For Colored Girls is a 2010 American drama film adapted from Ntozake Shange's 1975 original choreopoem 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.
The film depicts the interconnected lives of nine women, exploring their lives and struggles as women of color. It is the first film to be produced by 34th Street Films, an imprint of Tyler Perry Studios, and distributed by Lionsgate Films. It is also the first R-rated film in the Tyler Perry film series. With a budget of $21 million, For Colored Girls was released on November 5, 2010, grossing $20.1 million in its opening weekend.
The film's lead cast consists of nine African-American women, seven of whom are based on the play's seven characters, only known by color (e.g. "lady in red," "lady in brown," "lady in yellow,"). Like its source material, each character deals with a different personal conflict, such as love, abandonment, rape, infidelity and abortion.
