What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Color Purple
Alice Walker · Book · 2011
If you loved The Color Purple, start with The Color Purple (Steven Spielberg, 1985) — a film from the same story. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Color Purple across media.
If you loved The Color Purple, you will be drawn to these stories that center the profound resilience and unbreakable bonds of women navigating systemic adversity.
Start with the source
Adaptation
The Color Purple
Steven Spielberg · Film · 1985
Films on the same thread
The Help
Film · 2011
Explores: Racial Injustice, Female Empowerment, Civil Rights.
Like The Color Purple, this narrative centers on the strength of African-American women as they navigate racial injustice and find solidarity in the face of immense societal challenges.
Little Women
Greta Gerwig · Film · 2019
Shares a thread with The Color Purple: Sisterhood.
Much like the core sisterhood found in The Color Purple, this story highlights the enduring power of family bonds and female ambition during a transformative era of American history.
The Book Thief
Brian Percival · Film · 2013
Explores: The Power of Words, Resilience in the Face of Adversity, Innocence Lost.
This story mirrors the resilience in the face of adversity that defined The Color Purple, showing how the power of words provides solace during periods of extreme historical hardship.
Gone with the Wind
Victor Fleming · Film · 1939
Explores: Survival, Reconstruction Era, Lost Cause.
While distinct in perspective, this epic shares the Georgia setting and the focus on survival during turbulent historical eras that readers of The Color Purple will find familiar.
Series on the same thread
Roots
Alex Haley · Series · 1977
Explores: Family Saga, Cultural Identity, Oppression and Resistance.
This sweeping saga echoes the intergenerational trauma and the fight for cultural identity explored in The Color Purple, grounding its narrative in the essential history of the American experience.
Orange Is the New Black
Jenji Kohan · Series · 2013
Explores: Female Ensemble, Incarceration, Social Class.
The camaraderie formed under oppressive circumstances in this series reflects the way characters in The Color Purple find unexpected support and community while navigating a restrictive and difficult environment.
The Women of Brewster Place
Series · 1989
Shares a thread with The Color Purple: Sisterhood.
This multigenerational look at the Black female experience mirrors the focus on community and resilience found in The Color Purple, highlighting how women support one another through shared life struggles.
The Underground Railroad
Barry Jenkins · Series · 2021
Explores: The horrors of slavery, The fight for freedom, Hope amidst despair.
This journey captures the same spirit of hope amidst despair found in The Color Purple, as the protagonist fights for freedom and self-actualization within the brutal antebellum South.
Podcasts on the same thread
1619
The New York Times · Podcast · 2019
Explores: systemic racism, national identity, legacy of slavery.
This exploration of the legacy of slavery provides the vital historical context that shapes the world of The Color Purple, grounding its fictional resilience in the reality of American history.
This American Life
This American Life · Podcast · 2026
Explores: The human condition, Personal narrative, Social observation.
These personal narratives capture the same human condition and big feelings that drive the emotional core of The Color Purple, offering stories that unfold with raw honesty and deep empathy.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Color Purple a book or a movie?
The Color Purple is a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning novel by Alice Walker. It has been adapted into a 1985 film and a new, reimagined movie produced by Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg, starring Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, and Fantasia Barrino.
Should I read the book The Color Purple before watching the films?
Reading the book The Color Purple is a great way to experience the original story of Celie in rural Georgia. Whether you start with the novel or one of the film adaptations, you will be engaging with a work recognized as a PBS Great American Read Top 100 pick.
What is the difference between the 1985 movie and the new The Color Purple film?
The 1985 movie is a classic adaptation of Alice Walker's novel. The new version of The Color Purple is a boldly reimagined film produced by Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg, featuring a cast that includes Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, and Fantasia Barrino.
Is The Color Purple considered a classic novel?
Yes, The Color Purple is a highly acclaimed novel by Alice Walker. It earned both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Additionally, it was selected as one of the top 100 books for the PBS Great American Read.