The Color Purple
Movie • 1985 • Drama
ReportAn epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry. After Celie's abusive father marries her off to the equally debasing "Mister" Albert Johnson, things go from bad to worse, leaving Celie to find companionship anywhere she can. She perseveres, holding on to her dream of one day being reunited with her sister in Africa. Based on the novel by Alice Walker.
This movie contains 45 potentially triggering events.
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Your Triggers
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6
Unanswered Triggers
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Does someone say "I'll kill myself"?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
30 supporters
Add comment
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Is a child abandoned by a parent?
29 supporters
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Ceie’s babies are taken from her
1 comment | Add comment
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Kind of, Celia suggests Harpo beat his wife to control her
1 comment | Add comment
Abandonment
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4
Abuse
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Yes
3
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Is someone stalked?
23 supporters
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8
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Anonymous
At some point basically every lead woman is stalked by every lead man. This is particularly disturbing as the men are adults and most of the women were 13-14 at the time. An abuser also later follows the abused around but does not interact and is not really doing it to intimidate them in any way.
1 comment | Add comment
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13
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2
Anonymous
It is one of the main focuses of the film. The physical violence shown is minor by most modern movie standards but the fear is ever present.
1 comment | Add comment
Is a woman brutalized for spectacle?
1 supporters
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5
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1
Sofia is beaten in public
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone gaslighted?
38 supporters
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9
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Anonymous
The lead is abused her entire life. Part of this is gaslighting.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
11
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Anonymous
The majority of the children in this movie are abused (including verbal, physical, and sexual violence).
1 comment | Add comment
Addiction
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6
Yes
6
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2
Does someone abuse alcohol?
17 supporters
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Anonymous
Many people get drunk to handle their problems.
1 comment | Add comment
Animal
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4
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6
Yes
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6
1
gayle
It's set on a farm
1 comment | Add comment
Are animals abused?
176 supporters
Yes
2
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4
2
Anonymous
Animals are mistreated and hit with fly swatters and other objects (though this is more minor than it sounds, the animals visibly recoil). The main set is also a farm and meat is shown being eaten multiple times in the movie, which some may find upsetting.
1 comment | Add comment
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6
Is there a dead animal?
99 supporters
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6
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leskileo
Yes, you can see an already dead rabbit being cut open, not too much is visible but it may be too much for some
1 comment | Add comment
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3
Are rabbits harmed?
60 supporters
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fraisierdesbois
There's an already dead rabbit
1 comment | Add comment
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Are there spiders?
43 supporters
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7
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Kurtz
About 2/3rds of the way through the movie, a cat appears briefly in a scene. The spider is on-screen about 5-10 seconds after the cat disappears. It's a 2-second insert shot of the spider.
2 comments | Add comment
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4
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5
Are there bugs?
29 supporters
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Anonymous
Flies are prominent throughout as well as a very large spider.
1 comment | Add comment
Assault
Does a woman get slapped?
National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
17 supporters
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Anonymous
Our lead is assaulted multiple times by different people and there is an on screen attempted assault of another. There is minimal violence on screen but it is a common theme in the movie and is discussed frequently as just a component of these girls’ and women’s lives. The assaults do not seem to be particularly violent and we do not see anyone physically harmed or see anyone naked, disrobing, etc. It’s just always there and if this is a trigger I’d maybe skip it. (Especially since each of the assaultors is intimately connected to the person assaulted)
2 comments | Add comment
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4
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10
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Bodily Harm
Is there shaving/cutting?
32 supporters
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9
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Anonymous
Shaving a beard with a straight razor is a common theme that occurs on screen multiple times throughout the movie. A ritual that involves scarring children’s faces by cutting is shown on screen.
1 comment | Add comment
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Is there a hanging?
33 supporters
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Anonymous
Mentions of a lynching. Not shown and not confirmed to be true.
1 comment | Add comment
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6
Is there genital trauma/mutilation?
76 supporters
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6
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Anonymous
People are sexually assaulted multiple times and a rough childbirth is briefly shown on screen. Nothing is ever stated or shown but it could be guessed. A man also places his foot heavily and in a threatening way near another man’s genitals. Nothing happens.
1 comment | Add comment
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Is there eye mutilation?
90 supporters
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Anonymous
A women experiences non specified violence which leads to permanent damage to her eye (which we can see).
1 comment | Add comment
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Children
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Death
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Drugs/Alcohol
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Family
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Does a parent die?
23 supporters
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Anonymous
Mentions of parent death. Not shown. Man revealed to not be a parent after his death.
1 comment | Add comment
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5
Is someone kidnapped?
1 supporters
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5
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2
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Anonymous
Not kidnapped but a girl is essentially sold to a man.
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone cheat?
18 supporters
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8
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Anonymous
People dating, married, or engaged frequently engage in relationships with others. Everyone involved is aware of it.
1 comment | Add comment
Fear
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5
Yes
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5
Is there a shower scene?
9 supporters
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Kurtz
Someone takes a soak in a bathtub. You don't see anything below the elbows.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
1
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6
Yes
0
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6
Yes
7
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Gross
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6
Does someone spit?
10 supporters
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8
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Kurtz
Someone spits into someone else's drink.
1 comment | Add comment
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4
Large-scale Violence
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4
LGBTQ+
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3
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Yes
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Loss
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Medical
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Mental Health
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Does someone attempt suicide?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
72 supporters
Add comment
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4
Is there misophonia?
1 supporters
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2
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1
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fraisierdesbois
Drinking sounds
1 comment | Add comment
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5
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4
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5
Does someone die by suicide?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
74 supporters
Add comment
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5
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3
Noxious
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2
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2
Does a baby cry?
1 supporters
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8
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Anonymous
A young child cries. It is the focus of the scene and leads to negative things.
1 comment | Add comment
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5
Paranoia
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4
Pregnancy
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5
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6
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Is there childbirth?
1 supporters
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13
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Anonymous
Briefly shown with little detail at the beginning of the movie. We see and hear screams of agony.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
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6
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0
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7
Prejudice
Yes
0
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7
Is there ableist language or behavior?
41 supporters
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6
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1
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Anonymous
Calling someone dumb, stupid, and slow as verbal abuse. We understand he is being ridiculous but the language is still clearly meant to be derogatory.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there usages of the n-word?
32 supporters
Yes
10
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0
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Anonymous
Said by white people in a moment of physical violence.
1 comment | Add comment
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7
Yes
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6
Yes
0
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7
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7
Are there fat jokes?
52 supporters
Yes
10
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0
0
Anonymous
Being fat and being skinny are both seen as negative in the movie.
1 comment | Add comment
Does the black guy die first?
1 supporters
Yes
5
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2
1
judebox
But the almost entirety of the cast is black, so it isn't like the problematic "trope"
1 comment | Add comment
Is there hate speech?
1 supporters
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10
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0
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Anonymous
Against women and black people.
1 comment | Add comment
Relationships
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7
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Sex
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4
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Yes
8
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Yes
10
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1
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Anonymous
Father assaults daughter, leads to two children. Father attempts to assault other daughter but she escapes.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there sexual content?
54 supporters
Yes
11
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0
-1
Anonymous
Flirting, kissing, sexy dancing. Not much more than that.
1 comment | Add comment
Sickness
Yes
0
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5
Social
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5
Spoiler
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5
Does it have a sad ending?
1 supporters
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0
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5
3
Anonymous
The ending is hopeful and good. However, this is a heavy movie about longtime abuse, assault, and injustice so not having a sad ending won’t mean you leave feeling joyful.
1 comment | Add comment
Vehicular
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6
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0
Does a car crash?
19 supporters
Yes
6
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0
1
Anonymous
Minor. No injuries. Not shown from inside vehicle.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
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7
Is someone hit by a car?
1 supporters
Yes
5
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0
1
Anonymous
Minor. No injuries.
1 comment | Add comment
Violence
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0
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5
Is there blood/gore?
1 supporters
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6
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0
1
Anonymous
Blood from cuts, noses, wounds on different occasions. Bruises and result of physical violence.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
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4
Yes
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7