The Color Purple poster

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The Color Purple

1985 · Movie · 154 min
B

MEANRANK

79/100

Averaged across 12 ratings · 440.6K votes

Every rating

Platform pages last read 29 September 2026. IMDb’s figure comes from IMDb’s own data file, which we re-read about once a month.

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59–94 out of 100

Split

Lowest is Criticker on 59, highest is Rotten Tomatoes viewers on 94.

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A young African-American woman in the early 1900s South endures decades of brutal hardship and oppression from the men in her life. Her story is told through letters to God, chronicling her search for identity, self-worth, and love. She finds strength and hope through her deep bonds with other women, who help her discover the power of her own voice and spirit.

Details

Based on
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Released
18 December 1985
Country
United States
Language
English
Runtime
154 min
Rated
PG-13
Budget
$15.0M
Box office
$146.3M
Awards
14 wins, 20 nominations

This title elsewhere

Awards & nominations

See all 34 →

2 major awards won · 14 wins from 34 nominations across 17 ceremonies

Directors Guild of America Awards 1985 Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures Steven Spielberg Winner
Golden Globe Awards 1985 Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Whoopi Goldberg Winner
Academy Awards 1985 Best Picture Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, and Quincy Jones Nominee
Academy Awards 1985 Best Actress Whoopi Goldberg Nominee
Academy Awards 1985 Best Supporting Actress Margaret Avery Nominee
Academy Awards 1985 Best Supporting Actress Oprah Winfrey Nominee
Academy Awards 1985 Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium Menno Meyjes Nominee
Academy Awards 1985 Best Art Direction Art Direction: J. Michael Riva and Bo Welch ; Set Decoration: Linda DeScenna Nominee
Show all 34 awards across 17 ceremonies

Awards from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.