Their Eyes Were Watching God (film)

Their Eyes Were Watching God is a 2005 American television drama film based upon Zora Neale Hurston's 1937 novel of the same name. The film was directed by Darnell Martin, written by Suzan-Lori Parks, Misan Sagay, and Bobby Smith Jr., and produced by Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions (Winfrey served as the host for the broadcast). It stars Halle Berry, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and Michael Ealy, and aired on ABC on March 6, 2005.

Their Eyes Were Watching God
DVD cover
GenreDrama
Based onTheir Eyes Were Watching God
by Zora Neale Hurston
Written by
Directed byDarnell Martin
Presented byOprah Winfrey
Starring
Music byTerence Blanchard
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
ProducerMatthew Carlisle
CinematographyChecco Varese
EditorPeter C. Frank
Running time113 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkABC
Original release
  • March 6, 2005 (2005-03-06)

Plot

The plot of "Their Eyes Were Watching God" revolves around the life of Janie Crawford, an African-American woman living in the early 20th century. The story follows Janie's journey of self-discovery and her search for independence and love.

Janie's story is narrated through a frame narrative, where her friend Pheoby Watson listens to Janie's account and reflects upon it. Janie tells her life story, starting with her childhood and early experiences growing up in rural Florida. She describes her first two marriages, which were arranged by others and didn't bring her the fulfillment she sought.

However, it is her third marriage to Tea Cake, a younger man, that becomes the central focus of the story. Janie experiences true love and a deep connection with Tea Cake. They face challenges and obstacles together, including a hurricane that tests their relationship and forces them to confront their vulnerabilities.

Through her relationship with Tea Cake, Janie gains a sense of empowerment, self-expression, and freedom. However, their happiness is short-lived as Tea Cake becomes ill and Janie is forced to make difficult decisions.

The novel explores themes of love, gender roles, racial identity, and the quest for personal fulfillment. It portrays the experiences of African-American women in the early 20th century, highlighting the struggles they faced in a society marked by racism and gender inequality.

Cast

Reception

Catering to Winfrey's expected TV audience, the film largely avoided the more controversial themes of race, gender, and power that Hurston explored in her novel. Karen Valby of Entertainment Weekly comments, "While the book chews on meaty questions of race and identity, the movie largely resigns itself to the realm of sudsy romance."[1] New York Times critic Virginia Heffernan said, "[T]he film is less a literary tribute than a visual fix of Harlequin Romance: Black Southern Series— all sensual soft-core scenes and contemporary, accessible language."[2]

Sharon L. Jones, an English professor at Wright State University, agreed that the film was quite different from the novel. She said that the novel emphasizes Janie's life journey with others who are part of her establishing an identity, and she is sometimes overpowered by them. Jones says the film leaves out many important concepts that help convey the central theme. She says that Harpo's production was thought to address a more general idea of love to reach a broad range of audience, believed to be the majority-white females of Winfrey's TV audience.[3]

Awards and nominations

Awarding body Award Nominee Result
American Cinema Editors Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Commercial Television Peter C. Frank Nominated
Austin Film Critics Association Breakthrough Artist Award Terrence Howard Won
Black Movie Awards Outstanding Television Movie Matthew Carlisle, Kate Forte, Quincy Jones and Oprah Winfrey Nominated
Black Reel Awards Best Television Miniseries or Movie Their Eyes Were Watching God Nominated
Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Michael Ealy Won
Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Halle Berry Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Ruben Santiago-Hudson Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Nicki Micheaux Nominated
Outstanding Director in a Miniseries or Movie Darnell Martin Nominated
Outstanding Screenplay in a Miniseries or Movie Suzan-Lori Parks, Misan Sagay and Bobby Smith, Jr. Nominated
Costume Designers Guild Outstanding Costume Design for Miniseries or Television Film Eduardo Castro Nominated
Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television Darnell Martin Nominated
Golden Globe Awards Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Halle Berry Nominated
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Television Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special Their Eyes Were Watching God Nominated
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special Michael Ealy Nominated
Ruben Santiago-Hudson Nominated
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special Halle Berry Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Nominated
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special Alan D'Angerio and Barbara Lorenz Nominated
Satellite Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made For Television Ruben Santiago-Hudson Nominated

References

  1. Valby, Karen (November 25, 2005). "Their Eyes Were Watching God [review]". Entertainment Weekly. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  2. Heffernan, Virginia (March 4, 2005). "A Woman on a Quest, via Hurston and Oprah". The New York Times. eISSN 1553-8095. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  3. Jones, Sharon Lynette (2009). Critical Companion to Zora Neale Hurston: A Literary Reference to Her Life and Work. Infobase Publishing. pp. 218ff. ISBN 978-0816068852. Retrieved October 14, 2021.

Bibliography

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