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:

spirit | farm | freedom | slavery | ohio | 

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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

A subplot in the novel, but omitted from the film, 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.

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Goofs

Beloved wears contact lenses.

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Quotes

Paul D: Your boys run off, don't know where. One girl's dead, the other one can't get further than the yard. So how did it "work?"
Sethe: They ain't at Sweet Home. Schoolteacher ain't got them.
Paul D: Maybe there's worse.
Sethe: [angrily] It ain't my job to know what's worse, Paul D. It's to know what's out there and to keep my children from it! Because I would rather know they're at peace in Heaven than living a hell here on Earth! So help me, Jesus!

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: David Spade/Eagle-Eye Cherry (1998)

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Soundtracks

The Clearing Song
Written by Dianne McIntyre

User Reviews

Disturbing

Is the only word that I can describe how I felt--directly after viewing the film and for several days afterwards. I was disturbed by the comments from people who don't have any feeling for what the film is saying or from people who don't grasp what is the result from slavery, guilt, survival and how to go one. Those who say the film is too long --that is how slavery was it went on for too long, and still goes on. Comments about the quality of the film the flow of the film. People seldom think in chronological order--feelings, taste, smells return in bursts . I have not experienced slavery(although I am African American) but only the results of slavery - mentally, emotionally, physically, socially, and economically--The film starts out with the reunion of Sethe and Paul D-(who both did time(as in prison) on Sweet Home)--the haunting of the home that Sethe occupies with her daughter Denver--this is similar to haunting women experience when they have had an abortion --you never get over it and even though I understood Sethe's need to destroy her children rather than have them experience slavery I just could not do it--I would rather inflict something on myself to prevent the ability to have any more children. But it is the same people that with courage and hope that is responsible for my life today. People(those with the negative comments) should stick to movies such as Austin Powers--they are uncomfortable with movies that invoke any thought, or feeling.