For Colored Girls

For Colored Girls is a 2010 American film adapted from Ntozake Shange's 1975 stage play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf. Written, directed and produced by Tyler Perry, the film features an ensemble cast which includes Janet Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Phylicia Rashad, Thandie Newton, Loretta Devine, Anika Noni Rose, Kimberly Elise, and Kerry Washington.

Like Shange's play—which is considered to be a landmark piece in African American literature and black feminism—the film depicts the interconnected lives of nine women, exploring their lives and struggles as women of color.[3][4] It is the first film to be produced by 34th Street Films, an imprint of Tyler Perry Studios, and distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment. With a budget of $21 million, For Colored Girls was released on November 5, 2010, grossing $20.1 million in its opening weekend.

With generally mixed reviews, several critics have asserted that Tyler Perry failed to adequately translate the original stage play to film, although his ensemble cast nonetheless gave stellar performances; more supportive critics describe the film as his finest work to-date. Ntozake Shange noted her apprehension in allowing Perry to adapt her work, but was ultimately supportive of the film.