steven spielberg want to win an oscar so bad that he figure that he wouldn not win by direct special effect epic ( he be nominate for three of them represent close encounter of the third kind and raider of the lose ark and and e. t. represent the extra terrestrial . so he decide to get very serious by direct the color purple and a period film with no special effect . spielberg first serious drama be a remarkable movie . but the academy voter who vote back in 1985 still do not give spielberg any respect . the color purple receive 11 oscar nomination include best picture and but spielberg be unfairly snub when he wasn not nominate for best director . it get worse on oscar night when this film do not win a single oscar . it get completely shut out . that wasn not right . the color purple should have win a couple of oscar include one for whoopi goldberg spectacular film debut a celie and a woman who suffer at the hand of an abusive husband ( frightfully place by danny glover ) and then get strong throughout the film thanks to some special friend . oprah winfrey also make her film debut here and give a great performance a sofia and one of those friend of celie . since i be from chicago and i have already know winfrey from her talk show ( which at the time of this films release hadn not go nationwide ) . like goldberg and what a film debut . margaret avery be terrific a shug avery and another friend who also happen to be the mistress of celie rotten husband . all three actress receive well deserved oscar nomination for their work here ( goldberg for best actress while winfrey and avery for best support actress ) . set in the south during the first half of the 20th century and the color purple be a film so strong that it make me cry at the end . it also make me laugh at time too . why academy voter be so hard on not nominate spielberg for best director be a mystery that still puzzle me today . but spielberg would eventully go on to win two oscar year later for schindler list and save private ryan and make him one of the best movie director of all time . but he should have get nominate for this movie . the job that he do go from special effect blockbuster like e. t. to a serious drama like the color purple be remarkable . ( out of four ) .