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The Color Purple

The Color Purple

7,7 /10 (2,016 Votes)
1985 EN 154 min

Overview

An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, 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, 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.

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Release date

18/12/1985

Votes

2,016

Popularity

6.7

It's about life. It's about love. It's about us.

Genres

Status

Released

Language

EN

Runtime

154 min

Budget

$15,000,000

Revenue

$146,300,000

Danny Glover

Danny Glover

Albert

Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg

Celie

Margaret Avery

Margaret Avery

Shug Avery

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey

Sofia

Willard E. Pugh

Willard E. Pugh

Harpo

Akosua Busia

Akosua Busia

Nettie

Desreta Jackson

Desreta Jackson

Young Celie

Adolph Caesar

Adolph Caesar

Old Mr.

Rae Dawn Chong

Rae Dawn Chong

Squeak

Dana Ivey

Dana Ivey

Miss Millie

Leonard Jackson

Leonard Jackson

Pa

Bennet Guillory

Bennet Guillory

Grady

No photo

John Patton Jr.

Preacher

Carl Anderson

Carl Anderson

Reverend Samuel

Susan Beaubian

Susan Beaubian

Corrine

No photo

James Tillis

Buster

No photo

Phillip Strong

Mayor

Laurence Fishburne

Laurence Fishburne

Swain

No photo

Peto Kinsaka

Adam

No photo

Lelo Masamba

Olivia

No photo

Margaret Freeman

Odessa

No photo

Howard Starr

Young Harpo

No photo

Daphaine Oliver

Young Olivia

No photo

Jadili Johnson

Young Adam

No photo

Lillian Njoki Distefano

Young Tashi

No photo

Donna Buie

Daisy

Leon Rippy

Leon Rippy

Store Clerk

No photo

John R. Hart

Mailman

No photo

David Thomas

Road Gang Leader

No photo

Carrie Murphy

Loretta

No photo

Juliet Poe

Church Sister

No photo

Katie Simon

Church Sister

No photo

Ethel Taylor

Church Sister

No photo

Marcus Covington

Boy

No photo

Marcus Liles

Boo

No photo

April Myers

Emma

No photo

Maurice Moore

Child #1

No photo

Lechanda Latharp

Child #2

Drew Bundini Brown

Drew Bundini Brown

Jook Joint Patron

Arnold F. Turner

Arnold F. Turner

Jook Joint Patron

Jeris Poindexter

Jeris Poindexter

Jook Joint Patron

Hawthorne James

Hawthorne James

Jook Joint Patron

Sonny Terry

Sonny Terry

Jook Joint Musician

Greg Phillinganes

Greg Phillinganes

Jook Joint Musician

No photo

Roy Gaines

Jook Joint Musician

Paulinho da Costa

Paulinho da Costa

African Musician

No photo

Nana Yaw Asiedu

African Musician

Clarence Avant

Clarence Avant

African Musician

No photo

Bayo Martin

African Musician

No photo

Ndugu Chandler

African Musician

No photo

Jeffrey Kwashi

African Musician

No photo

Pete Munzhi

African Musician

No photo

Aniijia Rae Schockley

African Musician

Maria Howell

Maria Howell

Church Choir Soloist (uncredited)

Gayle King

Gayle King

Church-goer (uncredited)

Original Soundtrack

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GenerationofSwine

GenerationofSwine

2023-01-12

⭐ 10

Well, this is one of those movies that hinges on a singular performance. In this case it's Danny Glover who is absolutely amazing in his role, probably the best performance of his career, and one of the best that came out of the 80s. But Goldberg and Oprah really stink. I don't know what was going on there but they were all over the place. However, despite them, Glover does carry the role, and Spielberg realized that this was a film adapted from a play. He kind of took that and ran with it, so the performances (minus two notable ones) were as earnest as you would get in live theater, the…

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CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

2026-07-02

⭐ 7

I think that rarely can a better cast have been assembled to tell a story than here. Telling the often quite harrowing lifestory of "Celie" (Whoopi Goldberg), we take a poignant look at a life in the American south where racism certainly prevailed, but where the African-American community saw it's own women frequently brutalised by their own menfolk. She frequently finds herself on the wrong end of the wrath of her husband "Albert" (Danny Glover) but her options aren't just limited, they're pretty much non-existant. Sadly, this relationship wasn't her first with a man who treated her with cont…

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