It's about life. It's about love. It's about us.
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.
The Color Purple (1985) is a drama and history film directed by Steven Spielberg, released on December 18, 1985 with a runtime of 2h 34m. It stars Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Avery and Oprah Winfrey. Viewers rate it 7.7 out of 10 across 2,028 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for The Color Purple before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for The Color Purple.
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Danny Glover
as Albert
Whoopi Goldberg
as Celie
Margaret Avery
as Shug Avery
Oprah Winfrey
as Sofia
Willard E. Pugh
as Harpo
Akosua Busia
as Nettie
Desreta Jackson
as Young Celie
Adolph Caesar
as Old Mr.
Rae Dawn Chong
as Squeak
Dana Ivey
as Miss Millie
Leonard Jackson
as Pa
Bennet Guillory
as Grady
Directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Alice Walker, Menno Meyjes and Quincy Jones, produced by Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy.
Average viewer score of 7.7/10 from 2,028 ratings.
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…
Reviewed on January 12, 2023
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…
Reviewed on July 2, 2026
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The Color Purple (1985) is currently available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home and Spectrum On Demand. No subscription streaming option is listed right now, so availability may change.
The main cast of The Color Purple (1985) includes Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Avery, Oprah Winfrey and Willard E. Pugh. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Color Purple was released on December 18, 1985 and runs for 2h 34m.
The Color Purple (1985) holds an average rating of 7.7 out of 10 from 2,028 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama and history films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official The Color Purple trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
