Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsPrimetime EmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalFall TV GuideMost Anticipated This MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayTrending peopleCelebrity news
    IMDb LabsHelp centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
    Some content may be auto-translated
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
    Some content may be auto-translated
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

The Color Purple

  • 1985
  • PG-13
  • 2h 34m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
105K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,395
89
Whoopi Goldberg in The Color Purple (1985)
Watch Trailer [EN]
Play trailer1:22
13 Videos
99+ Photos
EpicPeriod DramaPsychological DramaDrama

A tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry.A tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry.A tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry.

  • Director
    • Steven Spielberg
  • Writers
    • Menno Meyjes
    • Alice Walker
  • Stars
    • Danny Glover
    • Whoopi Goldberg
    • Oprah Winfrey
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    7.7/10
    105K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,395
    89
    • Director
      • Steven Spielberg
    • Writers
      • Menno Meyjes
      • Alice Walker
    • Stars
      • Danny Glover
      • Whoopi Goldberg
      • Oprah Winfrey
    • 306User reviews
    • 69Critic reviews
    • 78Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 11 Oscars
      • 16 wins & 31 nominations total

    Videos13

    Trailer [EN]
    Trailer 1:22
    Trailer [EN]
    The Color Purple
    Trailer 0:30
    The Color Purple
    The Color Purple
    Trailer 0:30
    The Color Purple
    What You Need to Know About 'The Color Purple'
    Clip 1:33
    What You Need to Know About 'The Color Purple'
    Three Movies That Changed Billy Porter's Life
    Clip 3:39
    Three Movies That Changed Billy Porter's Life
    'The Color Purple' | Anniversary Mashup
    Clip 1:31
    'The Color Purple' | Anniversary Mashup
    Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks Give Movies Lego Remakes
    Clip 1:58
    Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks Give Movies Lego Remakes

    Photos220

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 214
    View Poster

    Top Cast60

    Danny Glover
    Danny Glover
    • Albert
    Whoopi Goldberg
    Whoopi Goldberg
    • Celie
    Oprah Winfrey
    Oprah Winfrey
    • Sofia
    Margaret Avery
    Margaret Avery
    • Shug Avery
    Willard E. Pugh
    Willard E. Pugh
    • Harpo
    • (as Willard Pugh)
    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
    John Patton Jr.
    • Preacher
    Carl Anderson
    Carl Anderson
    • Reverend Samuel
    Susan Beaubian
    Susan Beaubian
    • Corrine
    James Tillis
    • Buster
    Phillip Strong
    • Mayor
    Laurence Fishburne
    Laurence Fishburne
    • Swain
    • (as Larry Fishburne)
    • Director
      • Steven Spielberg
    • Writers
      • Menno Meyjes
      • Alice Walker
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews306

    7.7105.3K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Summary

    Reviewers say 'The Color Purple' Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Curabitur pretium tincidunt lacus.

    Nulla facilisi etiam dignissim diam quis enim lobortis scelerisque
    Lorem ipsum dolorSit amet consecteturAdipiscing elitSed do eiusmodTempor incididuntUt labore et doloreMagna aliquaUt enim ad minimVeniam quisNostrud exercitation
    Sign in to see this summary and all user reviews
    See opinions from fans, or write your own review.
    Sign in to IMDb
    This extra step helps us keep IMDb's reviews a space for genuine, human voices.

    What Is Steven Spielberg's Best Film?

    What Is Steven Spielberg's Best Film?

    Steven Spielberg has legions of devoted fans thanks to iconic films like Schindler's List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Saving Private Ryan. See how his movies stack up based on their IMDb ratings.
    See the rankings
    Production art
    List

    More like this

    Empire of the Sun
    7.7
    Empire of the Sun
    Amistad
    7.3
    Amistad
    Always
    6.4
    Always
    The Sugarland Express
    6.7
    The Sugarland Express
    Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    7.6
    Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    The Color Purple
    6.8
    The Color Purple
    A.I. Artificial Intelligence
    7.2
    A.I. Artificial Intelligence
    War Horse
    7.2
    War Horse
    Munich
    7.5
    Munich
    Duel
    7.6
    Duel
    The Post
    7.2
    The Post
    1941
    5.7
    1941

    Related interests

    Orson Welles in Citizen Kane (1941)
    Epic
    Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, and Eliza Scanlen in Little Women (2019)
    Period Drama
    Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
    Psychological Drama
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama

    Storyline

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      Sofia's speech at the dinner table was an ad-lib prompted by Steven Spielberg, in the middle of filming the scene. He asked Winfrey to express to Celie how she felt that day when she saw Celie in the store, as Sofia was shopping for Miss Millie.
    • Goofs
      When she is returning from Memphis on the train, Celie is sipping wine in the dining car. An African-American person could not eat in the dining car in the late 1930s, especially on a Southern run.
    • Quotes
      • Celie: [on leaving the farm in Shug's car, shouting to Albert] I'm poor, black, I may even be ugly, but dear God, I'm here. I'm here!
    • Crazy credits
      The credits are all colored purple.
    • Alternate versions
      The Blu-ray remaster features the 2003 Warner Bros. Pictures logo plastering both the 1984 variant and closing Saul Bass variant.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Enemy Mine/The Color Purple/Out of Africa/Spies Like Us (1985)
    • Soundtracks
      Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)
      Music by Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton
      Lyrics by Quincy Jones, Rod Temperton and Lionel Richie
      Vocals by Táta Vega

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ1

    • Why does Celie suggest to Harpo that he beat Sofia?

    Details

    • Release date
      • February 7, 1986 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • El color púrpura
    • Filming locations
      • Six Points Texas, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Warner Bros.
      • Amblin Entertainment
      • The Guber-Peters Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    • Budget
      • $15,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $98,467,863
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,710,333
      • Dec 22, 1985
    • Gross worldwide
      • $98,468,102
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    • Runtime
      • 2h 34m(154 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    You have no recently viewed pages
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2026 by IMDb.com, Inc.