Whoopi-Goldberg Movie Reviews

Jumping Jack Flash must be my all-time favourite film - it is the only one I can watch over and over again without getting bored. Whoopi Goldberg was hilarious in this film (but then she is a wonderful, natural comedian who can also bring tears to the eyes when needed). Whatever she does, she does well and puts so much feeling into her work. Needless to say she is also my favourite actress. Keep up the good work, Cheers, Blue Wren.

Critics really loved to trash this movie... Well they're all wrong. Jumpin Jack Flash was Whoopi Goldberg's frist comedy film and I think to this day it is one of the best films she has made. I guarentee you will love this one! With Penny Marshall as director, you can't Miss!

Whoopi Goldberg shined in this film. The plot, characters and laughs all worked together to create a truly remarkable and fun movie. Lots of very hilarious scenes and sticky situations. The perfect balance of comedy, action, drama, supsense and romance. Recommended for late nights and rainy afternoons.

I purchsed this in video format quite some time ago, and I still watch it from time to time. It is still just as funny as the first time I saw it. Sure some of the "technology" in the movie is dated now, but the story is still great. Whoopi's imitation of Diana Ross still makes me fall over laughing even though I've seen the movie a thousand times and know it's coming. Also, as corny as it may sound, after a great conclusion to the mystery aspect of the story, the final computer conversation is just sweet (and I usually don't go for that sort of thing). This movie is definitely worth the purchase!

"Jumpin' Jack Flash" is a GREAT movie filled with hysterical lines and a zany cast. This is almost a cult classic and it is a tragedy that the movie isn't on DVD ! Why, just the fact that Whoopie is in it would make it sell great and there are at least two generations missing out on this film that would go nuts for it... MY poor VHS copy is almost worn out and there are so many delightful quips and lines in this film, almost nothing puts me in a better moood ! ("Get yourself an office - with a desk and a lamp !") PLEASE come to your senses an put this little gem, for its 20th anniversary at least, onto DVD !

"Jumpin' Jack Flash" is my favorite comedy and a cult classic in my family. We quote lines lines to each other to fit family situations and have watched it so often that we have worn it out. I have been looking unsuccessfully for a VHS or DVD replacement for over a year. My son preordered a DVD for me, but after 5 months the order was cancelled... Whoopie has never been better, and deserves a lasting version of this incrediblly funny movie.

This new two disc set for the Lion King is yet another masterful DVD production job by the Disney folks. The video and audio quality are top notch, with plenty of choices how to see the film (both original and extended). There are an amazing amount of extras included on disc two, it will take some hunting to find them all, and quite a bit of extra time to view the entire contents. A few are overly self promotional, but there is so much stuff here, just skip to the next item if that bothers you. Some of the games are actually fun too.

With both Lion King and Sleeping Beauty being newly released on DVD right now, if you can only get one of them, there is no question this is by far the better choice. The impressive animation, the story, the fantastic sound, the extras are all superior in this Lion King package. This still isn't my favorite Disney release (Roger Rabbit will always have that honor), but maybe top 5--certainly top 8.

Lion King Platinum is well worth the investment for your DVD collection. Your family will get many years of enjoyment from it.

Animation films are incredibly tricky. Adults(or just mainly uptight people view animated films as kids only. However kids see them as great pieces of film that they "get". For once, Disney gets it right. This was really a powerhouse film when it came out and held the record for the biggest animated film of all time(until recently when a so-so film about finding a fish called Nemo came out).

Simba is a young lion in the Serengeti(they call it the Pride Lands though) who just can't wait to be king. However, he's a mischievous little cub who gets into trouble a bit easy. When a terrible tragedy strikes, Simba exiles himself where he meets a warthog and meerkat and develops a carefree lifestyle. Now an adult, he returns to the Pride Lands to reclaim the throne from his evil uncle, Scar.

Sounds a bit like Hamlet huh? But you won't care. Many impossibly catchy songs, funny moments and jokes and words that even appeal to adults(do you really think a kid would understand "illustrating the differences in your royal mangerial approaches"? Exactly.)

Voice acting is top notch, animation is absolutely gorgeous, and it's done by hand by the way, none of that Finding Nemo/Toy Story/A Bug's Life CGI stuff. There's a reason why this is considered the best Disney film but you owe it to yourself to find out why.

The Lion King may be the very best Disney film ever! The creative team and energy that went into the making of this film is phenominal! Sending a whole team of animators to Africa to study the bugs, plants, sand, rocks, trees, and other animals and how they move to make sure that this movie was as realistic as they could make it. In Disney tradition having live animals on the set to draw. If you watch the way simba walks his movements are not cartoony but rather very real looking cat like movements.

Not only the animation but the Music. Tim Rice and Elton John, all I can say is WOW! Talk about great songs from Circle of Life to Can you feel the love tonight, which made great additions to the other hits that Elton John has in his career. To the fun Can't Wait To Be King and who could forget Ernie Sabala and Nathan Lane in Hakuna Matata. And of course all of the backround music was superb!

The All-Star cast of course helps quite a bit too. Jonathon Taylor Thomas (from my favorite TV show ABC/Touchstone/Buena Vista show Home Improvement) provides the voice for young Simba, James Earl Jones provides the voice for Mufasa and what a great job he did as he actually sounds like a lion when he talks. Nathan Lane as the smart talking meer cat Timon Ernie Sabala as Pumbaa who is a stinky warthog. Jeremy Irons provides the voice of scar who is the wicked uncle to Simba and Brother to Mufasa. And of course Cheech Marin and Whoopi Gholdberg provide the hillarious antics of the Hyenas! Together what a team!

The story opens with the great song Circle Of Life as Mufasa and Sarabi have just given birth to Simba and the entire African Pridelands have come to witness the event. All of them except Scar of course, who was supposed to be next in line for the thrown but now Simba is prince and heir to the throne, thus jealousy lerks in Scars soul.

Mufasa shows Simba the entire kingdom but orders him to never go the the shadowy place. However Simba being curious takes his friend Nala and they try to sneak down there and through the wonderful song of Can't wait to be king, they succeed in losing the Kings Domer Bird Zazu. They find themselves in a dark and scary place however Simba acts brave until the Hyenas come out and begin chase after the cubs and Zazu who has caught up to the young cubs.

The following day Scar takes Simba down to the gorge and tells him that his father has a big surprise for him. But instead a stampede starts and Mufasa is forced to rush down to rescue Simba. In the process Mufasa is killed by the rushing stampede and falling off of a cliff. Scar makes Simba beleive it is his fault and to run away and never return. Simba does what he is told, and Scar tells the lions that Mufasa and Simba were killed.

Simba finds himself alone in the desert where he runs into Timon and Pumbaa and learns that no matter what is in your past it doesn't matter to Hakuna Matata "No Worries" There he grows up and learns to live a different way than a prince. Until he runs into some old friends from the pridelands and realizes that he must go back and challenge scar for the throne.

A beautifully and yet somewhat cheesy animated fight scene between Scar and Simba takes place and Simba takes his place in hte great and glorious kingdom as he gives a roar and the dark dingy Pride Rock that Scar had ruled over had now become a beautiful Pride Land again!

Definatly a must see for not just kids or the young at heart, but anyone who has ever had something bad happen to them and wanted to give up, this movie will help you to move on and to look at the brighter side of things! So weather you are 1 or 101 you will love this great Disney Masterpiece! I guarantee it!

This new two disc set for the Lion King is yet another masterful DVD production job by the Disney folks. The video and audio quality are top notch, with plenty of choices how to see the film (both original and extended). There are an amazing amount of extras included on disc two, it will take some hunting to find them all, and quite a bit of extra time to view the entire contents. A few are overly self promotional, but there is so much stuff here, just skip to the next item if that bothers you. Some of the games are actually fun too.

With both Lion King and Sleeping Beauty being newly released on DVD right now, if you can only get one of them, there is no question this is by far the better choice. The impressive animation, the story, the fantastic sound, the extras are all superior in this Lion King package. This still isn't my favorite Disney release (Roger Rabbit will always have that honor), but maybe top 5--certainly top 8.

Lion King Platinum is well worth the investment for your DVD collection. Your family will get many years of enjoyment from it.

Animation films are incredibly tricky. Adults(or just mainly uptight people view animated films as kids only. However kids see them as great pieces of film that they "get". For once, Disney gets it right. This was really a powerhouse film when it came out and held the record for the biggest animated film of all time(until recently when a so-so film about finding a fish called Nemo came out).

Simba is a young lion in the Serengeti(they call it the Pride Lands though) who just can't wait to be king. However, he's a mischievous little cub who gets into trouble a bit easy. When a terrible tragedy strikes, Simba exiles himself where he meets a warthog and meerkat and develops a carefree lifestyle. Now an adult, he returns to the Pride Lands to reclaim the throne from his evil uncle, Scar.

Sounds a bit like Hamlet huh? But you won't care. Many impossibly catchy songs, funny moments and jokes and words that even appeal to adults(do you really think a kid would understand "illustrating the differences in your royal mangerial approaches"? Exactly.)

Voice acting is top notch, animation is absolutely gorgeous, and it's done by hand by the way, none of that Finding Nemo/Toy Story/A Bug's Life CGI stuff. There's a reason why this is considered the best Disney film but you owe it to yourself to find out why.

The Lion King may be the very best Disney film ever! The creative team and energy that went into the making of this film is phenominal! Sending a whole team of animators to Africa to study the bugs, plants, sand, rocks, trees, and other animals and how they move to make sure that this movie was as realistic as they could make it. In Disney tradition having live animals on the set to draw. If you watch the way simba walks his movements are not cartoony but rather very real looking cat like movements.

Not only the animation but the Music. Tim Rice and Elton John, all I can say is WOW! Talk about great songs from Circle of Life to Can you feel the love tonight, which made great additions to the other hits that Elton John has in his career. To the fun Can't Wait To Be King and who could forget Ernie Sabala and Nathan Lane in Hakuna Matata. And of course all of the backround music was superb!

The All-Star cast of course helps quite a bit too. Jonathon Taylor Thomas (from my favorite TV show ABC/Touchstone/Buena Vista show Home Improvement) provides the voice for young Simba, James Earl Jones provides the voice for Mufasa and what a great job he did as he actually sounds like a lion when he talks. Nathan Lane as the smart talking meer cat Timon Ernie Sabala as Pumbaa who is a stinky warthog. Jeremy Irons provides the voice of scar who is the wicked uncle to Simba and Brother to Mufasa. And of course Cheech Marin and Whoopi Gholdberg provide the hillarious antics of the Hyenas! Together what a team!

The story opens with the great song Circle Of Life as Mufasa and Sarabi have just given birth to Simba and the entire African Pridelands have come to witness the event. All of them except Scar of course, who was supposed to be next in line for the thrown but now Simba is prince and heir to the throne, thus jealousy lerks in Scars soul.

Mufasa shows Simba the entire kingdom but orders him to never go the the shadowy place. However Simba being curious takes his friend Nala and they try to sneak down there and through the wonderful song of Can't wait to be king, they succeed in losing the Kings Domer Bird Zazu. They find themselves in a dark and scary place however Simba acts brave until the Hyenas come out and begin chase after the cubs and Zazu who has caught up to the young cubs.

The following day Scar takes Simba down to the gorge and tells him that his father has a big surprise for him. But instead a stampede starts and Mufasa is forced to rush down to rescue Simba. In the process Mufasa is killed by the rushing stampede and falling off of a cliff. Scar makes Simba beleive it is his fault and to run away and never return. Simba does what he is told, and Scar tells the lions that Mufasa and Simba were killed.

Simba finds himself alone in the desert where he runs into Timon and Pumbaa and learns that no matter what is in your past it doesn't matter to Hakuna Matata "No Worries" There he grows up and learns to live a different way than a prince. Until he runs into some old friends from the pridelands and realizes that he must go back and challenge scar for the throne.

A beautifully and yet somewhat cheesy animated fight scene between Scar and Simba takes place and Simba takes his place in hte great and glorious kingdom as he gives a roar and the dark dingy Pride Rock that Scar had ruled over had now become a beautiful Pride Land again!

Definatly a must see for not just kids or the young at heart, but anyone who has ever had something bad happen to them and wanted to give up, this movie will help you to move on and to look at the brighter side of things! So weather you are 1 or 101 you will love this great Disney Masterpiece! I guarantee it!

This new two disc set for the Lion King is yet another masterful DVD production job by the Disney folks. The video and audio quality are top notch, with plenty of choices how to see the film (both original and extended). There are an amazing amount of extras included on disc two, it will take some hunting to find them all, and quite a bit of extra time to view the entire contents. A few are overly self promotional, but there is so much stuff here, just skip to the next item if that bothers you. Some of the games are actually fun too.

With both Lion King and Sleeping Beauty being newly released on DVD right now, if you can only get one of them, there is no question this is by far the better choice. The impressive animation, the story, the fantastic sound, the extras are all superior in this Lion King package. This still isn't my favorite Disney release (Roger Rabbit will always have that honor), but maybe top 5--certainly top 8.

Lion King Platinum is well worth the investment for your DVD collection. Your family will get many years of enjoyment from it.

Animation films are incredibly tricky. Adults(or just mainly uptight people view animated films as kids only. However kids see them as great pieces of film that they "get". For once, Disney gets it right. This was really a powerhouse film when it came out and held the record for the biggest animated film of all time(until recently when a so-so film about finding a fish called Nemo came out).

Simba is a young lion in the Serengeti(they call it the Pride Lands though) who just can't wait to be king. However, he's a mischievous little cub who gets into trouble a bit easy. When a terrible tragedy strikes, Simba exiles himself where he meets a warthog and meerkat and develops a carefree lifestyle. Now an adult, he returns to the Pride Lands to reclaim the throne from his evil uncle, Scar.

Sounds a bit like Hamlet huh? But you won't care. Many impossibly catchy songs, funny moments and jokes and words that even appeal to adults(do you really think a kid would understand "illustrating the differences in your royal mangerial approaches"? Exactly.)

Voice acting is top notch, animation is absolutely gorgeous, and it's done by hand by the way, none of that Finding Nemo/Toy Story/A Bug's Life CGI stuff. There's a reason why this is considered the best Disney film but you owe it to yourself to find out why.

The Lion King may be the very best Disney film ever! The creative team and energy that went into the making of this film is phenominal! Sending a whole team of animators to Africa to study the bugs, plants, sand, rocks, trees, and other animals and how they move to make sure that this movie was as realistic as they could make it. In Disney tradition having live animals on the set to draw. If you watch the way simba walks his movements are not cartoony but rather very real looking cat like movements.

Not only the animation but the Music. Tim Rice and Elton John, all I can say is WOW! Talk about great songs from Circle of Life to Can you feel the love tonight, which made great additions to the other hits that Elton John has in his career. To the fun Can't Wait To Be King and who could forget Ernie Sabala and Nathan Lane in Hakuna Matata. And of course all of the backround music was superb!

The All-Star cast of course helps quite a bit too. Jonathon Taylor Thomas (from my favorite TV show ABC/Touchstone/Buena Vista show Home Improvement) provides the voice for young Simba, James Earl Jones provides the voice for Mufasa and what a great job he did as he actually sounds like a lion when he talks. Nathan Lane as the smart talking meer cat Timon Ernie Sabala as Pumbaa who is a stinky warthog. Jeremy Irons provides the voice of scar who is the wicked uncle to Simba and Brother to Mufasa. And of course Cheech Marin and Whoopi Gholdberg provide the hillarious antics of the Hyenas! Together what a team!

The story opens with the great song Circle Of Life as Mufasa and Sarabi have just given birth to Simba and the entire African Pridelands have come to witness the event. All of them except Scar of course, who was supposed to be next in line for the thrown but now Simba is prince and heir to the throne, thus jealousy lerks in Scars soul.

Mufasa shows Simba the entire kingdom but orders him to never go the the shadowy place. However Simba being curious takes his friend Nala and they try to sneak down there and through the wonderful song of Can't wait to be king, they succeed in losing the Kings Domer Bird Zazu. They find themselves in a dark and scary place however Simba acts brave until the Hyenas come out and begin chase after the cubs and Zazu who has caught up to the young cubs.

The following day Scar takes Simba down to the gorge and tells him that his father has a big surprise for him. But instead a stampede starts and Mufasa is forced to rush down to rescue Simba. In the process Mufasa is killed by the rushing stampede and falling off of a cliff. Scar makes Simba beleive it is his fault and to run away and never return. Simba does what he is told, and Scar tells the lions that Mufasa and Simba were killed.

Simba finds himself alone in the desert where he runs into Timon and Pumbaa and learns that no matter what is in your past it doesn't matter to Hakuna Matata "No Worries" There he grows up and learns to live a different way than a prince. Until he runs into some old friends from the pridelands and realizes that he must go back and challenge scar for the throne.

A beautifully and yet somewhat cheesy animated fight scene between Scar and Simba takes place and Simba takes his place in hte great and glorious kingdom as he gives a roar and the dark dingy Pride Rock that Scar had ruled over had now become a beautiful Pride Land again!

Definatly a must see for not just kids or the young at heart, but anyone who has ever had something bad happen to them and wanted to give up, this movie will help you to move on and to look at the brighter side of things! So weather you are 1 or 101 you will love this great Disney Masterpiece! I guarantee it!

This was as wholesome as films can get. Coming off of the hits " Sister Act " and " Sister Act II " Whoopi Goldberg decided to target the clean audience that enjoyed both of the films. I saw this movie when it first came out in 94 and I don't remember if it was a huge box office draw or not. To me it's just one of those nice Sunday afternoon movies that allow you to enjoy the film without having to think about an intensive plot. The little girl was terrific and Ray Liotta played the bruised, suffering father to a T. It was impressive to see such a change from the man who usually plays psychopaths in his other movies. Don Ameche was touching in his last role and I enjoyed the family aspect most of all.

The only thing I didn't agree with was the pairing of Ray Liotta and Whoopi because it didn't make sense. The two were going along like friends, trying to help Molly cope with her mother's death. All of a sudden the two are kissing one another on the father's lawn. Whoopi and Ray had better chemistry before the romance factor. Then again no movie is perfect.

That aside this is still a wonderful film. I have it on DVD and I still watch it when it comes on regular television. This is one movie that explores racism and death positively and negatively and how kids handle the attitudes of the adults around them. I found it fascinating that Molly grew so attached to Corrina she began to think of herself as black and Corrina became the mother she longed for.

It's a beautiful movie without sex, violence and profanity. Many movies can't hold your interest without these elements, but Corrina, Corrina will. See it at least once.

This has to be the best Whoopie Goldberg movie ever. She usually acts in "rough" movies which we don't let our children watch, but this was more for the whole family. She plays a nanny for a little girl who has lost a mother, and comes into the family with the idea of just being the "maid and babysitter", but soon falls for the little girl she's caring for, and her father. Ray Liota does a great job in this movie also. This movie will tug at your heart strings, and make you laugh. It also shows us how prejuduce some people are, and were back in those days, when it was socialy unexceptable for people of color to be with white people. It's a sweet movie that you will enjoy with your children without fear that sex or violence with ruin the movie for your children.

This movie is beautiful from start to finish.

Whoopi Goldberg is perfectly casted as Corrina, a black (well, duh) nanny who is employed by a white Jew (very well played by Ray Liotta), to take care of his daughter Molly (again excellently played by Tina Majorino).

The plot. Manny Singer's (Ray) wife has just died leaving him and his 7 year old daughter (Tina) behind. Molly is a little lost after this and she doesn't speak a word to her father or anyone else. After employing a plethora of disastrous nannys Manny finally comes to Corrina, who is perfect. One problem: She's black, he's white, and this is 1959 segregated America.

After a little while Molly begins to talk again and is generally uplifted by Corrina, who seems to have this miraculous way of bringing people back to their feet, including Manny. Corrina and Manny fall in love against all odds, and what you get is a beautiful interracial romance that at that time is classed as wrong, even abnormal. No one approves apart from Molly and her Grandfather (Don Ameche).

One down side to this film, and I will add that it is the only down side, is the ending - you don't really know what happens. If I hadn't done a little research then I wouldn't have known that director Jessie Nelson had based this film on her true life story. She's black and her now husband of 40 odd years was white. This story is her story. They got married and lived happily ever after - but we have to guess. So the ending could have used a little bit more work. But that's it!! The movie is just wonderful. It's uplifting, heartbreaking, humorous and romantic.

I saw this within the first week of its release, and I was profoundly shaken by its power. Spielberg, after "E.T." proved himself as a director to be reckoned with. Too bad the Academy didn't think so. There's little to be known about the plight of rural Black landowners during the depression, so we're relying on Alice Walker's novel as the basis of the riveting narrative of Celie's journey through a remarkable life. I remember protests against the film because of Danny Glover's wonderfully centered mean guy (even though he's the ultimate, sad hero). I've seen nastier people in White-centered films, and Danny's nastiness doesn't even come close. Still, he was deserving of a nomination, showing many layers of a complicated character. I really think this is a women-driven film, since the best characters (and acting) came from the many fine women's roles. Whoopi was certainly wonderful, though she didn't show up until a half hour into the film. Celie's young character, played with wonderful strength and pathos by Desreta Jackson was appealing. Akosua Busia was confident, as was Dana Ivey, in a bit of inspired casting, as the rich white woman, a grand display of idiocy and ignorance. Rae Dawn Chong's character should've been developed more, since she figured significantly in the final outcome. Oprah, of course, was the most memorable character, since she had the showiest role...or did she? I wanna know what happened to Margaret Avery (Shug). To me, she gave the best performance in the film. Trashy, sweet, soft, sensitive...she had to do it all. Her final scene with her father brought tears, her strength of character made Celie the strong character that she became. Her career should've taken off after this film. The women are the driving force in this film, and there's not a weak one in the bunch. Larry Fishburne (Swain) had one of his first roles, and Willard Pugh was delightful as Harpo...and whatever happened to him? I loved Avery the most, but Glover, after a great role the previous year in "Places in the Heart", showed great versatility. Overall, this is a film of passion, warmth and emotion. It's always been one of my favorites. The DVD version is lacking in too many ways; I'm sure an anniversary version will be coming out soon. Commentaries would be nice, since most of those involved are still around. I was a bit annoyed that I had to turn the disc over during Celie's most life-affirming scene. There was also protest that this film was nominated for 11 Oscars and won nothing, suggesting anti-Black behavior from the Academy. 8 years earlier, "The Turning Point" was also nominated for 11 Oscars and won nothing. As one critic said, "Does this mean the Academy is anti-tutu?" The whole argument is silly, and no one can explain why Spielberg won the Directors Guild award though no Oscar nomination...this is a great argument for people to ignore awards and critics. This film is a delight...sad, humorous, insightful...and very powerful. You should see this, and have tissues handy. When Shug hugs her father at the end, the power of the music and the moment can't help but take you away. Then, of course, there's the final moment when Celie sees her kids... Then there's Oprah, snapping out of her funk and announcing that she's home again. See it. Love it. It's worth it.

The box set edition adds a very worthy touch to one of the most consummate movies in cinematic history; The Color Purple. Valuable insight is given to the making of the moving. For example, the coincidental names like Harpo-Oprah or Shug Avery-Margaret Avery. There is a very spiritual quality to the making of this movie, like fate intervened. The bonus pictures are very beautiful and adequately catch the heart of the film.

To find a real comparison to The Color Purple, it would be necessary to go way back to the great films of the 50's where all the arts forms were included.

Born in the South (in one of the cities mentioned often in the movie), I can relate directly to how authentic the acting is. Oprah Winfrey was able to delineate the depth of Sophia's emotional spectrum quite remarkably and out of the entire cast, she was most able to depict the southern way of speaking and moving. She was a different woman then and she has not achieved this kind of distinction in other roles. Margaret Avery gave a performance of a lifetime as the beloved and equally reviled Shug. Whoopi Goldberg's golden moment came as she spoke, "I got two chirrun........and they's alive." Danny Glover was horrifically great! I could wright a book on the other magnificent performances.

This movie comes as close to a masterpiece as anything I have seen. I watch it again and again. Each time, I feel renewed vigor, love, loss, pain, rejection, joy, familiarity, and at last, survival. The movie could have bestowed much greatness upon the Academy Awards!

Buy two copies because you are sure to strip the original from playing it so much!

i love this movie from begining to in the is movie was excellent i love this movie.

I saw this within the first week of its release, and I was profoundly shaken by its power. Spielberg, after "E.T." proved himself as a director to be reckoned with. Too bad the Academy didn't think so. There's little to be known about the plight of rural Black landowners during the depression, so we're relying on Alice Walker's novel as the basis of the riveting narrative of Celie's journey through a remarkable life. I remember protests against the film because of Danny Glover's wonderfully centered mean guy (even though he's the ultimate, sad hero). I've seen nastier people in White-centered films, and Danny's nastiness doesn't even come close. Still, he was deserving of a nomination, showing many layers of a complicated character. I really think this is a women-driven film, since the best characters (and acting) came from the many fine women's roles. Whoopi was certainly wonderful, though she didn't show up until a half hour into the film. Celie's young character, played with wonderful strength and pathos by Desreta Jackson was appealing. Akosua Busia was confident, as was Dana Ivey, in a bit of inspired casting, as the rich white woman, a grand display of idiocy and ignorance. Rae Dawn Chong's character should've been developed more, since she figured significantly in the final outcome. Oprah, of course, was the most memorable character, since she had the showiest role...or did she? I wanna know what happened to Margaret Avery (Shug). To me, she gave the best performance in the film. Trashy, sweet, soft, sensitive...she had to do it all. Her final scene with her father brought tears, her strength of character made Celie the strong character that she became. Her career should've taken off after this film. The women are the driving force in this film, and there's not a weak one in the bunch. Larry Fishburne (Swain) had one of his first roles, and Willard Pugh was delightful as Harpo...and whatever happened to him? I loved Avery the most, but Glover, after a great role the previous year in "Places in the Heart", showed great versatility. Overall, this is a film of passion, warmth and emotion. It's always been one of my favorites. The DVD version is lacking in too many ways; I'm sure an anniversary version will be coming out soon. Commentaries would be nice, since most of those involved are still around. I was a bit annoyed that I had to turn the disc over during Celie's most life-affirming scene. There was also protest that this film was nominated for 11 Oscars and won nothing, suggesting anti-Black behavior from the Academy. 8 years earlier, "The Turning Point" was also nominated for 11 Oscars and won nothing. As one critic said, "Does this mean the Academy is anti-tutu?" The whole argument is silly, and no one can explain why Spielberg won the Directors Guild award though no Oscar nomination...this is a great argument for people to ignore awards and critics. This film is a delight...sad, humorous, insightful...and very powerful. You should see this, and have tissues handy. When Shug hugs her father at the end, the power of the music and the moment can't help but take you away. Then, of course, there's the final moment when Celie sees her kids... Then there's Oprah, snapping out of her funk and announcing that she's home again. See it. Love it. It's worth it.

The box set edition adds a very worthy touch to one of the most consummate movies in cinematic history; The Color Purple. Valuable insight is given to the making of the moving. For example, the coincidental names like Harpo-Oprah or Shug Avery-Margaret Avery. There is a very spiritual quality to the making of this movie, like fate intervened. The bonus pictures are very beautiful and adequately catch the heart of the film.

To find a real comparison to The Color Purple, it would be necessary to go way back to the great films of the 50's where all the arts forms were included.

Born in the South (in one of the cities mentioned often in the movie), I can relate directly to how authentic the acting is. Oprah Winfrey was able to delineate the depth of Sophia's emotional spectrum quite remarkably and out of the entire cast, she was most able to depict the southern way of speaking and moving. She was a different woman then and she has not achieved this kind of distinction in other roles. Margaret Avery gave a performance of a lifetime as the beloved and equally reviled Shug. Whoopi Goldberg's golden moment came as she spoke, "I got two chirrun........and they's alive." Danny Glover was horrifically great! I could wright a book on the other magnificent performances.

This movie comes as close to a masterpiece as anything I have seen. I watch it again and again. Each time, I feel renewed vigor, love, loss, pain, rejection, joy, familiarity, and at last, survival. The movie could have bestowed much greatness upon the Academy Awards!

Buy two copies because you are sure to strip the original from playing it so much!

i love this movie from begining to in the is movie was excellent i love this movie.

A dazzling array of mega-celebrities in sometimes silent incidental cameo roles make Robert Altman's "The Player" like an autograph fantasy walk down Hollywood Boulevard. Tim Robbins, possibly America's finest actor is extraordinary as a movie executive seeking revenge on an anonymous writer who's sending him threatening postcards. This plotline unfortunately becomes immediately predictable and contrived and Altman's directional tools seem to lay at his side as this formula suspense angle almost overwhelms the sly humor and excitable performances which keeps this constantly amusing film afloat.

Tim Robbins is Griffin Mill, a Hollywood executive who spends his working day listening to pitches. He's made it, he's a player, an insider: big starts recognize him in exclusive restaurants (though he has a lively sense of the fragility of these things and is assiduously watching his back.) David Kahane (Vincent d'Onofrio) is none of these things. He is an earnest young chap who wants to make it as writer but hasn't and isn't going to. Like thousands of others he has made his pitch to Mill and drawn a blank and his resentment still burns. Mill meanwhile is getting bitter and threatening postcards evidently from a rejected writer. He figures Kahane must be the man behinds this and they have a difficult confrontation which ends with Mill killing Kahane. The film has suspense, laughter, violence, sex, nudity: all the ingredients Mill lists to Kahane's ex, June (Greta Scacchi) as conducive to a film's being marketable. But it takes a certain ironic distance from all these features. As it does still more from a further ingredient on the list, happy endings. It's certainly an engaging, fairly witty film that is well worth seeing, an interesting study of fame, failure, success, desperation and cynicism. The most natural complaints would be that it suffers from too large a measure of the cynicism it examines and that the knowing self-deprecating irony is overdone - (perhaps to the point of protesting too much). And prehaps a more deeply and uncomfortably subversive film about Hollywood would perhaps not have successfully recruited quite so much of the A-list to do cute cameos as themselves.

Robbins does a terrific turn in this film about the cliques and backstabbing in the movie business. Over 50 stars make appearances... so many that we often stop the tape to argue over who it is. :-)

A dazzling array of mega-celebrities in sometimes silent incidental cameo roles make Robert Altman's "The Player" like an autograph fantasy walk down Hollywood Boulevard. Tim Robbins, possibly America's finest actor is extraordinary as a movie executive seeking revenge on an anonymous writer who's sending him threatening postcards. This plotline unfortunately becomes immediately predictable and contrived and Altman's directional tools seem to lay at his side as this formula suspense angle almost overwhelms the sly humor and excitable performances which keeps this constantly amusing film afloat.

This film has the most unique opening scene (which lasts about 8 or 9 minutes in a single frame!) I have ever seen in a movie! Tim Robbins plays the role of a producer who "just does his job", which includes brushing off hopeful screen writers and being nasty to his assistants. Little does he know, that others are good at back-stabbing too, and that his name is about to be dropped. All depends on his next project; if it stinks, he sinks! -- A few clever twists, including black-mail and manslaughter, keep the viewer interested, right up to the surprise ending. Watch for Whoopi Goldberg and Lyle Lovitt as police detectives (I couldn't picture either of them in such a role, but they did surprisingly well!). This is a very good film, but I still have a problem with how everything turns out (which I can't dwell on, or I'd spoil it for those who haven't seen it). See for yourself!

"The Player" is one of those fascinating comedic thrillers with one defined dramatic plot, and various subplots dealing with the movie industry. Player is not a fast paced thriller, but rather an intelligent and laid back story surrounded by Hollywood and the business of film making. Tim Robbins plays Griffin Mill, a studio executive whose main job is to decide which scripts make it to the big screen. When he starts receiving threatening postcards, he suspects they come from a writer whose script was turned down. Hence, he tries to identify the writer in order to pay him off and stop the blackmail. Apparently he found the writer , apparently not. Murder. Whoopi Goldberg's performance as detective Avery, investigating the murder, is simply wonderful and provides humor with her spicy language. For the rest of the plot, you must see the movie. Directed by Robert Altman (Gosford Park), Player's cast include Greta Scacchi, Peter Gallagher, Fred Ward, Lyle Lovett and numerous cameo appearances by familiar faces such as Lily Tomlin, Bruce Willis, Robert Wagner, Susan Sarandon, Julia Roberts, Nick Nolte, Andie McDowell, John Cusack, to name a few. Besides the main plot, this is certainly a good perspective of how decisions are made in Hollywood, and the dynamics and politics of movie making . Player views the "film noir" and independent film making alternatives, and flirts with the concepts of dissociation of the big studios with the artistic ("Ars Gratia Artis") philosophies of the old days, those being replaced with the "money-making-happy-ending" driving forces of modern day Hollywood. DVD version.