The Color Purple

Name: The Color Purple
Genre: Drama
Released: December 18, 1985
Duration: 154 min
Rating: 78
Cast: Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg

1985

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 119 Ratings

See All

8.4

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8.4	Your Score
8.4	User Score Universal acclaim based on 119 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

The Color Purple

Now Playing: The Color Purple

Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. | Release Date: December 18, 1985 | PG-13

Starring: Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg

Summary: In rural Georgia during the first half of the 20th century, Celie (Whoopi Goldberg) is married off to an abusive man (Danny Glover) after becoming pregnant by her own father. Based on Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

Director: Steven Spielberg

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 154 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

Roger Ebert

The affirmation at the end of the film is so joyous that this is one of the few movies in a long time that inspires tears of happiness, and earns them. The Color Purple is the year's best film. Read full review

100

Gene Siskel

To miss this film is to cheat yourself and your family of a memorable moviegoing experience. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

Spielberg lacks his usual intuitive affinity for his story material; consequently the film is a bit clunky at times. There are some unfortunate slapstick comic relief sequences and a few of the characterizations are also much too broad and cartoonish. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Janet Maslin

Some parts of it are rapturous and stirring, others hugely improbable, and the film moves unpredictably from one mode to another. From another director, this might be fatally confusing, but Mr. Spielberg's showmanship is still with him. Although the combination of his sensibilities and Miss Walker's amounts to a colossal mismatch, Mr. Spielberg's ''Color Purple'' manages to have momentum, warmth and staying power all the same. Read full review

Jay Scott

What's wrong with The Color Purple - and nothing that's wrong with it keeps it from being a joy to watch - is what you'd expect of Spielberg: he chews on Alice Walker's hard edges until they're gummy. [21 Dec 1985]

Sheila Benson

This time out, Spielberg has chosen to put an antic disposition on, and with the single exception of casting, his almost every decision has been disastrous. He has prettified or coarsened; he has made comic scenes broadly slapstick and tiptoed over the story's crucial relationship. The result, alas, is the film purpled. Read full review

SEE ALL 7 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

Habibiehakim

Jun 4, 2021

The Color Purple is really something that you will never expected to be directed by Steven Spielberg, yes, the guy who directed Jaws, ET, and Indiana Jones, the result? Incredible, with Whoopi Goldberg amazing perfomance, Oprah Winfrey outstanding debut perfomance, The Color Purple reallyThe Color Purple is really something that you will never expected to be directed by Steven Spielberg, yes, the guy who directed Jaws, ET, and Indiana Jones, the result? Incredible, with Whoopi Goldberg amazing perfomance, Oprah Winfrey outstanding debut perfomance, The Color Purple really mixed my feeling with all the sadness and happiness that really work for me, The Color Purple is really a big new game by Steven Spielberg, i highly recommended.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

R.L

Jan 6, 2009

The Color Purple is a truly amazing film!

0 of 0 users found this helpful

KinkyKid

Feb 16, 2020

Moving and uplifting, the performance of Whoopi Goldberg is outstanding and powerful, beautiful movie

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Compi24

Oct 15, 2013

The kind of film that makes you feel warm on the inside, "The Color Purple" is a true testament to the directorial versatility of Steven Spielberg, the acting talents of Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Danny Glover, and the true triumph of human spirit.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

moviemaniacs

Mar 6, 2016

There are some great scenes and great performances in The Color Purple, but it is not a great film. Steven Spielberg’s turn at ‘serious’ filmmaking is marred in more than one place by overblown production that threatens to drown in its own emotions. But the characters created in AliceThere are some great scenes and great performances in The Color Purple, but it is not a great film. Steven Spielberg’s turn at ‘serious’ filmmaking is marred in more than one place by overblown production that threatens to drown in its own emotions. But the characters created in Alice Walker’s novel are so vivid that even this doesn’t kill them off and there is still much to applaud (and cry about) here.

Walker’s tale is the story of a black family’s growth and flowering over a 40-year period in the south starting around 1909. At the center of everything is Celie, who as a young girl gives birth to two children and is then married into a life of virtual servitude to a man she can refer to only as Mr (Danny Glover).

Above all The Color Purple is a love story between Celie and her sister, Nettie, from whom she is separated at childhood, and, later in life, the blues singer Shug Avery.

Saving grace of the film are the performances. As the adult Celie debuting Whoopi Goldberg uses her expressive face and joyous smile to register the character’s growth. Equally good is Glover who is a powerful screen presence.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

FilipeNeto

Jun 28, 2018

Based on a book, the film tells the life of a young black woman who lived a good part of her life being brutalized by her father and her husband. This is a Spielberg movie, starring Whoopi Goldberg as the protagonist. Its story, touching and powerful, directly confronts the racism andBased on a book, the film tells the life of a young black woman who lived a good part of her life being brutalized by her father and her husband. This is a Spielberg movie, starring Whoopi Goldberg as the protagonist. Its story, touching and powerful, directly confronts the racism and machismo of a more conservative America. It's an exciting film, although the director makes a huge effort to avoid sentimentality (not always with success). Goldberg also shone, was totally at the level of the character in front of us, and proved to be extremely versatile, especially if we consider her to be an actress more accustomed to humor characters or a considerably more pronounced personality than Celie Johnson, a A woman clearly traumatized and accustomed to keeping her head down. Very different is the character who stunned the yet-unknown Oprah: Margaret Avery also came downstairs and knew what it was like to beat a man but her strong personality taught her to fight back. A final word for the scenarios, careful and detailed, appropriate to the time portrayed.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

NickTheCritick

Aug 27, 2022

Easily one of the worst spielberg movies. It looks like a film aimed at extorting the easy tear of the average low-level viewer. The film that would mean a lot actually says very little. One of those films that you could easily remove from spielberg's filmography without it losing quality.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SEE ALL 12 REVIEWS