The Color Purple (1985)

The life and trials of a young African American woman.

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers:

Alice Walker (novel), Menno Meyjes (screenplay)

Stars:

Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Avery

Nominated for 11 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Danny Glover	...	Albert
Whoopi Goldberg	...	Celie Johnson
Margaret Avery	...	Shug Avery
Oprah Winfrey	...	Sofia
Willard E. Pugh	...	Harpo Johnson (as Willard Pugh)
Akosua Busia	...	Nettie Harris
Desreta Jackson	...	Young Celie Harris
Adolph Caesar	...	Old Mister Johnson
Rae Dawn Chong	...	Squeak
Dana Ivey	...	Miss Millie
Leonard Jackson	...	Pa Harris
Bennet Guillory	...	Grady
John Patton Jr.	...	Preacher
Carl Anderson	...	Reverend Samuel
Susan Beaubian	...	Corrine

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...

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Plot Keywords:

african american | 1900s | girl | three word title | actress shares last name with character | 

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Taglines:

Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize Winning Story.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 December 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

El color púrpura

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$94,175,854 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amblin Entertainment, Guber-Peters Company, The, Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

154 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Oprah Winfrey's first movie.

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Goofs

During the church scenes with the "God's Trying To Tell You Something" track, a Hammond organ is audible being played through a Leslie rotary speaker in the left channel. However, the Leslie (then known as Vibratone) rotary speaker wasn't introduced until the mid to late forties and it certainly was not marketed alongside a Hammond organ. The Hammond Organ Company and Electro Music, the company which manufactured Leslie speakers, were involved in a bitter dispute over the popularity of the Leslie versus Hammond's own line of stationary tone cabinets.

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Quotes

Celie: [to herself, after Shug shouts Albert's first name when she throws the burned food out of the bedroom] Albert?

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Connections

Referenced in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Episode #8.66 (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Hot Lips"
Written by Henry Busse, Henry Lange and Lou Davis
Performed by Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra
Courtesy of RCA Records

User Reviews

Simply beautiful

Simply beautiful really is the only way to describe such a wondrous film, one which warms the heart, nourishes the soul, and brings a tear to the eye. This statement is neither hyperbolic nor exaggerated, one of many reasons I suggest you see this film.

The film opens in 1909 when Celie (Whoopi Goldberg in her feature film debut) as a young girl, as well as a victim of incest, impregnated by her father. Unattractive and unloved, separated from her beloved sister and children, Celie has no other option than to be wedded to an abusive, impoverished, and philandering husband named Albert (Danny Glover), a man who treats her no better than a slave. However, Celie's life forever changes when Albert returns home in accompaniment with his mistress Shug (Margaret Avery), a beautiful Blues singer.

In spite of the seemingly hopeless situation the film's plot provides Celie with, the Color Purple is not a tale of her despair, but rather her triumph, one which is immensely inspiring. Stellar in every aspect this film is, including Stephen Spielberg's highly credible direction, the acting, especially of the four most prominent stars: Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey (both quite impressive in their debuts), Danny Glover, and Margaret Avery, the plot, etc. As one of my most revered novels and films, I definitely recommend the Color Purple.

Grade: A+