“The Color Purple” aired on Public TV the other night. Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover -- what a cast Steven Spielberg assembled for this beautifully directed movie, which debuted 26 years ago. I watch very little TV, but remembering this story as worthy of five stars, set aside the time. So glad I did.
Let's focus on the old fashioned Gospel song near the end of the movie. Here’s a tiny bit of background to set the scene.
Rural Georgia, early 1900s
Celie (Whoopi Goldberg) - main character
Albert (Danny Glover) - Celie’s abusive husband
Shrug - popular jazz and blues singer with dubious reputation
Shrug has been trying to reconnect with her daddy -- a local preacher who turned his back on her years ago. When she’s in town, Shrug sings at the local bar which is within easy earshot of her daddy’s church.
Albert has beaten his wife and told her she was worthless since she was fourteen. Celie believed her beloved sister dead, when actually Albert had cruelly hidden her letters from his wife. Finally as Shrug helped her recognize her self-worth, Celie found and read the cache of her sister’s letters, gathered the courage to leave Albert, and has returned years later, financially independent, to inherit her father's home and land.
This particular Sunday morning, Shrug is singing to a full house at the bar. Her words, “So let me tell you somethin’ sister...” are interrupted by the Gospel choir across the little river, countering with their own message, “God is trying to tell you something.” Shrug used to sing this same song in her daddy’s choir, and it speaks to her heart now.
Leading the bar crowd down the road and right through the front doors of the church, Shrug counterpoints with the choir -- as only classic Gospel can do -- with an affection and hope that God is trying to tell them all something!
Finally her daddy gets the message and embraces Shrug as she tells him, “See Daddy, sinners have soul too.” Albert sitting alone on his front porch also gets the message and uses a stash of hidden cash to set in motion a chain of events which will soon reunite Celie and her sister.
God’s message may involve a change of heart, a willingness to forgive and go forward, or maybe to repent and go forward, or maybe something else and go forward. Sometimes, like the characters in the story, we need to pay attention. We might well ask, "What is God trying to tell me today?"
Here’s a wonderful clip of the Gospel choir and Shrug’s joyous moment.
Let's focus on the old fashioned Gospel song near the end of the movie. Here’s a tiny bit of background to set the scene.
Rural Georgia, early 1900s
Celie (Whoopi Goldberg) - main character
Albert (Danny Glover) - Celie’s abusive husband
Shrug - popular jazz and blues singer with dubious reputation
Shrug has been trying to reconnect with her daddy -- a local preacher who turned his back on her years ago. When she’s in town, Shrug sings at the local bar which is within easy earshot of her daddy’s church.
Albert has beaten his wife and told her she was worthless since she was fourteen. Celie believed her beloved sister dead, when actually Albert had cruelly hidden her letters from his wife. Finally as Shrug helped her recognize her self-worth, Celie found and read the cache of her sister’s letters, gathered the courage to leave Albert, and has returned years later, financially independent, to inherit her father's home and land.
This particular Sunday morning, Shrug is singing to a full house at the bar. Her words, “So let me tell you somethin’ sister...” are interrupted by the Gospel choir across the little river, countering with their own message, “God is trying to tell you something.” Shrug used to sing this same song in her daddy’s choir, and it speaks to her heart now.
Leading the bar crowd down the road and right through the front doors of the church, Shrug counterpoints with the choir -- as only classic Gospel can do -- with an affection and hope that God is trying to tell them all something!
Finally her daddy gets the message and embraces Shrug as she tells him, “See Daddy, sinners have soul too.” Albert sitting alone on his front porch also gets the message and uses a stash of hidden cash to set in motion a chain of events which will soon reunite Celie and her sister.
God’s message may involve a change of heart, a willingness to forgive and go forward, or maybe to repent and go forward, or maybe something else and go forward. Sometimes, like the characters in the story, we need to pay attention. We might well ask, "What is God trying to tell me today?"
Here’s a wonderful clip of the Gospel choir and Shrug’s joyous moment.
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