Films & Events

Adapted from Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize–winning 1982 novel, The Color Purple is a landmark drama from director Steven Spielberg that marked a bold shift from his blockbuster roots to deeply human storytelling. The film follows Celie Harris (Whoopi Goldberg, in her breakout role) as she endures a lifetime of abuse, separation, and resilience in the early 20th-century American South, ultimately discovering strength, sisterhood, and self-worth. The powerful ensemble cast also features Oprah Winfrey in her film debut, along with Danny Glover and Margaret Avery.

Praised for its emotional depth, stirring performances, and Quincy Jones’s rich musical score, The Color Purple became both a critical and commercial success, earning 11 Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Actress (Goldberg), as well as four Golden Globe nominations, with Goldberg winning Best Actress in a Drama. Spielberg won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement, and the film was later ranked among the AFI’s 100 Most Inspiring Films.

A powerful adaptation of Walker’s seminal novel, The Color Purple remains a timeless story of perseverance, love, and liberation—one that continues to inspire new generations through its enduring cultural and literary legacy.

1985. 154 min.

Rated PG-13.