This movie is based on a book of the same name written by Mrs. Alice Walker. When this movie first came out, it was sold out. The ushers had to search high and low for me to get a seat. Although I came with several friends to see the movie I was seated with strangers.

I was nervous, not knowing what to expect. I had tried to go see the movie before but it had been sold out everywhere all around Houston. I ended up seeing it at a movie theater in the Galleria. My heart broke for the ladies in this film. They suffered so much.

I felt trepidation to watching this film again after so many decades and quite a bit of suffering of my own. Women all over the world and in every hue has suffered so much in this world. When the lights came up when the credits stopped rolling everyone around me was crying. Some were weeping. Some were sobbing. Even as I write these words angry tears force themselves out of my eyes and down my cheeks.

It’s an important story then and now. I think of the brilliant cast of this movie:

Willard E. Pugh — William E. Pugh, Harpo Johnson

Bennet Guillory — Bennet Fuillory, Grady

The Color Purple

1985 | PG-13 | 2h 33m | Tearjerkers

A woman navigates life amid cruelty and hardship in the rural South before finding the strength to escape in Steven Spielberg’s award-winning drama.

Starring: Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, Margaret Avery

https://www.netflix.com/title/60026621

Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey earned Oscar nominations for their breakout performances as Celie and Sofia.

We all cried that night no matter who we were, what sex we were, how tall or short, how much money was in our checking account – it did not matter.

On that night we all saw our own various traumas on the big screen. We “saw” what it looked like. We “saw” what we must have looked like when we were being violated and traumatized.

I don’t know how watching this film today will change me, but what I feel now is abject anger and hatred for all those in power who could help but instead hurt. When Nettie screamed “Why?” with her arms outstretched to the heavens, my heart broke again…