Toni Morrison Movies
- 2008
Directed by filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and produced by journalist Elvis Mitchell, this collaborative documentary offers an informative collection of portraits of twenty influential African Americans ranging from powerful CEOs to prolific artists, well-known politicians, and dedicated activists. Artist Bill T. Jones discusses the reaction of his contemporaries after he described himself as an artist first and a black man second, Chris Rock describes how equality in sports didn't come about until there were bad black athletes in the major leagues, and Vernon Jordan ponders the reason why there is a clear definition of black America while white America remains a vague, undefined standard. Other conversations find Academy Award-winning actor Lou Gossett Jr. discussing institutionalized racism and its effect on his onscreen career, museum curator Thelma Golden reflecting on the times when people mistakenly assumed she was her own assistant, and, by contrast, the manner in which author Toni Morrison was encouraged as a young girl to believe that women can be just as strong as men. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elvis Mitchell
- 2006
Though officially a work of fiction, Toni Morrison's bestselling roman Beloved pulled inspiration directly from the tragic real-life case of pre-Civil War slave Margaret Garner. Garner made national headlines for escaping from bondage and killing her daughter, to save the poor girl from an inevitable return to slavery. In fact, Garner's story not only inspired Beloved, but prompted Morrison to author the libretto for an opera named after the 19th century woman and funded by three different opera houses. The documentary Margaret Garner profiles Garner's tale and interweaves it with the story of Denyce Graves, the African American mezzo soprano chosen for the lead in the operatic production, who struggled with her own difficult upbringing in Washington State. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Toni Morrison
- 2002
Avon Kirkland's Ralph Ellison: An American Journey takes a close look at the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ralph Ellison. In addition to the expected array of experts that analyze Ellison's work, Kirkland intersperses dramatized scenes from Ellison's only novel Invisible Man, including the infamous blind battle royal that appears in the beginning of the book. Andre Braugher (Homicide) provides the narration. This film was screened at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival before playing as part of the American Masters series on PBS. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andre Braugher, John Amos, (more)
Jonathan Demme directed this adaptation of Toni Morrison's fact-based fifth novel (winner of a 1988 Pulitzer Prize), written in an experimental stream-of-consciousness flow and capturing the impact and aftermath of slavery on the human soul. In 1873, middle-aged Sethe (Oprah Winfrey) lives near Cincinnati with her teenage daughter, Denver (Kimberly Elise). She gets a surprise visit from her old friend Paul D (Danny Glover), whom she knew when they were both slaves on the Kentucky plantation Sweet Home. Paul D moves in, and a number of mysteries are introduced, including Sethe's memories of her dead older daughter and the fact that Sethe has been abandoned by her husband, two sons, and Denver's grandmother, Baby Suggs (Beah Richards). When a feral, insect-covered, stuttering teenager (Thandie Newton) turns up at Sethe's house, she is nursed back to health by Denver and called "Beloved." Violent flashbacks begin to explore shocking episodes from Sethe's past. (The film is rated R "for violent images, sexuality and nudity.") Hints of the supernatural surface as the question arises -- could Beloved be Sethe's older daughter, back from the dead? This film was a pet project of producer-star Oprah Winfrey, who spent over a decade bringing this work to the screen after she bought the film rights in 1987. With titles fashioned by leading poster/titles designer Pablo Ferro and music by Rachel Portman, director Demme filmed in a variety of locations, including Pennsylvania (Philadelphia Civic Center, Lancaster's Landis Valley Museum), Maryland (Fair Hill Natural Resources Area), and Delaware (Old New Castle). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, (more)
- 1990
Narrated by Bill Moyers, Toni Morrison: A Writer's Work is a two-part documentary on the life and career of author and Nobel Prize-winner Toni Morrison. In part one, Morrison discusses important people in her life, the characters in her work, the role of love in life and literature, and the connection between fiction and life. Part two is a discussion of the evolution of African-American literature in the past two centuries. ~ Kathleen Wildasin, All Movie Guide
- 1988
This documentary focuses on Toni Morrison's winning novel, Beloved. ~ All Movie Guide
