The Color Purple is a 1985 American epic coming-of-age period drama film that was directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Menno Meyjes.

It is based on the Pulitzer Prize–winning 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker and was Spielberg's eighth film as a director, marking a turning point in his career as it was a departure from the summer blockbusters for which he had become known.

Albert "Mister" Johnson, a widower, wants to marry Nettie, but her stepfather refuses to give her away because of his own sexual attraction to her.

One day, Nettie runs away from home because she is tired of fighting off her stepfather's sexual advances and seeks shelter with Celie, where the two promise to write if they are separated.

In town the mayor's wife, Ms. Millie compliments Sofia on her raising her children and repeatedly asks if she wants to work for her.

While he and Grady are out drinking, Shug and Celie search the house and find a hidden compartment under the floorboards containing bundles of Nettie's unread letters.

This fighting spirit also brings back Sofia's old self, and prompts Squeak to insist on men using her real name, Mary Agnes.

Alice Walker was initially reluctant to sell the film rights to her novel, due to Hollywood's portrayal of female and African American characters.

[6] Walker's contract stipulated that she would serve as project consultant and that 50% of the production team, aside from the cast, would be African American, female, or "people of the Third World.

"[6] Walker wrote an initial screenplay draft, but was replaced by Dutch-born writer Menno Meyjes, under the provision that she be given final script approval.

Walker worked as an uncredited script doctor, and coached actors in their use of a Southern African American Vernacular English dialect.

Music mogul Quincy Jones, whose only prior film experience was as a composer, served as producer and approached Steven Spielberg to direct.

Spielberg was initially reluctant to take the job, feeling his knowledge of the Deep South was inadequate and that the film should be directed by someone of color.

[7] Rather than cast established stars, Walker sought out lesser-known actors to play the principal roles, since their rise from obscurity represented the experience of characters in her novels.

[10] Margaret Avery was a veteran actress who had previously won an NAACP Image Award for the made-for-television film Louis Armstrong – Chicago Style.

[14] Spielberg encouraged both Goldberg and Winfrey to ad lib during filming, including Sofia's speech at the dinner table.

Quincy Jones' insistence on giving more dialogue to Winfrey sparked an apparent feud between her and Goldberg that lasted several years afterwards.

The score combines elements of classical and period jazz, blues, and gospel, and features several popular songs of the era.

The track Miss Celie's Blues (Sister), performed in the film by the character Shug (Avery; dubbed by Táta Vega), later gained popularity as a concert piece.

Due to his dual responsibilities as both producer and composer, Jones delegated many of the tasks to a team of eleven other musicians and arrangers.

While Jones is the sole credited composer of the film, the nomination lists all twelve musicians (Jones, Chris Boardman, Jorge Calandrelli, Andraé Crouch, Jack Hayes, Jerry Hey, Randy Kerber, Jeremy Lubbock, Joel Rosenbaum, Caiphus Semenya, Fred Steiner and Rod Temperton).

The website's critical consensus reads: "It might have been better served by a filmmaker with a deeper connection to the source material, but The Color Purple remains a worthy, well-acted adaptation of Alice Walker's classic novel.

"[22] On Metacritic, the film received a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 based on seven critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

[24]Ebert's long-time television collaborator, Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune, praised the film as "triumphantly emotional and brave", calling it Spielberg's "successful attempt to enlarge his reputation as a director of youthful entertainments."

"[25] The New York Times film critic Janet Maslin noted the film's divergence from Walker's book, but made the case that this shift works: Mr. Spielberg has looked on the sunny side of Miss Walker's novel, fashioning a grand, multi-hanky entertainment that is as pretty and lavish as the book is plain.

If the book is set in the harsh, impoverished atmosphere of rural Georgia, the movie unfolds in a cozy, comfortable, flower-filled wonderland. ...

Although the combination of his sensibilities and Miss Walker's amounts to a colossal mismatch, Mr. Spielberg's Color Purple manages to have momentum, warmth and staying power all the same.

There were certain things in the [lesbian] relationship between Shug Avery and Celie that were finely detailed in Alice's book, that I didn't feel could get a [PG-13] rating.

Author James Baldwin accused the movie and its director, Steven Spielberg, of mangling the poetic vision of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

[31] Some organizations such as the NAACP protested against the decision of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to not award the film any categories.