Beloved (1998)

Based on the book by Toni Morrison, in which a slave is visited by the spirit of a mysterious young woman

Director:

Jonathan Demme

Writers:

Toni Morrison (novel), Akosua Busia (screenplay)

Stars:

Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, Yada Beener

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 23 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Yada Beener	...	Denver aged 9
Emil Pinnock	...	Howard aged 14
Calen Johnson	...	Buglar aged 13
Oprah Winfrey	...	Sethe
Beah Richards	...	Baby Suggs
Danny Glover	...	Paul D
Kimberly Elise	...	Denver
Jude Ciccolella	...	Schoolteacher
Kessia Embry	...	Amy Denver (as Kessia Kordelle)
Dashiell Eaves	...	Schoolteacher's Nephew
LisaGay Hamilton	...	Younger Sethe (as Lisa Gay Hamilton)
Tyler Hinson	...	Baby Beloved
Brian Hooks	...	Young Paul D
Hill Harper	...	Halle
Thandie Newton	...	Beloved

Storyline

After Paul D. finds his old slave friend Sethe in Ohio and moves in with her and her daughter Denver, a strange girl comes along by the name of "Beloved". Sethe and Denver take her in and then strange things start to happen...

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Plot Keywords:

f rated | spirit | farm | freedom | slavery | 

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Taglines:

The past has a life of its own.

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Genres:

Drama | History | Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violent images, sexuality and nudity

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 October 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Agapimeni

Filming Locations:

Eckert James River Bat Cave Preserve, Mason County, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,165,551, 18 October 1998, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$22,852,487

Company Credits

Production Co:

Harpo Films, Clinica Estetico, Touchstone Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

172 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lauryn Hill was cast as Beloved, but dropped out before filming began, when she became pregnant.

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Goofs

At the end, when Sethe walks toward Mr. Baldwin to attack him, Beloved is on the porch, screaming, but in the next shot, when Sethe is being held back by the crowd of women, Beloved is not on the porch in the background; then, after a shot of Mr. Baldwin, she's back on the porch again, screaming.

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Quotes

Baby Suggs: And the beat, beat, of your heart... Love it. More than the lungs that need yet to breathe free air. More than the womb, which holds life. More than the private parts that give life. Love your heart. This... this is the prize. Amen. This the prize... Amen!

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Connections

Referenced in The Salon (2005)

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Soundtracks

Complaint Call
Arranged and Performed by Enoch Brown
Courtesy of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

User Reviews

Love It or Hate It

After reading Beloved at least 6 or 7 times, needless to say I was thrilled when I learned it was going to be filmed. But after hearing the mixed reviews while it was in the theaters I decided to wait for the video. I wasn't disappointed. How were they going to portray Beloved, I wondered? The same way I wondered how they would portray the young girl in Interview with a Vampire? Difficult to translate to a screen, but in each case the director and actors developed believable characters. Yes, Beloved was bizarre, like someone under the ground too long: her infant wailing, unusual gait, halting speech patterns, rages, etc. Who was she? Do we really know? The ambiguity prevails. When Forester was asked if Adela was really raped in A Passage to India, he replied, "What do *you* think?"

I loved this film, and hung on every word. One complaint: There should have been more of Baby Suggs sermon. It was the moment of strength and power on which the theme of the film rested. The entire cast was brilliant.