Synopsis

After escaping slavery, Sethe lives with her daughter Denver in a Cincinnati home haunted by a violent supernatural presence. When Paul D, an old friend, arrives, the spirit temporarily disappears, but a mysterious young woman named Beloved soon enters their lives. Her arrival forces Sethe and Denver to confront buried memories, devastating loss, and the terrible choices shaped by slavery.

Factoids & Trivia

• Oprah Winfrey purchased the film rights to Toni Morrison's 1987 novel in 1987, before the book won the Pulitzer Prize. Bringing the project to the screen took roughly ten years.

• Beloved was the first feature film produced by Harpo Films, Winfrey's production company.

• To prepare for the role, Winfrey underwent a 24-hour slavery simulation that included being blindfolded, restrained, and left alone outdoors.

• Much of the period production was filmed in Pennsylvania and Maryland, including Philadelphia, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Landis Valley Museum, and Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area.

• The farmhouse used in the Fair Hill scenes was constructed for the production. Winter scenes were created with artificial snow, plastic icicles, and shaved ice, which had to be removed from the location afterward.

• The screenplay received credit for Akosua Busia, Richard LaGravenese, and Adam Brooks after a dispute over the writing contributions.

• With a reported budget of $80 million and a domestic gross of about $22.9 million, the film became known as a major box-office disappointment despite its literary prestige and ambitious production.

• Colleen Atwood received an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design.