How 2023’s 'The Color Purple' Musical Compares to the Original 1985 Film
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Major spoilers for The Color Purple below.
“I remember being on a set and looking around like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve never seen Black people look so beautiful,’” said Taraji P. Henson in her latest ELLE cover story. She’s referring to her experience filming The Color Purple—out on Christmas Day. The new musical reimagining, based on the Tony-winning play, stars Henson, Fantasia Barrino-Taylor, Danielle Brooks, H.E.R., and several other heavy hitters including Colman Domingo and Corey Hawkins.
Based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the story follows Celie (played by Barrino-Taylor in the new film and Whoopi Goldberg in the original), a young woman who transitions from girlhood to adulthood as the story progresses across several years. After surviving a brutal childhood filled with abuse and neglect, Celie eventually finds redemption, love, and the power of sisterhood.
But this isn’t the first time that The Color Purple has made its way to the big screen. Back in 1985, Steven Spielberg directed the first adaptation starring Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery, and Danny Glover. So, how does the new 2023 film compare to the original? Here, we break down some of the biggest differences between the two.
Celie’s Narration
The Color Purple’s main protagonist is Celie. In the book, the narrative is told in epistolary form, with each chapter written as a letter from Celie to God. In the original 1985 film, these letters become voiceovers that play throughout. In the new musical, this narration is not included.
Celie’s Mother
In the original film, Celie’s mother never appears onscreen and is only referred to in voiceovers. In the new film, we actually get to see her mother (played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) in flashbacks at the beginning.
The Midwife Character
In the original, when Celie gives birth to her second child, no one but her sister Nettie (played by Halle Bailey and Ciara in the new and Akosua Busia in the original) is in the room with her. In the new version, Celie and Nettie are now joined by a midwife. The new inclusion of this character is extra special because she’s played by Whoopi Goldberg, who portrayed Celie in Spielberg’s film.
Celie and Shug’s Relationship
Shug Avery (played by Taraji P. Henson in the new and Margaret Avery in the original) is one of Celie’s closest confidants. The two become friends when Shug visits her lover Mister (played by Colman Domingo in the new and Danny Glover in the original), who also happens to be Celie’s husband. Their friendship enters a new realm when they begin to have a sexual relationship, though in the original movie, this is tempered down a bit and the two only share a brief kiss. In the new movie, they kiss, sing a sweet duet in an empty theater, and spend the night together (though no explicit intimate scenes are shown). Also, in the original, Shug serenades Celie in the juke joint with a song called “Miss Celie’s Blues.” In the new movie, she serenades her on Celie’s birthday after they escape Mister’s house together.
Celie and Sofia’s Relationship
Sofia (Danielle Brooks in the new and Oprah Winfrey in the original) is married to Harpo (Corey Hawkins in the new and Willard E. Pugh in the original) who is Mister’s son from his previous marriage. She also serves as one of Celie’s closest friends. In the new film, when Sofia gets arrested for slapping a white man, Celie visits her in jail and the entire family is there to greet her when she’s eventually released; this doesn’t happen in the original.
Celie and Nettie’s Relationship
Nettie is Celie’s younger sister and “the only person who loves her in the world.” In the original, we get a fun scene of Nettie teaching Celie how to read by placing names on different objects like “apple,” “iron,” and “kettle.” Sadly, this is not in the new film. What’s also missing from the new movie is an inside look at Nettie’s adult life. In the original, once Celie finds the missing letters that Nettie’s been writing to her for years, we see scenes of her new life in Africa working as a missionary. In the new film, we only get information about Nettie’s life when Celie reads her letters out loud to Shug.
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