'The Color Purple' returns to the big screen bigger, bolder and more musical for 2023

It seems musical movie adaptations are all the rage. With 2021's "West Side Story" remake and the upcoming "Mean Girls" musical, audiences are getting plenty of opportunities to get a taste of the Broadway experience on the big screen.

And now "The Color Purple," a beloved book, film and Broadway musical, translates to the big screen perfectly in a new adaptation.

"The Color Purple" is a spectacle with big ensemble numbers, powerful solos and duets that will pull on your heartstrings. At a whopping two hours and 20 minutes, it never drags. The music propels the story instead of interrupting. Meanwhile, the performances will have you gasping and cheering.

What is the story 'The Color Purple' about?

It's one thing to have a piece of literature adapted into a movie. It's another to have that movie become so beloved and iconic that it gets turned into a Broadway musical. It's even more rare to have another movie adaptation based on the musical.

Spielberg directed 1985's "The Color Purple" and this time around he executive produced, as did Oprah Winfrey, who earned an Oscar nomination in the original.

For this version, director Blitz Bazawule gave the material new life. The cinematography is breathtaking, and it seamlessly takes you through decades without a heavy hand. Similar to Spielberg's 2021 remake of "West Side Story," Bazawule managed to take a big, boisterous Broadway show and make it sing just as well on screen.

Bazawule received his first Grammy and NAACP Image Award nominations for directing Beyoncé's "Black is King" film. With Bazawule's impressive eye for big, cinematic spectacles coupled with Spielberg's experience directing "West Side Story" and the 1985 non-musical version of "The Color Purple," how could they lose?

Fans of the Broadway production may be shocked to find a film that isn't a copy-and-paste adaptation. A whopping 13 songs were cut from the original musical but that isn't surprising. With a two-hour and 20-minute runtime, the songs that survived the cut propelled the story beautifully and you didn't sense anything was missing.

Fantasia Barrino slips back into the role like she never left

Fantasia Barrino, professionally known as Fantasia, originally gained fame as the third winner of "American Idol." She took on the lead role of Celie in the Broadway production of "The Color Purple" in 2007 and played the part on tour from 2009-10.

Over a decade later, Fantasia steps back into the role and doesn't miss a single beat making her feature-film debut. Her quiet moments were loud and powerful while her powerful moments were filled with so much heart you thought your own would burst. (Hers was one of two Golden Globes nominations the film received; Danielle Brooks got the other.)

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the rest of the equally impressive cast, from Brooks' return as the feisty and funny Sofia to Taraji P. Henson's star power, the terrifying performance by Colman Domingo and the perfect casting of Phylicia Pearl Mpasi and Halle Bailey as younger versions of sisters Celie and Nettie.

A story about sisterhood, inner strength, faith and forgiveness

If you've never read the book or seen the original film, going in blind to this musical adaptation will hit you where it really hurts: your heartstrings.

While the main premise is about the unbreakable bond between sisters Celie and Nettie, it also showcases the just-as-strong bond of found family and platonic sisterhood. It also leans heavily on faith and the power of moving forward and forgiveness.

Celie spends her adolescence abused by her father and birthing two babies that are taken away from her. Soon, she finds herself the new wife of the abusive "Mister" and is forced to take care of him and his children from a previous marriage. After her sister, Nettie, is forced to run away, the only person who has ever truly loved her is gone.

Celie perseveres and becomes friends with the spitfire Sofia, who teaches her how to stand up to men, as well as beloved star Shug, who shows her the same love she missed from Nettie. Celie finally has the courage to stand up to Mister and leave, finding her own way, creating the life she always dreamed.

Despite the horrible things Celie goes through, she never loses her faith or her want to believe people could change, including her abusive husband.

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'The Color Purple' 4.5 stars

Great ★★★★★ Good ★★★★

Fair ★★★ Bad ★★ Bomb ★

Director: Blitz Bazawule.

Cast: Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson, Colman Domingo, Phylicia Pear Mpasi, Halle Bailey.

Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic content, sexual content, violence and language.

Where to watch: In theaters Dec. 25.

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Meredith G. White is the entertainment reporter for The Arizona Republic |azcentral.com. You can find her on Facebook as Meredith G. White, on Instagram and Twitter as @meredithgwhite, and email her atmeredith.white@arizonarepublic.com.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'The Color Purple' is the can't-miss movie of the holiday season