IMDb > Beloved (1998/I)
Beloved
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Beloved (1998/I) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
5.5/10   3,756 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Jonathan Demme
Writers (WGA):
Toni Morrison (novel)
Akosua Busia (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Beloved on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
16 October 1998 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
The past has a life of its own.
Plot:
Based on the book by Toni Morrison, in which a slave is visited by the spirit of her deceased daughter. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 20 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(9 articles)
Lyndhurst To Play Rodney's Dad In Only Fools Spin-off
 (From WENN. 5 October 2009, 3:01 PM, PDT)

Tiff: Oscar Buzz Report
 (From Screen Rant. 19 September 2009, 2:19 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
A garbled mess more (197 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Oprah Winfrey ... Sethe

Danny Glover ... Paul D Garner

Thandie Newton ... Beloved

Kimberly Elise ... Denver
Beah Richards ... Baby Suggs, aka Grandma Baby

Lisa Gay Hamilton ... Younger Sethe

Albert Hall ... Stamp Paid

Irma P. Hall ... Ella
Carol Jean Lewis ... Janey Wagon
Kessia Randall ... Amy Denver (as Kessia Kordelle)

Jude Ciccolella ... Schoolteacher
Anthony Chisholm ... Langhorne
Dorothy Love Coates ... M. Lucille Williams
Jane White ... Lady Jones
Yada Beener ... Denver aged 9
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for violent images, sexuality and nudity.
Runtime:
172 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
A subplot in the novel, omitted from the film version, suggests that Beloved might actually be a missing woman from a nearby town who was tortured and imprisoned by a white man. The subplot underscored Sethe's need for Beloved to be her reincarnated daughter. more
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: When the camera is following Beloved out to the shed, you can the camera man's shoe for a second in the bottom right corner. more
Quotes:
Sethe: I got a tree on my back and a haint in my house, and nothing inbetween but the daughter I'm holding in my arms. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: David Spade/Eagle-Eye Cherry (#24.5)" (1998) more
Soundtrack:
Sheep, Sheep Dont'cha Know The Road more

FAQ

Why did it take so long for Sethe to realize who Beloved really was?
Why did Denver suddenly burst into tears shortly after meeting Paul D?
What happened to Sethe's husband, Halle? Why did he never show up?
more
21 out of 38 people found the following comment useful.
A garbled mess, 10 May 1999
1/10
Author: jimbo-93 from Galveston TX USA

I am a big Jonathon Demme fan, even going back to Handle With Care (Did anyone other than me see this film?), so I was very disappointed with this convoluted mess. Making a film from a richly loved book can be troublesome. The film feels like it came from a book, as if the director was afraid to leave out any of the details and alienating the book's legion of fans. Plus the supernatural side of the story is better left to the imagination. On screen, it comes off as ridiculous and hokey. Oprah is fine, but the title character is tremendously annoying. Stop reading here if you haven't seen the film, but she kept reminding me of those not-quite-right pets from Pet Sematary. I normally admire over the top acting, but this is more like over the top of top. Embarrassing stuff. I Have other issues:(1) what was up with that white woman who helps Oprah give birth? She was almost as annoying as Beloved;(2)What happened to the sons?;(3)Why did the makers cut to a seemingly gratuitous and graphic scene of Oprah urinating? I rewound my vcr to figure out the significance and it went over my head twice. Unless you've read the book, you'll probably find this to be an indecipherable, indulgent mess.

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more (197 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Beloved (1998/I)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Was Beloved mentally impaired? katejane10
One of the worst movies in cinematic history (SPOILERS) rainbowvahmet
When Sethe urinated in the yard... gbruce-2
THIS was the Best Picture of 1998 xavrush89
It would have been more popular as a horror movie belanshar
Do Not Expect Easy Entertainment. ducklips
more

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