The Color Purple (1985)
- Starring:
- Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, (more)
- Director(s):
- Steven Spielberg
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- PG13
- Category:
- Drama
Member Rating
My RatingSynopsis of The Color Purple
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker, The Color Purple spans the years 1909 to 1949, relating the life of Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), a Southern black woman virtually sold into a life of servitude to her brutal husband, sharecropper Albert (Danny Glover). Celie pours out her innermost thoughts in letter form to her sister Nettie (Akousa Busia), but Albert has been hiding the letters Nettie writes back, allowing Celie to assume that Nettie is dead. Finally, Celie finds a champion in the don't-take-no-guff Sofia (Oprah Winfrey), the wife of Glover's son from a previous marriage. Alas, Sofia is "humbled" when she is beaten into submission by angry whites. Later, Celie is able to forge a strong friendship with Albert's mistress Shug (Margaret Avery). Emboldened by this, Celie begins rifling through her husband's belongings and finds Nettie's letters. Able at last to stand up to her husband, Celie leaves him to search for a new life on her own. A major box-office hit, The Color Purple was nominated for eleven Oscars. The film was co-produced by Quincy Jones, who also wrote the score. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 153 mins
Complete Cast of The Color Purple
- Danny Glover - Albert
- Margaret Avery - Shug Avery
- Willard E. Pugh - Harpo
- Desreta Jackson - Young Celie
- Dana Ivey - Miss Millie
- John Hart - Mailman
- Bennet Guillory - Grady
- Arnold Turner - Jook Joint Patron
- Peto Kinsaka - Adam
- Ethel Taylor - Church Sister
- Susan Beaubian - Corrine
- Hawthorne James - Jook Joint Patron
- Donna Buie - Daisy
- Margaret Freeman - Odessa
- Maurice Moore - Child
- David Thomas - Road Gang Leader
- Katie Simon - Church Sister
- Laurence Fishburne - Swain
- Carl Anderson - Reverend Samuel
- Rae Dawn Chong - Squeak
- Daphaine Oliver - Young Olivia
- Drew Bundi Brown - Jook Joint Patron
- Whoopi Goldberg - Celie
- Oprah Winfrey - Sofia
- Akosua Busia - Nettie
- Adolph Caesar - Old Mister
- Marcus Covington - Boy
- Lechanda Lathrap - Child
- Howard Starr - Young Harpo
- April Myers - Emma
- Leonard Jackson - Pa
- Carrie Murray - Loretta
- John Patton, Jr. - Preacher
- Clarence Avant - African Musician
- Jadili Johnson - Young Adam
- Lelo Masamba - Olivia
- Phillip Strong - Mayor
- Marcus Liles - Boo
- Lillian Njoki Distefano - Young Tashi
- James Tillis - Buster
- Jeris Poindexter - Jook Joint Patron
- Leon Rippy - Store Clerk
- Juliet Poe - Church Sister
- Director(s):
- Steven Spielberg
- Writer(s):
- Menno Meyjes
- Producer(s):
- Jon Peters, Peter Guber, Steven Spielberg
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- PG13(Profanity, Questionable for Children, Rape & Sexual Abuse, Nudity, Adult Situations, Watch With Your Teen, Violence)
- Categories:
- Drama
- 1985 - Directors Guild of America - Best Director
- 1985 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
- 1985 - National Board of Review - Best Actress
- 1985 - National Board of Review - Best Picture
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