“The Color Purple” movie musical is profound.

It should be required viewing for world leaders for its vision of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Look for multiple Oscar nominations for the movie musical.

The movie musical is based on the Broadway musical, “The Color Purple” (2005-2008), which received 11 Tony Award nominations in 2006.

The musical has music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray and a book by Marsha Norman.

A Broadway revival (2015-2017) received two Tony Awards.

The musical is based on the novel by Alice Walker, which received the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and the 1985 film adaptation of the book directed by Steven Spielberg.

The movie musical is directed by Ghana film-maker Blitz Bazawule (Director: “Black Is King,” 2020, a visual album by Beyonce inspired by “The Lion King,” and “The Burial of Kojo,” 2018) from a screenplay by Marcus Gardley (theatrical movie screenplay debut; TV’s “The Chi,” 2018-2020).

“The Color Purple” takes place in rural Georgia from roughly 1908 through 1945.

Celie (Fantasia Barrino, reprising her role from the stage show; Phylicia Pearl Mpasi as the young Celie) marries an older man, Mister, aka Albert (Colman Domingo), who is abusive to her. Mister separates Celie from her sister Hattie (Halle Bailey as the young Hattie; Ciara as the adult Hattie).

Mister’s son Harpo (Corey Hawkins) marries Sofia (Danielle Brooks, reprising her role from the stage show), but Sofia leaves him.

Harpo opens a juke joint with his girlfriend Squeak aka Mary Agnes (H.E.R. aka Gabriella Wilson) where blues singer Shug (Taraji P. Henson) performs.

The characters include Shug’s father Rev. Avery (David Alan Grier), Shug’s husband Grady (Jon Batiste), Celie and Nettie’s father Alfonso (Deon Cole) and Mister’s father, Ol’ Mister (Louis Gossett Jr.).

The 2023 movie includes songs from the Broadway musical, the 1985 movie and new songs. The songs are catchy and work well to enhance the movie’s emotional core.

Most of the songs are accompanied by terrific choreography. The musical numbers flow naturally out of the scenes and are exhilarating.

Fantasia Barrino is tremendous as Celie. Barrino has a very expressive face and says so much with the slightest of movements. Her singing of “Lilly of the Field.” is extraordinary. Look for an Oscar actress nomination for Barrino.

Taraji P. Henson as Shug commands every scene she’s in. She’s outstanding on “Too Beautiful For Words.” Look for an Oscar supporting actress nomination for Henson.

Henson and Barrino’s duet for “What About Love?” is a fantasy sequence throwback to the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals.

Danielle Brooks is a scene-stealer as Sofia. She’s stunning on the song, “Hell No!” Look for an Oscar supporting actress nomination for Brooks.

Colman Domingo is effectively hateful as Mister, aka Albert. Look for an Oscar supporting actor nomination for Domingo.

The cinematography by Danish Director of Photography Dan Laustsen (two-time Oscar nominee, cinematography, “Nightmare Alley, 2022; “The Shape of Water, 2018) is often gauzy, sepia-toned and dreamlike.

The production design, art direction and costume design is charming.

You will get caught up in the story that unfolds in “The Color Purple.” It’s a tragedy for its characters who turns it into a triumph.

“The Color Purple” will break your heart, and mend it again.

“The Color Purple,”

MPAA rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned: Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.) for mature thematic content, sexual content, violence and language; Genre: Musical, Drama; Run Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes; Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Credit Readers Anonymous:

“The Color Purple” end credits include images of quilts depicting scenes from the film. The movie was filmed on location on Jekyll Island, Macon and Atlanta, Ga. Jon Batiste (Grady) performs on the soundtrack.

At The Movies:

“The Color Purple” was seen in the standard format in AMC Tilghman Square 8.

Theatrical Movie Domestic Weekend Box Office,

Dec. Jan. 5-7: “Wonka” stayed at No. 1 two weeks in a row, with $14.4 million in 3,817 theaters, $164.6 million, four weeks, keeping “Night Swim” opening at No. 2 with $12 million, in 3,250 theaters.

3. “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” dropped one place, $10.6 million in 3,553 theaters, $100 million, three weeks. 4. “Migration” dropped one place, $10 million in 3,712 theaters, $77.8 million, three weeks. 5. “Anyone But You” stayed in place, $9.5 million in 3,055 theaters, $43.7 million, three weeks. 6. “The Boys in the Boat,” $6 million in 2,687 theaters, $33.9 million, two weeks. 7. “The Color Purple” dropped three places, $4.7 million in 3,218 theaters, $54.6 million, two weeks. 8. “The Iron Claw” dropped one place, $3.9 million in 2,392 theaters, $24.3 million, three weeks. 9. “Ferrari” dropped one place, $2.5 million in 2,121 theaters, $16 million, two weeks. 10. “Poor Things,” $2 million in 750 theaters, $14.2 million in five weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of Jan. 7 is subject to change.

Theatrical Movie Domestic Weekend Box Office,

Dec. 29-31: “Wonka” regained the sweet spot, moving back to No. 1 from No. 2, with $22.4 million in 4,051 theaters, $133.1 million, three weeks, sinking “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” from its one-week No. 1 perch, $18.2 million in 3,787 theaters, $76.4 million, two weeks.

3. “Migration” stayed in place, $17 million in 3,839 theaters, $54.1 million, two weeks. 4. “The Color Purple,” opening, $11.7 million in 3,203 theaters, $44 million, since Dec. 25. 5. “Anyone But You” dropped one place, $8.7 million in 3,055 theaters, $24.8 million, two weeks. 6. “The Boys in the Boat,” opening, $8.4 million in 2,557 theaters, $22 million, since Dec. 25. 7. “The Iron Claw” dropped one place, $4.6 million in 2,794 theaters, $15.9 million, two weeks. 8. “Ferrari,” opening, $3.9 million in 2,386 theaters, $10.7 million, since Dec. 25. 9. “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” dropped two places, $2.8 million in 1,660 theaters, $159.7 million, seven weeks. 10. “The Boy and the Heron” dropped two places, $2.3 million in 940 theaters, $35.8 million, four weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of Dec. 31 is subject to change.

Unreel,

Jan. 12:

“Mean Girls,”

PG-13: Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. direct Angourie Rice, Jon Hamm, Renee Rapp, Tina Fey, Jenna Fischer, Busy Philipps and Tim Meadows in the musical comedy. The screenplay by Tina Fey puts a new spin on the high school drama.

“The Beekeeper,”

R: David Ayer directs Jason Statham, Josh Hutcherson, Jeremy Irons, Phylicia Rashad and Minnie Driver in the Action Thriller. A clandestine organization known as The Beekeepers is all abuzz about vengeance.

Movie opening dates from Internet Movie Database as of Jan. 7 are subject to change.

Five Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes