This second film version is sad, uplifting, and show-stopping.

“The Color Purple” is a sad African-American story, set in early 20th century, based on the novel by Alice Walker. It inspired the 1985 Steven Spielberg film which introduced us to Whoopi Goldberg and then a Broadway play which lasted a few years and got a revival later on. I’ve only seen the 1985 version, and it was a powerful film with characters you care about and others you hate. It doesn’t take a study guide to help you see that. It takes time and humanity.

Now, we have a new version, which is almost as poignant as the Spielberg movie, but is more inspired by the stage play. The new director is Blitz Bazawule (A.K.A. Blitz the Ambassador), who also made the Ghanaian drama “The Burial of Dojo” and the Disney+ Beyonce music film “Black is King.” And the new screenplay writer is Marcus Gardley, who is also a poet and ensemble member playwright at the Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago. In this new version, you still have the themes regarding race, solidarity, women, and sex, but you also have singing, stomping, and voices. The screenplay isn’t always balanced, but these elements help levitate it.

You know the story of how the meek Celie Harris (Phylicia Pearl Mpasi) was raped and abused by her father, who takes her two babies to give them to God. You also know how she ended up being married to the mean widower Mister Johnson (Coleman Domingo), who also kept her sister Nettie (Halle Bailey) away from her. And you also know how she sparked a friendship with the singer Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson), who bosses Mister around, and eventually inspires Celie to stand up for herself. And when she does, it’s about damn time.

The story transitions throughout time, as Mister’s son Harpo (Corey Hawkins) marries the strong-willed Sofia (Danielle Brooks), who nearly loses her spirits after being sent to prison for attacking the white mayor and his wife (Elizabeth Marvel). Harpo also marries Mary Agnes (H.E.R.), whom he likes to refer to as Squeak. Mister’s father (Louis Gossett, Jr.) belittles him and Celie (now played by Fantastia Barinno). Shug has an estranged relationship with her pastor father (David Alan Grier). And Nettie (now played by Ciara) is still alive after all these years.

I know this sounds like an article with spoiler alerts, but both these film versions are long and they repeat themselves in a timeless fashion. And they study one woman’s harsh life and how it eventually becomes easy for her.

The revelations of the film happen to be Barrino and Brooks, who both shine with the right emotions as displayed by Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey (who produces this new version) in the 1985 film. And they both reprise their roles from previous Broadway versions (Fun Fact). And Henson delivers her best performance since “Hidden Figures” with the right attitude as the singer who mistreats Mister Johnson and befriends Celie.

The sets and locations (filmed at Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island and Atlanta, Georgia) are marvelous, representing the time period, especially the swamp set where Harpo runs a juke joint. And the movie doesn’t overexpose itself in the production values. In fact, they overshadowed by the well-choreographed musical numbers and the actors who dance to them.

Again, the screenplay isn’t always balanced (and some scenes are not as powerful as the 1985 version), but this “Color Purple” still merges the pathos with the songs and high spirits quite well. Bazawule does a fresh job directing it, and has his cast adapting to their characters, without catering to easy formulas. This is not an easy story and that’s sad, but it also knows how to move forward in life. I saw this movie in a small theater with a big crowd, but even if I was the only person in the theater, I still had a good time with this cover version.