The Color Purple

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The Color Purple

PG-13

Released Dec 18, 1985

2h 32m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

73%

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126 Reviews

94%

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100,000+ Ratings

An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry. After Celie's abusive father marries her off to the equally debasing "Mister" Albert Johnson (Danny Glover), things go from bad to worse, leaving Celie to find companionship anywhere she can. She perseveres, holding on to her dream of one day being reunited with her sister in Africa. Based on the novel by Alice Walker.

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Critics Consensus

It might have been better served by a filmmaker with a deeper connection to the source material, but The Color Purple remains a worthy, well-acted adaptation of Alice Walker's classic novel.

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Dorothy Gilliam

Washington Post

I anxiously awaited the coming of this movie. Last week I saw it, and I was not disappointed. Indeed, when it concluded, I stood up and cheered.

May 31, 2023

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

It is a great, warm, hard, unforgiving, triumphant movie, and there is not a scene that does not shine with the love of the people who made it.

Rated: 4/4

May 31, 2023

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Anne Marie Biondo

Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

The Color Purple is easily the best movie of the year.

Rated: 4/4

May 31, 2023

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Sue Heal

Radio Times

Whoopi Goldberg is wonderful in the lead, Danny Glover and Margaret Avery are sublime, and watch out for a pre-TV-fame Oprah Winfrey playing very out of character.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 4, 2024

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Celie’s journey, though wrought with hardships, is thought-provoking, educational, nerve-wracking and, finally, wholesome and triumphant.

Rated: 7/10

Jan 1, 2024

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

The movie gains in strength the longer it plays out.

Rated: 3/4

Dec 26, 2023

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Tyler G

If you have watched Spiel start-to-now, it is amazing he made this movie. It has all of his style and affecting moments. Some of the acting performances are top tier and unsurprising they launched stars. Still, it has glaring weaknesses. The score is so bad. The depiction of sexuality, while i get he needed to "keep it PG", reflect an author who has almost no real-life expoure to sex or queerness. I have very mixed emotions about this movie.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/14/25

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Eric W.

Absolutely brilliant and heartbreaking. It’s disturbing to me that so many people protested this film. It’s also a snapshot of Oprah and Whoopie before they were losing their marbles.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/13/25

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Tricia W

This is one of the best movies ever made in my opinion. It tugs at your heart strings from beginning to end, and the acting is unbelievable. Oprah, Whoopie, and Danny absolutely kill it! There's sadness, anger, joy, and the ending is just about the best I've ever seen. I can't recommend this movie enough.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/11/25

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Stephen C

Featuring 2 hours and 32 minutes of footage, including Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $93,400,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/04/25

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Jerrod G

Beautiful movie just all around with great plot and ending

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/15/25

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thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, o elenco é mais ou menos, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, a história é fraca, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/25

Full Review

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Steven Spielberg

Director

Whoopi Goldberg

Celie

Danny Glover

Albert

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Synopsis

An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry. After Celie's abusive father marries her off to the equally debasing "Mister" Albert Johnson (Danny Glover), things go from bad to worse, leaving Celie to find companionship anywhere she can. She perseveres, holding on to her dream of one day being reunited with her sister in Africa. Based on the novel by Alice Walker.

Director: Steven Spielberg
Producer: Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, Quincy Jones
Screenwriter: Alice Walker, Menno Meyjes
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Brothers, Guber-Peters Company, Amblin Entertainment
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 18, 1985, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $93.4M
Runtime: 2h 32m
Sound Mix: Surround

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