To the world, she is simply "Oprah," a household name for decades at this point. Oprah Winfrey has worn many hats after all these years: American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, philanthropist. She is perhaps best known for The Oprah Winfrey Show, which ran in national syndication for 25 years.
"We are all looking for the same thing,” Winfrey recently said during her Variety's Power of Women speech. “This is the one lesson I came away from doing The Oprah Winfrey Show. The common denominator of our experiences is that we all want to know that we matter and we want a show that reflects our values.”
Winfrey has won many accolades throughout her career, which include 18 Daytime Emmy Awards (including the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Chairman's Award), two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, a Peabody, and more. On the big screen, she has rightfully earned two Oscars nods. And behind the camera, Winfrey has become a powerhouse producer. It's no wonder that she was elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2021. Here are Winfrey's finest films when serving as a producer.
Update December 29, 2023: In honor of the release of The Color Purple, this article has been updated by Samuel Cormier with more titles that Oprah Winfrey has produced.
In DreamWorks Pictures' The Hundred-Foot Journey, the opening of a new Indian restaurant in the south of France next to a famous Michelin-starred eatery is cause for a heated battle between the two establishments — until Le Saule Pleureur's icy proprietress, Madame Mallory (Dame Helen Mirren), recognizes her rival's undeniable brilliance for preparing masterful meals.
What Makes It Great
The Hundred-Foot Journey abounds with flavors that burst across the tongue. A stimulating triumph over exile, blossoming with passion and heart, the end-result is a portrayal of two worlds colliding and one young man's drive to find the comfort of home, in every pot, wherever he may be. "Oprah Winfrey [has a] great sensitivity and understanding of women, and she has an instinctive, wonderful understanding of people in general," Mirren once told Good Housekeeping about working with Winfrey." Just to have that life force around is a great experience." The Hundred-Foot Journey is available to rent on Apple TV and Prime.
7 Beloved (1998)
Beloved is a 1998 American psychological horror drama film directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, and Thandiwe Newton. Based on Toni Morrison's 1987 novel of the same name, the plot centers on a former enslaved person (Winfrey) after the American Civil War, her haunting by a poltergeist, and the visitation of her reincarnated daughter.
What Makes It Great
Winfrey gives a tour-de-force performance, in addition to producing the film. "[A] hard, hard line of dialogue to get through was what she said about freedom: 'Wake up in the mornin' and decide for myself what to do with the day.' That line was life-transforming for me," Winfrey once told Roger Ebert about her character in the film. "It was the purest definition of freedom. But to say that line was hard, hard, hard. Until I was in the moment with Danny, I never thought that it would be that hard. Finally Jonathan Demme said to me, 'We're gonna turn the camera around on Danny and let you come back and try again tomorrow.' I felt like a failure. I'm blowing it. But I really needed to come back because I was so emotional about it I had lost touch with Sethe. Because she just tells it; she just tells it. She's not all in it; she just tells it."
Beloved is available to rent on Apple TV and Prime.
6 The Water Man (2020)
The Water Man is a dramatic adventure fiction film telling the story of Gunner, a young teenager whose mother has cancer and whose father is deployed and not emotionally present for him. As he navigates friendships in his new town in Oregon, he learns about The Water Man, a spirit who may have the secret to immortality. He joins forces with Jo, a blue-haired girl who is neglected by her parents, to get to the bottom of this mystery. Begins a long adventure in a strange forest, where reality is battling dreams and magic.
What Makes It Great
The Water Man is an unusual addition to this list, as it may look like a typical run-of-the-mill fantasy teen story. However, it goes deeper by dealing with difficult topics, such as ill or absent parents. Gunner and Jo are like Hansel and Gretel: they seem to know what they want, but they are really just kids. Towards the end, a fantastic sequence shows Gunner imagining himself in a magical world where his mother is cured; this scene in particular truly seems to be told from the point of view of the teen, and gives the viewer a new outlook on the tough situation that they may be traversing. The film is also very colorful and has an incredible sound design, making for an enjoyable watch. The Water Man is currently streaming on Netflix.
5 The Great Debaters (2007)
The Great Debaters takes place in Marshall, Texas, described by James Farmer, Jr. as "the last city to surrender after the Civil War,". The town is home to Wiley College. Back in the 1930s, inspired by the Harlem Renaissance and his clandestine work as a union organizer, a Wiley professor (played by Denzel Washington) coaches the debate team to a nearly-undefeated season that sees the first debate between U.S. students from white and Black colleges and ends with an invitation to face Harvard University's national champions. The team of four, which includes a female student and a very young James Farmer (Nate Parker), is tested in a crucible heated by Jim Crow, sexism, a lynch mob, an arrest and near riot, a love affair, jealousy, and a national radio audience.
What Makes It Great
The Great Debaters is a gut-wrenching, inspiring story that was successfully brought to life with Winfrey's help as producer. This film has been acclaimed for its impeccable acting with a particularly strong performance by Washington, as well as truly capturing the spirit of the South in the 1930s. The faithful and concise storytelling makes it a great watch for those interested in learning more about Black history and the Civil Rights Movement. The final debate at Harvard College is particularly memorable. The Great Debaters is currently streaming on Roku.
4 Precious (2009)
Precious
- Release Date
- November 6, 2009
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 110
In 1987 Harlem, 16-year-old Claireece Jones, who goes by her middle name Precious (Gabourey Sidibe), is illiterate, overweight, and pregnant — for the second time, by the same man: her biological father, who has molested and raped her since she was a child, but whom she doesn't see otherwise. Her infant daughter, nicknamed Mongo because she has Down Syndrome, lives with Precious' grandmother; Precious herself lives with her mother Mary (Mo'Nique, in an Oscar-winning turn), who abuses her physically and emotionally. Mary does nothing but smoke, watch TV, and collect welfare through fraud. To escape her life, Precious daydreams of herself in glamorous situations. Because of her current pregnancy, Precious' principal transfers her into an alternative school, where sympathetic teacher Miss Blu Rain (Paula Patton) tries to convince her that she can have a future if she learns how to read and write, and Precious starts to believe her.
What Makes It Great
Precious is another heartbreaking story successfully adapted to the big screen with executive producer Winfrey's aid. All throughout, the viewer finds themself rooting for Precious like no other character before, probably, and her meeting a somewhat happy ending leaves the viewer relieved but thoughtful. It can be difficult to associate with such a traumatic story, but Sibide achieves yet another tour-de-force by giving so much spirit and depth to her character. The other characters and cast are also very diverse in their portrayal of the human experience, making Precious a tough but important watch. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and the film won Best Supporting Actress for Mo'Nique and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Precious is currently streaming on Max.
3 Sidney (2022)
Sidney is the first documentary film on this list. It recalls the life of the trailblazing actor Sidney Poitier, the first African-American man to win the Oscar for Best Actor. Largely narrated by Poitier himself, his lulling voice accompanies the audience through the hidden side of his life, from being born premature to his childhood moving from the Bahamas to Miami, his encounter with a Klan member, and finally arriving at his decades-spanning career and his important legacy to Black representation.
What Makes It Great
The simply-titled Sidney is a wonderful testament to the life of an important man. Soberly shot in black and white, it presents the audience with a sentimental yet complex and truthful account of the actor's life, told by himself and accompanied by interviews of the people close to him. As well as producing it, Winfrey appears in this documentary, and she has said just how important this project was to her. This documentary had long been in the works, and unfortunately, Poitier himself passed away the same year that the film was finally released. Sidney is currently streaming on Apple TV.
2 The Color Purple (2023)
The Color Purple
- Release Date
- December 25, 2023
- Director
- Blitz Bazawule
- Rating
- PG-13
The Color Purple is a coming-of-age musical period drama that recounts the life of Celie (Fantasia Barrino), a young girl who grew up in the South in the early 1900s. Impregnated by her father and then separated from her faithful sister by being sold off to an abusive husband, the quiet Celie dreams of a better life but bravely endures before she can break free. Oprah starred in the original 1985 film directed by Steven Spielberg as Sofia, a role that earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Now, she steps behind the camera as a producer on this new musical incarnation of the story.
What Makes It Great
Despite being Winfrey's most recent project, this iteration of The Color Purple was an instant hit. While the story, based on Alice Walker's novel of the same name, deals with extremely difficult topics, the film is somehow heart-warming and watchable by most audiences. The songs are memorable and complement the storytelling, often bringing a lighter note without shying away from the themes discussed. A very different take from the purely dramatic 1985 Spielberg adaption and borrowing more from the Broadway musicals that celebrate Black history and the hardships of the Afro-American community that can still be felt today, it is no wonder that this film has connected with audiences and likely will be a major player come the 2024 Academy Awards. The Color Purple is currently playing in theaters.
1 Selma (2014)
Selma
- Release Date
- December 25, 2014
- Rating
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 127
Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy as a civil rights leader has cast such a large shadow that it’s hard to imagine what the Movement would be without him. In 2014, Ava Duvernay lent her directing skills to create the powerfully crafted end result that is Selma. The story centers around Dr. King (David Oyelowo) as he attempts to procure African Americans the right to vote unencumbered by systemic oppression and voter blocking.
What Makes It Great
Selma is an Oscar-nominated, artfully photographed masterpiece. Oyelowo honors the memory of the great Martin Luther King, Jr, with an acting performance that can only be described as masterful; and Winfrey delivers an awards-caliber supporting turn in addition to producing the film. The film was nominated for Best Picture and won Best Original Song for the stirring “Glory” by John Legend and Common. It works as a reflection of how America was in the '60s, a time of increased racial bigotry, turmoil, and strife. Selma is currently streaming on Prime and Paramount+.
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