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      I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

      1979 1 hr. 35 min. Drama List
      Reviews 74% 100+ Ratings Audience Score This film adaptation of Maya Angelou's autobiography focuses on the author's extremely difficult youth. Young Maya (Constance Good) lives at her grandmother's in Arkansas. Life is hard for the little girl, but a truly dark turning point comes when she is raped by her mother's boyfriend (Paul Benjamin). After she identifies her rapist, her uncles murder him. Overwhelmed with guilt and confusion, Maya becomes mute for years, struggling all the while to come to terms with her trauma. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member People forget that America was once this brutal - and in rare moments still is. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      Randy White Common Sense Media Forceful telling of Angelou's coming-of-age book. Rated: 5/5 Jan 2, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis This film adaptation of Maya Angelou's autobiography focuses on the author's extremely difficult youth. Young Maya (Constance Good) lives at her grandmother's in Arkansas. Life is hard for the little girl, but a truly dark turning point comes when she is raped by her mother's boyfriend (Paul Benjamin). After she identifies her rapist, her uncles murder him. Overwhelmed with guilt and confusion, Maya becomes mute for years, struggling all the while to come to terms with her trauma.
      Director
      Fielder Cook
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English