Oprah Winfrey

After being summoned back to the Mouse House by Pixar founder John Lasseter in 2006, Alladin and Treasure Planet directors Ron Clements and John Musker join forces once again for this traditionally animated 2-D fantasy for the entire family, set in New Orleans. Former Dreamgirl Anika Noni Rose will voice the lead character Tiana, Disney's first African-American heroine in their long heritage of fairy tale animated features. Also in the voice cast is Keith David, lending his baritone chords to the film's villain, Dr. Facilier. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Drawing inspiration from the true story of a temperamental debate coach who molded the students of a small East Texas college into a formidable team that gave even Harvard's elite squad a run for their money, Denzel Washington's The Great Debaters features the director himself as the ambitious educator, and Forest Whitaker as the resentful father of a student whose loyalties now lie almost exclusively with his coach. Melvin B. Tolson (Washington) is the kind of educator who truly recognizes the remarkable power of knowledge. An outspoken Wiley College professor who boldly challenged the discriminatory Jim Crow laws of the 1930s, Tolson's recognizes that his young debate students possess the spark of a new generation. Convinced that they could invoke great change if given the confidence and tools needed to do so, the tireless educator implores his students to take responsibility for the future while furtively attempting to protect them from his clandestine role as an organizer for the Southern Tenant Farmers Union. Chief among Tolson's promising young students is a 14-year-old prodigy named James Farmer, Jr. (Denzel Whitaker). Farmer's father, James Sr. (Forest Whitaker), is a renowned scholar and an important presence in the emerging student's life. Yet despite his formidable reputation, James Sr. has not yet learned how to truly harness the power of knowledge through action and assertion. James Jr. has seen the raving effects of racism all around him, and longs to live in a future where no one must be in fear simply because of the color of their skin. Other talented debaters on Tolson's team include fiercely independent student Henry Lowe (Nate Parker), and Samantha Brooke (Jurnee Smollett) -- the first ever female ever to join the Wiley College debate team. While most educators may not have recognized the remarkable potential of assembling such a disparate team, Tolson's unique vision truly set him apart from the pack as the team begins to experience a series of consecutive victories on their road to challenging Harvard at the National Championships. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Actress and television talk show host Oprah Winfrey shares her knowledge on how to construct a detailed African American family tree in this companion to the best-selling book by author Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Genealogist Tony Burroughs and historian John Thornton offer expert advice on researching ones past as excerpts from the documentary Oprah's Roots display just how America's most beloved media figure used genealogy to discover surprising details about her origins. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

As the twentieth anniversary of "We Are the World" draws near, conductor Quincy Jones gathers the world's most popular recording artists and media personalities for a global concert staged to mark the launch of an international humanitarian effort to benefit the children of war-ravaged cities the world wide. Featured artists include Ennio Morricone, Josh Groban, Norah Jones, Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, and Khaled, while celebrity presenters include Oprah Winfrey, Naomi Campbell, and Angelina Jolie. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Originally telecast March 6, 2005, by ABC, this "Oprah Book Club" TV movie is adapted from Zora Neale Hurston's novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, a certified classic of African-American literature. Covering the first 30 years of the 20th century, the film is set in Eatonville, FL, a largely black community and the home of free-spirited Janie Crawford (Halle Berry). Forced into marriage with a much older and much wealthier man at age 16, Janie endures both this unhappy union and a second equally dismal marriage, trapped not only by the bonds of matrimony but also by the rigid patriarchal society of the period. Her only happiness is manifested in her ongoing illicit romance with a younger, none too reliable gent known as Tea Cake (Michael Ealy) -- much to the shock and dismay of her very proper neighbors. Devotees of the original novel expressed displeasure over the film's sketchy portrayal of the protagonist, a multidimensional character reduced to an impulsive hedonist for the purposes of the screenplay (though Halle Berry's towering performance more than compensates for the weaknesses of the scripts). More than that, the fans of the Hurston original bemoaned the loss of the novel's pronounced racial content, which harshly criticized the caste system within the Southern black community of the early 20th century, whereby a light-skinned woman was regarded as "superior," and thus more desirable, than her darker-skinned sisters. No one, however, could find fault with performance of the great Ruby Dee as Nanny, nor the film's lush production trappings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Taped approximately six weeks before the 100th birthday of comedy legend Bob Hope, this elaborate (and highly-rated) TV "love letter" to "Old Ski Nose" is hosted by former Today Show anchor Jane Pauley. The special covers the familiar biographical ground, tracing British-born Leslie Townes Hope from his first paying gig as a Charlie Chaplin imitator at age 12, then on to nearly two decades of singing, dancing, and adlibbing in vaudeville before achieving stardom on the Broadway stage in the 1933 musical Roberta. Achieving even greater success in films and on radio, Hope still remained just another entertainer until he began his celebrated, indefatigable tours of far-flung military camps in WWII, thereby kicking off a humanitarian "second career" that would extend well past the Vietnam era. Finally, the program covers in detail Hope's years on television, specifically the 285 specials which he headlined on NBC from 1950 to 1996. Many of the film clips will be familiar to even the most casual Hope fans, with one noteworthy exception: A clip from a mid-'80s Mike Douglas Show, in which Hope engages in a putting match with a two-and-a-half-year-old Tiger Woods. Dozens of Hope's contemporaries and fans from all walks of life show up to offer their own special tributes, though sadly many of his co-star's from his classic films -- notably Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour -- are no longer around to put in their two cents' worth. Nor does Bob Hope himself make a "live" appearance on 100 Years of Hope & Humor, though it is the understatement of the century to say he is certainly there in spirit. And need we add that the theme of the show (in more ways than one) is "Thanks for the Memory"? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Among the tasks undertaken by the WPA's Federal Writers' Project in the 1930s was to transcribe the memories of those former African-American slaves who were still living. The result was a massive collection of notes, documents, and recordings, all of which found their way into the Library of Congress. Co-produced by the Library and the HBO cable channel, Unchained Memories: Readings From the Slave Narratives features a truly impressive array of black actors and actresses verbally recreating the reminiscences of those who lived under the yoke of slavery. The performers themselves appeared in modern dress, standing before a neutral background as they read from the transcripts, while directors Ed Bell and Thomas Lennon complemented the words with vivid and disturbing images culled from contemporary photographs of the years 1850-1935. Tied in with a traveling museum exhibit of photos and recordings, Unchained Memories was telecast during Black History Month, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, the made-for-TV Oprah Winfrey Presents: Amy & Isabelle was based on the bestselling 1999 novel by Elizabeth Strout. The scene is the mining town of Shirley Falls, ME; the year is 1971. Seeking escape from the iron rule of her domineering, social-climbing single mother, Isabelle (Elisabeth Shue), shy teenager Amy (Hanna R. Hall) falls under the seductive spell of her new math teacher, Mr. Robertson (Martin Donovan). Meanwhile, Isabelle, who may not be as straight-laced as she appears, develops a yearning for her married boss, Avery Clark (James Rebhorn), who barely acknowledges the woman's resistance. The tensions between Amy and Isabelle, already heightened by their separate romantic travails, is exacerbated when the two women find themselves working together in the same accounting office. While the rest of the town buzzes with vicious gossip concerning the two heroines, the story takes on a disturbing new tangent when the body of a young girl is found stuffed into the trunk of an abandoned car. Also known as Amy & Isabelle, this film was first aired by ABC on March 4, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Previously seen as an ABC television special in March of 1997, this documentary features Oprah Winfrey, kids and adults speaking about their childhood. Onscreen, children tell stories of the every day horrors many of them face such as AIDS and abuse, while also conveying the innocence and purity of childhood. This critically acclaimed program earned a five star rating from the New York Post and won a 1998 Seal of Approval from the brainplay.com educational website dedicated to "Smart Choices for Growing Kids". The subject matter of this 90 minute video is inappropriate for young children. ~ Karla Baker, All Movie Guide

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

Comedian Ellen DeGeneres' decision to publicly announce her lesbianism as her onscreen character did the same, altered the way mainstream media portrays homosexuality. The Real Ellen Story, an acclaimed British documentary, provides an intimate view of the controversy surrounding DeGeneres' move. The film relates the behind-the-scenes look at the battle between DeGeneres and ABC/Disney executives regarding her sitcom, and explains how she managed the conflict. Interviewed are DeGeneres and family members, her partner Anne Heche, Oprah Winfrey, Diane Sawyer, network executives, and others. This film covers a critical two-year period in the actress' life. ~ Sally Barber, All Movie Guide

Connie May Fowler adapted her own novel for this dark drama about a dysfunctional family in northern rural Florida during the '60s. Alcoholic Billy (John Savage) reflects on his country-music career that never happened and beats his wife Glory Marie (Ellen Barkin), also a drunk. Grown-up son Hank (William Lee Scott) has moved away, but teenaged Phoebe (Julia Stiles) and sensitive nine-year-old Bird (Tina Majorino) have to live in the bleak alcoholic atmosphere. Problems escalate after Billy kills himself. The three females move into a trailer where the girls are subjected to a torrent of abuse from their mom. Fortunately, benign Miss Zora (Oprah Winfrey) appears like a guardian angel to lift their spirits. First of a half-dozen TV movies produced by Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films for ABC, this was shot in Ojai, California, and premiered 11/2/97 on ABC. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Successful talk show host and media maven Oprah Winfrey appears in this video to share personal thoughts about her own past struggles with weight and self-esteem problems. She discusses some of her own dieting errors and how she has learned to make exercise a regular part of her everyday life. Winfrey shares a step-by-step program for taking an honest look at one's life in order to develop healthier habits. She talks very candidly about some of her past emotional pain and the fact that she believes it's been healed since she learned to take better care of herself. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide