Ahead of its 35th anniversary in December, Steven Spielberg’s “The Color Purple” will return to more than 600 select theaters on Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. and again at 5 p.m. in honor of Black History Month, courtesy of Turner Classic Movies and Fathom Events.
It’s the first nationwide release of the film in more than three decades.
Photo courtesy of Fathom Events
The unforgettable characters of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel brighten the screen in this powerful cinematic adaptation, directed by Steven Spielberg. At its center is Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), a poor black woman in Georgia during the 1900s who is sexually abused by her father and physically abused by her husband, and follows her search for fulfillment in a world closed to her. The wonderful supporting cast includes Oprah Winfrey as Sofia, Margaret Avery as Shug Avery, Willard E. Pugh as Harpo and Danny Glover as Albert.
Goldberg, Winfrey and Avery were each nominated for an Oscar, among the film’s 11 nominations, which also included Best Picture and Original Score. Goldberg won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.
In reviewing the movie, the late film critic Roger Ebert wrote, “This is one of the few movies in a long time that inspires tears of happiness, and earns them.”
TCM Primetime host Ben Mankiewicz will provide new commentary and insight into the making and legacy of this unforgettable movie before and after the screening.
Participating theaters in our neck of the woods include AMC Loews Stony Brook 17, 2196 Nesconset Highway, Stony Brook and Regal Deer Park & IMAX, 455 Commack Road, Deer Park. To purchase your ticket in advance, visit www.fathomevents.com.
