The Color Purple

The Color Purple

The Color Purple is a 1985 American period drama film 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, and was a change from the summer blockbusters for which he had become famous. Filmed in Anson and Union counties in North Carolina, the film tells 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. Celie is transformed as she finds her self-worth through the help of two...
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quick facts
Release date:December 18, 1985
Directed by:Steven Spielberg
Rated:PG-13 (USA)
Runtime:154 Minutes
Producer:Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Quincy Jones
Editor:Michael Kahn
Music by:Rod Temperton, Jeremy Lubbock, Caiphus Semenya, Andraé Crouch, Quincy Jones
Cinematography:Allen Daviau
Screenplay by:Menno Meyjes
Estimated budget:$15,000,000
Adapted from:The Color Purple

Award-winners from The Color Purple

Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Character:Celie
Born:November 13, 1955

Cast of The Color Purple

Danny Glover
Danny Glover
Born:July 22, 1946
Age:65
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne
Swain
Born:July 30, 1961
Age:50
Rae Dawn Chong
Rae Dawn Chong
Squeak
Born:February 28, 1961
Age:51
Margaret Avery
Margaret Avery
Born:January 20, 1944
Age:68
Leon Rippy
Leon Rippy
Born:October 30, 1949
Age:62
Dana Ivey
Dana Ivey
Born:August 14, 1941
Age:70

Honors and Awards

YearAward Won
1986 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Drama Film, Whoopi Goldberg
1985 DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film, Steven Spielberg
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YearAward Nomination
1985 Academy Award for Actress in a Leading Role, Whoopi Goldberg
1985 Academy Award for Best Picture, Quincy Jones
1985 Academy Award for Actress in a Supporting Role, Oprah Winfrey
1985 Academy Award for Actress in a Supporting Role, Margaret Avery
1985 Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay
1986 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Drama Film, Whoopi Goldberg
1986 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Film, Oprah Winfrey
1986 Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Film, Steven Spielberg
1986 Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Film, Steven Spielberg
1985 Academy Award for Costume Design, Aggie Guerard Rodgers
1985 DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film, Steven Spielberg
1985 Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Allen Daviau
1986 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, Quincy Jones
1986 BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay, Adapted, Menno Meyjes
1985 Academy Award for Best Art Direction, Bo Welch
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Film director of The Color Purple

Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Born: December 18, 1946
Age: 65

Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
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TitleReleasedRatedGenre
Jurassic Park
The Attack of the Mummies
Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories: Book One Comedy
Interstellar 2014
Robopocalypse 2013 Science Fiction
Lincoln 2012
Lincoln 2012
War Horse 2011
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn 2011 Adventure
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 2008 PG-13 (USA) Fantasy
Munich 2005 R (USA) Thriller
War of the Worlds 2005 PG-13 (USA) Adventure
The Terminal 2004 PG-13 (USA) Comedy
Looney Tunes: Back in Action 2003 PG (USA) Animation
Catch Me If You Can 2002 PG-13 (USA) Comedy
Minority Report 2002 PG-13 (USA) Thriller
A.I. Artificial Intelligence 2001 PG-13 (USA) Science Fiction
Saving Private Ryan 1998 R (USA) Action
Amistad 1997 R (USA)
The Lost World: Jurassic Park 1997 PG-13 (USA) Science Fiction
Schindler's List 1993 R (USA) Biography
Jurassic Park 1993 PG-13 (USA) Action
Hook 1991 PG (USA) Adventure
Always 1989 PG (USA) Fantasy
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 1989 PG-13 (USA) Action
Empire of the Sun 1987
Empire of the Sun 1987 PG (USA) Biography
The Color Purple 1985 PG-13 (USA)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 1984 PG (USA) Action
Twilight Zone: The Movie 1983 PG (USA) Science Fiction
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1982 PG (USA) Science Fiction
Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981 PG (USA) Action
1941 1979 PG (USA) Comedy
Close Encounters of the Third Kind 1977 PG (USA) Science Fiction
Jaws 1975 PG (USA) Thriller
The Sugarland Express 1974 PG (USA) Adventure
Savage 1973 Thriller
Something Evil 1972 Thriller
Duel 1971 PG (USA) Thriller
Amblin 1968 Short Film
Slipstream 1967 Short Film
Firelight 1964 Thriller
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Music contributors for The Color Purple

Rod Temperton
Rod Temperton

Rodney Lynn "Rod" Temperton is an English songwriter, record producer and musician most famous for writing a number of songs performed by Michael...
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Andraé Crouch
Andraé Crouch

Andraé Crouch is a seven-time Grammy Award-winning American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, recording artist, record producer, and pastor....
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Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones

Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer, conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His...
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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Q:
    When was the movie "The Color Purple" released?
  • A:
    The film was released in December, 1985.
  • Q:
    What is the rating of the movie, "The Color Purple"?
  • A:
    The motion picture is rated PG-13 (USA).
  • Q:
    What is the approximate runtime of the movie "The Color Purple"?
  • A:
    The runtime for the film is 154 minutes.
  • Q:
    Who was the distributor of the film, "The Color Purple"?
  • A:
    Warner Bros. Entertainment was the movie's distributor.
  • Q:
    Who produced the movie, "The Color Purple"?
  • A:
    Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Quincy Jones were the movie's producers.
  • Q:
    Who is credited for writing the film The Color Purple?
  • A:
    Alice Walker wrote the script for the film.
  • Q:
    How much was the estimated budget for the production of the film "The Color Purple"?
  • A:
    $15 million was the budget for this movie.
  • Q:
    What slogan was used in advertising materials for the movie, "The Color Purple"?
  • A:
    The film's tagline was, "It's about life. It's about love. It's about us."
  • Q:
    Who directed the film "The Color Purple"?
  • A:
    Steven Spielberg was the film's director.
  • Q:
    The movie, "The Color Purple" is in what genre?
  • A:
    The film is classified as: Drama and LGBT.

Awards & Accolades

  • NAACP Out Standing Motion Picture
    1986
  • NBR Best Movies of the 1980's
    1985
The Color Purple
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