I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Top 10 Billed Cast

Paul Benjamin
Paul Benjamin

Freeman

Diahann Carroll
Diahann Carroll

Vivian

Ruby Dee
Ruby Dee

Grandmother Baxter

Roger E. Mosley
Roger E. Mosley

Bailey, Sr.

Esther Rolle
Esther Rolle

Momma

Madge Sinclair
Madge Sinclair

Miss Flowers

Sonny Jim Gaines
Sonny Jim Gaines

Uncle Willie

Art Evans
Art Evans

Principal

Constance Good
Constance Good

Maya

John M. Driver II
John M. Driver II

Bailey, Jr.

Loading Trailer Videos...
  • HomePage

  • Overview

    Based on writer Maya Angelou's eloquent reminiscences of her days as a gifted youngster growing up in the South during the Depression years where she and her older brother were raised by their grandmother after the divorce of their parents.

  • Release Date

    1979-04-28

  • Average

    4.3

  • Rating:

    2.1 starts
  • Tagline

  • Genres

  • Languages:

    English
  • Keywords

Similar Movies

Pleasantville
73%

Pleasantville(en)

1998-09-17

Geeky teenager David and his popular twin sister, Jennifer, get sucked into the black-and-white world of a 1950s TV sitcom called "Pleasantville," and find a world where everything is peachy keen all the time. But when Jennifer's modern attitude disrupts Pleasantville's peaceful but boring routine, she literally brings color into its life.

The Diary of Anne Frank
72%

The Diary of Anne Frank(en)

1959-03-18

The true, harrowing story of a young Jewish girl who, with her family and their friends, is forced into hiding in an attic in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam.

Born on the Fourth of July
70%

Born on the Fourth of July(en)

1989-12-20

Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, Ron Kovic becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country he fought for.

An Angel at My Table
70%

An Angel at My Table(en)

1990-09-20

Based on the autobiographical work of New Zealand writer Janet Frame, this production depicts the author at various stage of her life. Afflicted with mental and emotional issues, Frame grows up in an impoverished family and experiences numerous tragedies while still in her youth, including the deaths of two of her siblings. Portrayed as an adult by Kerry Fox, Frame finds acclaim for her writing while still in a mental institution, and her success helps her move on with her life.

The Outrun
68%

The Outrun(en)

2024-01-19

Fresh out of rehab, Rona returns to the Orkney Islands—a place both wild and beautiful, right off the Scottish coast. Now 29 and after more than a decade of living life on the edge in London, where she both found and lost love, Rona attempts to come to terms with her troubled past. As she reconnects with the dramatic landscape where she grew up, memories of her traumatic childhood merge with more recent challenging events that have set her on the path to recovery.

November
49%

November(en)

2004-01-18

Sophie Jacobs is going through the most difficult time of her life. Now, she just has to find out if it's real.

The Wild Child
71%

The Wild Child(fr)

1970-02-26

In a French forest circa 1798, a child–who cannot walk, speak, read or write–is found. A doctor becomes interested in the case and patiently attempts to civilise the boy.

Mississippi Burning
77%

Mississippi Burning(en)

1988-12-08

Two FBI agents investigating the murder of civil rights workers during the 60s seek to breach the conspiracy of silence in a small Southern town where segregation divides black and white. The younger agent trained in FBI school runs up against the small town ways of his partner, a former sheriff.

Small Change
71%

Small Change(fr)

1976-03-17

The lives of a motherless young man, who's just starting to find interest in women, and his physically abused, poverty stricken friend, are mixed with more or less innocent childhood experiences and challenges most their age experience.

A Time to Kill
74%

A Time to Kill(en)

1996-07-24

A young lawyer defends a black man accused of murdering two white men who raped his 10-year-old daughter, sparking a rebirth of the KKK.

Pure Race
100%

Pure Race(en)

1995-01-01

Two college students, one white and one black, share a ride home from college. When their car breaks down in a small town in Idaho, they unsuspectingly stumble upon a white supremacist group and must fight for their lives.

Malcolm X
76%

Malcolm X(en)

1992-11-18

A tribute to the controversial black activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the '50s, he became a Black Muslim and then a leader in the Nation of Islam. His assassination in 1965 left a legacy of self-determination and racial pride.

If He Hollers, Let Him Go!
56%

If He Hollers, Let Him Go!(en)

1968-10-08

James Lake (Raymond St. Jacques) is an escaped black convict imprisoned for a murder he didn't commit. Leslie Whitlock (Kevin McCarthy) offers James money to kill his wife, Ellen (Dana Wynter). He declines and tries to look up his old flame Lily (Barbara McNair), but discovers his own brother is now married to the sultry nightclub singer. James returns to Leslie, and the trio travel towards a mountain retreat. James and Ellen escape and try to find the murderer who had framed James years before.

Crash
72%

Crash(en)

2005-05-06

In post-Sept. 11 Los Angeles, tensions erupt when the lives of a Brentwood housewife, her district attorney husband, a Persian shopkeeper, two cops, a pair of carjackers and a Korean couple converge during a 36-hour period.

Gilles
10%

Gilles(fr)

2016-09-25

On a Saturday night in the "City of Love", two sworn enemies are united in their hatred for someone they despise even more than each other: a gay man.

Mirror
80%

Mirror(ru)

1975-03-07

A dying man in his forties recalls his childhood, his mother, the war and personal moments that tell of and juxtapose pivotal moments in Soviet history with daily life.

Dangerous Minds
70%

Dangerous Minds(en)

1995-08-11

Former Marine Louanne Johnson lands a gig teaching in a pilot program for bright but underachieving teens at a notorious inner-city high school. After having a terrible first day, she decides she must throw decorum to the wind. When Johnson returns to the classroom, she does so armed with a no-nonsense attitude informed by her military training and a fearless determination to better the lives of her students -- no matter what the cost.

Glory
75%

Glory(en)

1989-12-15

Robert Gould Shaw leads the US Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices of both his own Union army and the Confederates.

Bound by Honor
81%

Bound by Honor(en)

1993-02-05

Based on the true life experiences of poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, the film focuses on half-brothers Paco and Cruz, and their bi-racial cousin Miklo. It opens in 1972, as the three are members of an East L.A. gang known as the "Vatos Locos", and the story focuses on how a violent crime and the influence of narcotics alter their lives. Miklo is incarcerated and sent to San Quentin, where he makes a "home" for himself. Cruz becomes an exceptional artist, but a heroin addiction overcomes him with tragic results. Paco becomes a cop and an enemy to his "carnal", Miklo.

unavailable
0%

unavailable(uk)

2025-09-05

Serhii, a young man who fills his days with volunteer work, loses contact with his mother living in occupied territory. When his mother finally decides to evacuate, he learns that a humanitarian convoy from his hometown has been destroyed in a bombing raid.

Recommendations Movies

A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints
65%

A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints(en)

2006-09-29

Dito Montiel, a successful author, receives a call from his long-suffering mother, asking him to return home and visit his ailing father. Dito recalls his childhood growing up in a violent neighborhood in Queens, N.Y., with friends Antonio, Giuseppe, Nerf and Mike.

The Hate U Give
81%

The Hate U Give(en)

2018-10-19

Raised in a poverty-stricken slum, a 16-year-old girl named Starr now attends a suburban prep school. After she witnesses a police officer shoot her unarmed best friend, she's torn between her two very different worlds as she tries to speak her truth.

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
71%

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers(en)

1946-08-19

Three childhood friends, Martha, Walter and Sam, share a terrible secret. Over time, the ambitious Martha and the pusillanimous Walter have married. She is a cold businesswoman; he is the district attorney: a perfect combination to dominate the corrupt city of Iverstown at will. But the unexpected return of Sam, after years of absence, deeply disturbs the life of the odd couple.

The Glass Castle
71%

The Glass Castle(en)

2017-08-11

A young girl is raised in a dysfunctional family constantly on the run from the FBI. Living in poverty, she comes of age guided by her drunkard, ingenious father who distracts her with magical stories to keep her mind off the family's dire state, and her selfish, nonconformist mother who has no intention of raising a family, along with her younger brother and sister, and her other older sister. Together, they fend for each other as they mature in an unorthodox journey that is their family life.

Heaven
62%

Heaven(en)

2019-07-27

Heaven Leigh Casteel, gifted and intelligent, is the eldest of five dirt-poor children struggling to survive in a mountain shack. As she endures neglect and abuse, Heaven discovers a dark secret that changes everything she thought she knew about her family. Then tragedy tears her world apart and she must forge her own way in the cruel, unknown world.

Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B
65%

Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B(en)

2014-11-15

The story of R&B singer and actress Aaliyah; namely, the highs and lows of her career, her romantic pursuits, and the events leading up to her death in 2001 at the age of 22.

Frankie & Alice
59%

Frankie & Alice(en)

2010-12-10

A drama centered on a go-go dancer with multiple personality disorder who struggles to remain her true self and begins working with a psychotherapist to uncover the mystery of the inner ghosts that haunt her.

The Great Debaters
72%

The Great Debaters(en)

2007-12-25

The true story of a brilliant but politically radical debate team coach who uses the power of words to transform a group of underdog African-American college students into a historical powerhouse that took on the Harvard elite.

The Lords of Discipline
66%

The Lords of Discipline(en)

1983-02-18

Will arrives for his last year at Military Academy, in the Deep South USA, in the 1960's. A black student, Pearce, has been accepted, for the first time and Will is asked to keep an eye out for the inevitable racism. The racists come in the form of The Ten, a secret group of the elite students. They want Pearce to leave on his own free will, but are prepared to torture him to make it 'his free will'. Will is forced to help Pearce and he is prepared to risk his own career to do so.

Disgrace
62%

Disgrace(en)

2008-09-06

Disgrace is the story of a South African professor of English who loses everything: his reputation, his job, his peace of mind, his good looks, his dreams of artistic success, and finally even his ability to protect his cherished daughter. After having an affair with a student, he moves to the Eastern Cape, where he gets caught up in a mess of post-apartheid politics.

Freedom Writers
79%

Freedom Writers(en)

2007-01-05

A young teacher inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves, and pursue education beyond high school.

Skin
64%

Skin(en)

2009-07-24

Based on the true story of a black girl who was born to two white Afrikaner parents in South Africa during the apartheid era.

Hillbilly Elegy
67%

Hillbilly Elegy(en)

2020-11-09

An urgent phone call pulls a Yale Law student back to his Ohio hometown, where he reflects on three generations of family history and his own future.

Anne of Green Gables
72%

Anne of Green Gables(en)

2016-02-15

A retelling of L.M. Montgomery's story of Anne Shirley, an orphan who is accidentally sent to a couple looking to adopt a boy instead.

Boyhood
75%

Boyhood(en)

2014-06-05

The film tells a story of a divorced couple trying to raise their young son. The story follows the boy for twelve years, from first grade at age 6 through 12th grade at age 17-18, and examines his relationship with his parents as he grows.

The Color Purple
70%

The Color Purple(en)

2023-12-25

A decades-spanning tale of love and resilience and of one woman's journey to independence. Celie faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.

Starving in Suburbia
65%

Starving in Suburbia(en)

2014-04-26

When seventeen-year-old Hannah stumbles upon a website about Thinspiration--an online community devoted to anorexia as a life choice--she becomes an obsessive follower of the site founder, ButterflyAna. By the time Hannah's family realizes what is happening and get Hannah the help she needs, the disease has fully taken hold and Hannah is refusing to eat. Will this family be able to exorcise the demon of anorexia from their lives?

The Audrey Hepburn Story
60%

The Audrey Hepburn Story(en)

2000-03-27

The film spans from Hepburn's early childhood to the 1950s which details her life as a Dutch ballerina, coming to grips with her parents' divorce, and enduring life in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II. She then settles in the U.S. where she succeeds in making it big as a movie actress, in such movies as Breakfast at Tiffany's.

My Dinner with Hervé
63%

My Dinner with Hervé(en)

2018-10-20

An unlikely friendship evolves over one wild night in LA between a struggling journalist and actor Hervé Villechaize, the world's most famous gun-toting dwarf, resulting in life-changing consequences for both.

I'm Not Ashamed
72%

I'm Not Ashamed(en)

2016-10-21

Based on the journal entries of Rachel Joy Scott, the first student killed in the Columbine High School shooting in 1999.