Beloved

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Beloved

R

Released Oct 16, 1998

2h 52m

History

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

72%

Tomatometer

127 Reviews

70%

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10,000+ Ratings

In 1873 Ohio, Sethe (Oprah Winfrey) is a mother of three haunted by her horrific slavery past and her desperate actions for freedom. As a result, Sethe's home is haunted by a furious poltergeist, which drives away her two sons. Sethe and her daughter (Kimberly Elise) endure living with the spirit for 10 more years, until an old friend, Paul D. Garner (Danny Glover), arrives to run it out. After Garner moves in, a strange woman named Beloved (Thandie Newton) enters their lives, causing turmoil.

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Critics Consensus

A powerful, emotional and successful film adaptation of the original novel.

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Elvis Mitchell

Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

It's a daring and provocative collection of ideas and heart that needed to be better, but still has something going for it.

Rated: 3/4

Feb 2, 2022

Full Review

Ann Hornaday

Baltimore Sun

The result is an extraordinary film that is always hypnotically watchable, even as it presents the audience with scenes of harrowing pain.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 2, 2022

Full Review

Ella Taylor

L.A. Weekly

Demme's Beloved is permanently heated to the boil. Rightly so, for the terrain of Toni Morrisons magisterial novel, on which the movie is based, is not the politics of slavery but its private agonies, the torture of evil turned inward against the self.

Feb 2, 2022

Full Review

Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

“Beloved” is easily one of the year’s best films. An emotionally intense motion picture.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 6, 2023

Full Review

Alison Macor

Austin American-Statesman

Beloved stumbles a bit during its first half-hour. The narrative smooths itself out, however, and finds a groove that makes the remaining 145 minutes barely noticeable. More important, the length proves absolutely essential in conveying Sethe's story.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 2, 2022

Full Review

Eleanor O'Sullivan

Asbury Park Press (NJ)

Demme is the right choice to direct Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel: He brings to the movie his humanism, his fascination with nature and the inexplicable, and his respect for actors. As Sethe, Winfrey has rare grace and strength.

Rated: 3.5/4

Feb 2, 2022

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Ivster t

So this was a pretty good film..I think the comments pertaining to "worthless to watch" derived from that person probably being a "white trash American snob" who either had their feelings hurt or are an active clan member.. Either or..but it was a watchable film

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/26/25

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Rosana B

Um filme de drama psicológico gótico, com direito a poltergeist, amo, e a dor da escravidão, nos flashbacks sombrios e doloridos… Uma pena não ter recebido os créditos que merecia, apesar do elogio da crítica especializada, ficou pouco no cinema e arrecadou menos ainda, e levou Oprah a depressão com o fracasso... "É perigoso amar tanto assim, o melhor é amar tudo só um pouquinho, assim, se ela partir, fugir ou for roubada, talvez ainda lhe sobre um pouco de amor." "Amor fraco não é amor"

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/31/24

Full Review

Jerod S

Portions of Beloved gave chilling insight to slavery and all the things that come with it. Other parts felt like Jodie Foster in Nell. Other parts seemed to be a rabbit trail that took our eyes off Oprah's family and the central action of the story.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/23/23

Full Review

Steve D

Fans of the book will love it but the story has never worked for me.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I remember when Oprah was promoting this film. I had already read the book for school, so I knew it wasn't something I wanted to see on film. I have mostly forgotten the book's plot at this point, but I decided to finally check out the movie. Too weird for me.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie is one of most disturbing, disjointed illogical movies you’ll ever watch, or not. It is not a accurate historical drama, it is not a thought provoking social just drama, it is not a love story and it is not a suspenseful horror film. It is not worth your time

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/13/22

Full Review

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Jonathan Demme

Director

Oprah Winfrey

Sethe

Danny Glover

Paul D Garner

Thandiwe Newton

Beloved

Kimberly Elise

Denver

Beah Richards

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Synopsis

In 1873 Ohio, Sethe (Oprah Winfrey) is a mother of three haunted by her horrific slavery past and her desperate actions for freedom. As a result, Sethe's home is haunted by a furious poltergeist, which drives away her two sons. Sethe and her daughter (Kimberly Elise) endure living with the spirit for 10 more years, until an old friend, Paul D. Garner (Danny Glover), arrives to run it out. After Garner moves in, a strange woman named Beloved (Thandie Newton) enters their lives, causing turmoil.

Director: Jonathan Demme
Producer: Jonathan Demme, Kate Forte, Gary Goetzman, Edward Saxon, Oprah Winfrey
Screenwriter: Toni Morrison, Akosua Busia, Richard LaGravenese, Adam Brooks
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Touchstone Pictures, Harpo Films, Clinica Estetico
Rating: R
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 16, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 12, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $22.8M
Runtime: 2h 52m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround

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