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Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am poster

Film · 2019

Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am

starring Oprah Winfrey and Muhammad Ali

  • 2 h
  • Documentary
  • USA
  • Released in the UK 5 March 2020

Synopsis

An ingenious and intimate meditation on the life and works of the legendary narrator and Nobel Prize winner. The film reviews all aspects of Toni Morrison's life, from her childhood in the steel city of Lorain, Ohio, to the tours with Muhammad Ali, Angela Davis or even building her own writing room facing the river. Toni Morrison is the leader of a large group of critics and colleagues who are dedicated to the exploration of the black race in America, its history and how its human condition is seen through the prism of its own literature. Since childhood, she wanted to be a writer, because nobody takes a "black girl" who wrote seriously, Morrison reflects on her lifelong deconstruction of the master narrative. Interwoven with a rich collection of art, history, literature and personality, the film includes debates about his many critically acclaimed works, including the novels "The Blue Eye", "Sula" and "Song of Solomon". The film highlights her role as editor of iconic African American literature and her time teaching at Princeton University. With interviews with Hilton Als, Angela Davis, Fran Lebowitz, Walter Mosley, Sonia Sanchez and Oprah Winfrey, who turned Morrison's "Beloved" novel into a movie, it's the life of someone worth remembering.

Where to watch Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am

All the options

Available now in the UK:

Availability checked on 8 November 2026.

The essentials

Runtime
120 min2 hours
How long is Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am?
2 hours (120 minutes).
When was Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am released in the UK?
It was released in the UK on 5 March 2020.
Who is in Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am?
It stars Oprah Winfrey and Muhammad Ali.
Where can I watch Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am?
In the UK it is available to buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.
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Videos and trailers

See the video

Photos and posters

All 9 photos

Reviews

All 5 reviews

What the critics say average 8.0 from 5 outlets

  • 10 Los Angeles TimesGary Goldstein To have the towering Morrison, now 88, willing to face your cameras ? head on, in fact ? and tell her story as candidly, heartily and humanely as she does here, is a singular gift that keeps on… Read
  • 8.0 The WrapCandice Frederick Though Toni Morrison: The Pieces that I Am comes from a white storyteller, it distinctly and profoundly reflects the point of view of the subject herself. What we see is a woman who has always been… Read
  • 7.5 The A.V. ClubNoel Murray Frequently, Morrison punctuates her points and her recollections with a warm chuckle, expressing the same embrace of life?s fullness that informs even her bleakest stories. Read

Soundtrack

All 2 songs
  1. High Above the WaterKathryn Bostic Spotify
  2. This Train Is Bound For GlorySister Rosetta Tharpe
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