The Color Purple (1985) - Parents Guide Movie Rating

MPA: PG-13 BBFC: 15 Maturity Rating 16+

BBFC Reason: Contains references to child sexual abuse

Sex & Nudity

moderate

A man is on top of a young girl and they are having sex. No nudity is shown with the girl, but the man is shirtless and the camera shows the bed moving. It also implies that he had an orgasm because of what he says before he stops moving. A show woman sings and dances in a juke joint for people while she wears a revealing red flashy dress. Men are drooling over her making sexual remarks. Couples kissing and dancing intimately are shown. A married man makes consistent passes at a young woman, following her on her outings and eventually grabbing her, pulling her into some bushes. Her screams are heard as the camera moves away from the scene. A girl finds out that she is pregnant, and the grandfather gets upset getting the point across that it was because she had her "legs open" to everyone. Two women kiss romantically in a room while they both caress each other's arms. It is brief and the scene fades away. Two women going through some photos find nude pictures of a woman. The nudity is shown, but it is very brief. It is implied that a man died during sex. There is a scene implying that a father raped his daughter and impregnated her (though he is later revealed to be her stepfather) . After the baby is born, he warns her never to tell anyone.

Violence & Gore

moderate

A husband and wife beat each other up. The husband was advised by his father that, to make his wife obey him, the husband would have to beat her. When the husband, who loves his wife, hesitates, his father laughs at him. Later, his stepmother also advises him to beat his wife. There is a huge fight in a juke joint between every person there; it involves punching and kicking, chair throwing, and beer bottle hitting. A man slaps a woman for talking back to him. A black woman punches a white man which causes a riot, and another white man ends up knocking her out and busting her eye using the butt of a gun. A woman gets angry, grabs the dinner knife, and threatens to kill a man. There is a lot of hostility against black people.

Profanity

mild

There are many slang bad words as well as common ones. There is a lot of religious topics, references of rebelling against the church, etc.

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking

moderate

There is smoking and a lot of drinking. Several people are shown drunk.

Frightening & Intense Scenes

moderate

A man physically and emotionally separates two close sisters. The scene is extremely intense and realistic, but not really violent. The pain of the two girls can be felt.