winfrey, who beautifully plays Celie's sister-in-law, Sofia. THE COLOR PURPLE was nominated for 11 Academy Awards (including one each for Goldberg, Avery, and Winfrey) but surprisingly won no Oscars, and although the film was nominated for a Best Picture award, Spielberg was snubbed by the academy and was not nominated for Best Director.

Starring Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Leonard Jackson, Akosua Busia, Adolph Caesar, Margaret Avery, Rae Dawn Chong
Director Steven Spielberg
Studio WARNER HOME VIDEO
Run time DVD: 2 hrs 28 mins
Certificate Certificate 15
Genres Drama
Language DVD: English
Hearing-impaired English
Subtitles DVD: Arabic, English
Released DVD: 21 Jul 2003
Production year: 1985
Format DVD

The Color Purple (1985)

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  • Critics' reviews (5) of The Color Purple

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  • 4 stars out of 5

    On this film's release, it was fashionable to castigate director Steven Spielberg for his somewhat glossy, sugar-coated version of Alice Walker's celebrated and hard-hitting Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a young black woman's struggle for self and racial identity. Yet this is actually an impressive, dignified attempt to turn a radical and often difficult novel into mainstream entertainment with a message, which is a ticklish task at the best of times, but one to be tackled devoutly. Whoopi Goldberg is wonderful in the lead, Danny Glover and Margaret Avery are sublime, and watch out for a pre-TV-fame Oprah Winfrey playing very out of character.

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 29 Jan 2006
  • 2 stars out of 4

    Well-intentioned and gracious but not always dramatically cohesive generation saga from a director trying to prove he has depth.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
    • Posted 02 Mar 2006

  • Most helpful member's review of The Color Purple

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  • 14 out of 17 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars [Highly rated reviewer]

    A strong adaptation...

    This film, based on Alice Walker's award-winning epistolary novel of the same name, is a very strong adaptation of the book. Performances by the entire cast, especially Whoopi Goldberg (her debut screen appearance), is very impressive and worthy of admiration. Music by Quincy Jones is emotive and fitting for the piece. A masterful classic of huge proportions, both emotional and engaging, this film will remain with you for a very long time after watching it.

  • Most recent members' review of The Color Purple

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  • 9 out of 13 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 2 stars

    Good acting - a bit drawn out.

    The acting was very good but the film was a bit long and drawn out. We didn't see the end as the dvd kept stopping half way through and wouldn't play any further. I haven't requested it again yet, so I guess that says I'm not in a hurry to find out what happens! An ok film to watch if you've a spare afternoon or evening and have nothing better to watch.

      • Tracey from Gloucestershire, England
      • Posted 14 Mar 2005 11:26

  • News and features

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    The Bank

    Oscar oversight

    • 23 Sep 2004

    Gritty prison thriller The Shawshank Redemption has topped a poll of the best films never to win an Oscar. In a glaring oversight the Academy failed to bestow a gong on the inspiring tale starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. Shawshank received the overwhelming support of Radio Times readers, beating feel good classic It's A Wonderful Life and Spielberg family favourite ET into second and third place respectively. Bank holiday stalwarts Raiders Of The Lost Ark and The Great Escape also... Read more

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Rating breakdown

8,948 Member ratings
  • 100
1,616
  • 90
1,132
  • 80
1,773
  • 70
1,473
  • 60
1,180
  • 50
695
  • 40
402
  • 30
295
  • 20
247
  • 10
135

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    • The Color Purple

    • The Color Purple
      Steven Spielberg's masterful adaptation of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel stars Whoppi Goldberg (GHOST, SISTER ACT), in her impressive screen debut, as Celie, a sharecropper's daughter living in rural Georgia. The film opens in 1909 when Celie is a young girl, a victim of incest, ...