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Beloved

  • 19981998
  • RR
  • 2h 52m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
9K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Beloved (1998)
Watch {VideoTitle}
Play trailer2:14
1 Video
86 Photos
  • Drama
  • History
  • Horror

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

IMDb RATING
6.0/10
9K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Jonathan Demme
  • Writers
    • Toni Morrison(novel)
    • Akosua Busia(screenplay)
    • Richard LaGravenese(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Oprah Winfrey
    • Danny Glover
    • Yada Beener
Top credits
  • Director
    • Jonathan Demme
  • Writers
    • Toni Morrison(novel)
    • Akosua Busia(screenplay)
    • Richard LaGravenese(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Oprah Winfrey
    • Danny Glover
    • Yada Beener
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 217User reviews
    • 68Critic reviews
    • 57Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 3 wins & 24 nominations total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:14
    Trailer

    Photos86

    Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey, and Kimberly Elise in Beloved (1998)
    Oprah Winfrey, Kimberly Elise, and Thandiwe Newton in Beloved (1998)
    Oprah Winfrey in Beloved (1998)
    Oprah Winfrey and Thandiwe Newton in Beloved (1998)
    Beah Richards in Beloved (1998)
    Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey in Beloved (1998)
    LisaGay Hamilton, Albert Hall, and Irma P. Hall in Beloved (1998)
    Jonathan Demme and Tak Fujimoto in Beloved (1998)
    Danny Glover, Anthony Chisholm, and Albert Hall in Beloved (1998)
    Oprah Winfrey in Beloved (1998)
    Danny Glover in Beloved (1998)
    Kimberly Elise in Beloved (1998)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Oprah Winfrey
    Oprah Winfrey
    • Setheas Sethe
    Danny Glover
    Danny Glover
    • Paul Das Paul D
    Yada Beener
    • Denver aged 9as Denver aged 9
    Emil Pinnock
    • Howard aged 14as Howard aged 14
    Calen Johnson
    • Buglar aged 13as Buglar aged 13
    Beah Richards
    Beah Richards
    • Baby Suggsas Baby Suggs
    Kimberly Elise
    Kimberly Elise
    • Denveras Denver
    Jude Ciccolella
    Jude Ciccolella
    • Schoolteacheras Schoolteacher
    Kessia Embry
    • Amy Denveras Amy Denver
    • (as Kessia Kordelle)
    Dashiell Eaves
    Dashiell Eaves
    • Schoolteacher's Nephewas Schoolteacher's Nephew
    LisaGay Hamilton
    LisaGay Hamilton
    • Younger Setheas Younger Sethe
    • (as Lisa Gay Hamilton)
    Tyler Hinson
    • Baby Belovedas Baby Beloved
    Brian Hooks
    Brian Hooks
    • Young Paul Das Young Paul D
    Hill Harper
    Hill Harper
    • Halleas Halle
    Thandiwe Newton
    Thandiwe Newton
    • Belovedas Beloved
    • (as Thandie Newton)
    George E. Ray
    • Reverend Pikeas Reverend Pike
    Wes Bentley
    Wes Bentley
    • Schoolteacher's Nephewas Schoolteacher's Nephew
    Irma P. Hall
    Irma P. Hall
    • Ellaas Ella
    • Director
      • Jonathan Demme
    • Writers
      • Toni Morrison(novel)
      • Akosua Busia(screenplay)
      • Richard LaGravenese(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Haunted by so many painful and well-hidden secrets, former slave Sethe is bent on finding freedom for the sake of her children. Out of the blue, as Sethe struggles to grapple with her troubled past in her humble home somewhere in post-Civil-War Cincinnati, Paul D, an old familiar from the Kentucky farm euphemistically called Sweet Home, re-enters Sethe's life, eager to lend her a hand. Then a stranger arrives in the shape of a mysterious young woman, giving rise to a series of repressed memories. But who is she? Can Paul D help Sethe reinvent herself? —Nick Riganas
    • torture
    • whipping
    • animal cruelty
    • brutality
    • beating
    • 153 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • The past has a life of its own.
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • History
      • Horror
      • Mystery
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated R for violent images, sexuality and nudity
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Thandiwe Newton's African first name means, interestingly enough, "beloved."
    • Goofs
      In the scene with a deer in the field, a car is visible driving by in the upper right hand corner.
    • 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!

    • Crazy credits
      In lieu of traditional opening credits, the movie begins with the camera moving through a cemetery to focus on a gravestone engraved with the sole word "BELOVED".
    • Alternate versions
      In the version aired on television there is a deleted scene and two alternate scenes. The TV version also removes any mention of Sethe's sons. They don't exist in the TV version. The first alternate scene is when Paul D is telling Sethe about Halle being in the loft. In the theatrical you see Paul D quoting Halle. In the TV version there is a flashback to Halle (Hill Harper) saying "The loft." The second alternate scene in the prayer group discussing how to deal with Sethe being haunted by Beloved. In the theatrical there is a line about Sethe being like batter. In the Tv version that is removed and there is a line inserted from another woman saying "I don't mind a little communication between worlds but this is invasion" and another character says "we better get to work and pray" The deleted scene added for the TV version has Stamp Paid asking Paul D if beloved is his problem and not what Sethe did.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Holy Man/Bad Manners/One Tough Cop/The Mighty/The Imposter (1998)
    • Soundtracks
      Little Rice, Little Bean
      Written by Toni Morrison & Rachel Portman

      Performed by Danny Glover

    User reviews217

    Review
    Top review
    A Fair Film
    Beloved the movie seeks to rival Beloved the novel in telling the African-American story. While it could not attempt to capture all of the richness of Morrison's great novel, it does do what it can in the constraints of a feature movie. The performances are phenomenal, and any Oscar nominations will be well deserved. The Ohio/Kentucky background takes one's breath away and the movie really does grip its viewer during key scenes

    However, Morrison's non-linear style did not translate as well on the big screen and the flashbacks are truly confusing at points. Moreover, the movie has about three natural climaxes which heighten the viewer's awareness of the length of the movie.

    All told, it is a good movie, but it is not a must-see movie, nor will it have the cultural impact Oprah intended.

    (As for no likeable white characters which some posts have charged, first Mr. Baldwin is a likeable white person. Second, in a post-slavery society of Ohio/Kentucky, why do there have to be any good whites in this narrow world? Oh yeah, don't be mad at Oprah for that--Morrison didn't include any in her book either)
    helpful•21
    4
    • MRVnjd95
    • Oct 18, 1998

    FAQ4

    • Why did Sethe try to kill all of her children?
    • What happened to Sethe's husband, Halle? Why did he never show up?
    • Why did it take so long for Sethe to realize who Beloved really was?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 16, 1998 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • Haitian
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Sevilen
    • Filming locations
      • Old New Castle, New Castle, Delaware, USA
    • Production companies
      • Harpo Films
      • Clinica Estetico
      • Touchstone Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $80,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $22,852,487
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $8,165,551
      • Oct 18, 1998
    • Gross worldwide
      • $22,852,487
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 52 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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