Review of The Color Purple (1985) by Aaron T — 12 Feb 2011

This one comes off from the great Spielberg as a TV movie more than some cinematic wonder. However, with that aside, this is all about the black experience in the American south. An almost all black cast, the film brings us the life of one butt ugly girl (Whoopi Goldberg) in the deep South of the early 1900's. Co-stars a younger Oprah Winfrey.

The story of a young African American girl named Celie and shows the problems African American women faced during the early 1900s, including poverty, racism, and sexism.

Not sure I can recommend this film to just anyone. Not that it lacks quality or good acting, it's just that the subject matter and setting is so dramatic and slowly paced I can't be sure how people will take this movie.

So few, all black films exist that break the mold of the usual silliness like this one does, this film triumphs over all of that sad history in U.S. film making.

NOTES on The Color Purple:

1) Directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Alice Walker. It was Spielberg's eighth film as a director (not including the 1971 television film Duel), and was a change from the summer blockbusters for which he had become famous.

2) The Color Purple was a success at the box office, grossing over $142 million worldwide, out of a $15 million budget.

3) The Color Purple was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Goldberg and Best Supporting Actress for both Avery and Winfrey. It won none of them, tying the record set by 1977's The Turning Point for the most Oscar nominations without a win.

4) It was also nominated for five Golden Globes, including Best Picture (Drama), Best Director for Spielberg, and Best Supporting Actress for Winfrey. Its only win went to Goldberg for Best Actress (Drama).

CAST.

Whoopi Goldberg as Celie Harris Johnson.

Danny Glover as Mr. Albert Johnson.

Oprah Winfrey as Sofia.

Margaret Avery as Shug Avery.

Akosua Busia as Nettie Harris.

Adolph Caesar as Old Mister.

Willard Pugh as Harpo Johnson.

Rae Dawn Chong as Squeak.

Larry Fishburne as Swain.

Dana Ivey as Miss Millie.

Leon Rippy as Store Clerk.

Bennet Guillory as Grady.

Directed by Steven Spielberg.

Produced by Steven Spielberg.

Kathleen Kennedy.

Quincy Jones.

Frank Marshall.

Screenplay by Menno Meyjes.

Music by Quincy Jones.

Cinematography Allen Daviau.

Editing by Michael Kahn.

Based on The Color Purple, Pulitzer Prize.

Alice Walker.

Running time 154 minutes.

Budget $15 million.

Gross revenue $142,000,000.