Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005) (TV)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Darnell Martin

Writers (WGA):

Zora Neale Hurston (novel)
Suzan-Lori Parks (teleplay) ...

Release Date:

6 March 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

A drama set in the 1920s, where free-spirited Janie Crawford's search for happiness leads her through several different marriages, challenging the morals of her small town. Based on the novel by Zora Neale Hurston.

Plot Keywords:

1920s | Small Town | Marriage | Public Humiliation | Black Woman

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Halle Berry	...	Janie Starks
Ruben Santiago-Hudson	...	Joe Starks
Michael Ealy	...	Tea Cake
Nicki Micheaux	...	Phoebe Watson
Lorraine Toussaint	...	Pearl Stone
Ruby Dee	...	Nanny
Terrence Howard	...	Amos Hicks (as Terrence Dashon Howard)
Gabriel Casseus	...	Sam Watson
Artel Great	...	Motor Boat (as Artel Kayàru)
Kevin Daniels	...	Liege Moss
Henry Brown	...	Walter Stone
Wayne Duvall	...	Dr. Gordon
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jensen Atwood	...	Johnny Taylor
Ariana Auza	...	Seminole Indian
Aldo Ceceña	...	Seminole Indian Flute Player
Taji Coleman	...	Daisy Blunt
Matthew Dickens	...	Principal Dancer
Ricky Fante	...	Singer
Charles Hailey	...	Man Passing in car
Andre James	...	Field Worker
Veryl Jones	...	Sop De Botton
Lisa Michelle Lovelace	...	Nunkie (as Lisa Lovelace)
Sean Nelson	...	Hezekiah
Steven Sebastian Price	...	Brawny Man / Singer
Lisa Ruffin	...	Principal Dancer
Taja V. Simpson	...	Wife of New Family
J.R. Starr	...	Pastor, Thompson
Rhonda Stubbins White	...	Annie Tyler
Mark Anthony Williams	...	Frank Tyler
Raymond T. Williams	...	Gigolo

Also Known As:

Oprah Winfrey Presents Their Eyes Were Watching God (Australia) (DVD box title)

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Golden Oak Ranch - 19802 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall, California, USA

Company:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Quotes:

Janie Starks: There's two things everybody got to find out for theyselves. They got to find out about love, and they got to find out about living. Now, love is like the sea. It's a moving thing. And it's different on every shore. And living.....well, I just come back from burying the dead.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2006) (TV)

who to blame?

There are many themes in the novel and I think that the film captured the most important. I am almost certain that this is not all that was filmed. Oprah, only produced the film, she had no hand in directing or editing. There is a discrepancy about what the major theme of the novel is (we can argue about that for years). That is not the point. The point is, a film can only get but so close to the book. The movie was not called "Zora Neale Hurston's: Their Eyes Were Watching God", it was only based on the novel. When filming, it is not the director's priority to make sure that they are within their time constraint, that is the editor's concern. I am certain that the copy before editing was great. Just think about how long they had been filming! However, they only had a 2 1/2 slot with commercials, there is no way they can do the book any justice in that time. If it was a miniseries, despite all of the acting flaws many of you brought up, it would have been much better. Before we criticize how bad the film was, think about the timing, and scenes that may have been sacrificed just to get on TV. I am pretty sure that they wanted to make Ms. Hurston, proud, but in the film industry there are so many internal conflicts and setbacks that us viewers never see or know about. Who is to blame?