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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Play trailer I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings 1979 1h 35m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 1 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
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.

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

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
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

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Cast & Crew

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Fielder Cook

Director

Diahann Carroll

Vivian

Esther Rolle

Momma

Constance Good

Maya

Paul Benjamin

Freeman

Madge Sinclair

Miss Flowers

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
Release Date (TV)
Apr 28, 1979
Runtime
1h 35m