Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg's The Color Purple returning to theaters for 35th anniversary
The Color Purple, the film that introduced the world to Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg’s big-screen talents, is returning to theaters.
In celebration of its 35th anniversary and Black History Month, the classic Steven Spielberg-directed period piece, based on the characters from Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, is returning to movie theaters for one day only on Feb. 23.
Released in 1985, The Color Purple nabbed 11 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Original Score, and acting nominations for Goldberg, Winfrey, and costar Margaret Avery.
The movie stars Goldberg as a young woman in Georgia in the early 1900s who navigates life after suffering abuse at the hands of her father and later her husband. Along her journey, she finds strength through her companions Sofia (Winfrey) and Shug Avery (Avery). It was Winfrey’s first film role and Goldberg’s second; they were 31 and 30, respectively, when the film debuted.
Goldberg went on to score the prestigious EGOT distinction, earning two Emmys, a Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award. Winfrey became, well, the Oprah that we all know, and starred in acclaimed films like The Butler and Selma. She also produced the Broadway adaptation of The Color Purple, which opened in 2005, as well as its 2015 revival featuring Jennifer Hudson, Danielle Brooks, and Cynthia Erivo.
Presented by Fathom Events and TCM, the one-day-only The Color Purple event will take place Sunday, Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. (local time) at more than 600 screens. Tickets are available now here or at participating theater box offices.
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