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Halle Berry, Michael Ealy, Ruby Dee, Terrence Howard, Ruben Santiago-Hudson ... see more see more... , Lorraine Toussaint , Nicki Micheaux , Suzan-Lori Parks

Originally telecast March 6, 2005, by ABC, this "Oprah Book Club" TV movie is adapted from Zora Neale Hurston's novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, a certified classic of African-American literature. ... read more read more...Covering the first 30 years of the 20th century, the film is set in Eatonville, FL, a largely black community and the home of free-spirited Janie Crawford (Halle Berry). Forced into marriage with a much older and much wealthier man at age 16, Janie endures both this unhappy union and a second equally dismal marriage, trapped not only by the bonds of matrimony but also by the rigid patriarchal society of the period. Her only happiness is manifested in her ongoing illicit romance with a younger, none too reliable gent known as Tea Cake (Michael Ealy) -- much to the shock and dismay of her very proper neighbors. Devotees of the original novel expressed displeasure over the film's sketchy portrayal of the protagonist, a multidimensional character reduced to an impulsive hedonist for the purposes of the screenplay (though Halle Berry's towering performance more than compensates for the weaknesses of the scripts). More than that, the fans of the Hurston original bemoaned the loss of the novel's pronounced racial content, which harshly criticized the caste system within the Southern black community of the early 20th century, whereby a light-skinned woman was regarded as "superior," and thus more desirable, than her darker-skinned sisters. No one, however, could find fault with performance of the great Ruby Dee as Nanny, nor the film's lush production trappings. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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79% liked it

7,129 ratings

Unrated, 1 hr. 53 min.

Directed by: Darnell Martin

Release Date: March 6, 2005

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DVD Release Date: November 29, 2005

Stats: 468 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (468)

  • RemiLogan
    April 25, 2009
    RemiLogan
    Never read the book before you watch the movie, because you'll always feel the movie adaptation sucks
  • ileo
    December 15, 2007
    ileo
    A beautiful movie! Love it!!
  • macabrescribe
    August 7, 2009
    macabrescribe
    This movie was a poor adaptation of a poor book. With the exception of Halle Berry, the acting was pretty bad. The attempt at make-up wasn't good either. People appear the same from decade to decade.
  • blkbttrfly72
    May 26, 2009
    blkbttrfly72
    This movie gave vision to the viewers, it depicted the book which was written by Zora Neal Hurston, to a tee.
  • wolfwatcher44
    December 22, 2008
    wolfwatcher44
    While I'm not too crazy about romance movies that aren't combined with another genre this movie was watchable. Janie's journey to find true love (and how she found some not-so-true love along the way) seemed very realistic and is similar to what alot of people go through in moder... read moren day. It started out a little slow but if you're into this sort of thing you can really get drawn into the emotion of the story by the end of the movie.
  • kalh7338
    December 4, 2008
    kalh7338
    Loved the movie. Still have to read the book. It feels like a true story although its not. A movie about a bright spirit. I recommend it.
  • WrellikW
    July 25, 2008
    WrellikW
    This movie was not good! Oprah talked at the beginning of this movie, saying that it's her favorite and it's the best; well, it sucked! It had good actors and good actresses, but piss-poor performances. It's right out of any romance novel, put to film and that is as good as it... read more is. It's about a black lady that leaves her husband to run away with another guy, then he dies and she then runs away with another guy and all they do is suck on each other; it sucks!!! I would rather catch Malaria than watch this film again!
  • gennyrlongboat
    June 27, 2008
    gennyrlongboat
    I absolutley love this movie it makes me laugh and cry this is a great work by all involved especially Halley Berry...Bravo!!!
  • hiltoncrossley
    February 14, 2008
    hiltoncrossley
    Halle Berry stars in this version of Zora Neale Hurston's novel, adapted for television and produced by Oprah Winfrey. The story centers on Janie Crawford (Berry), a free-spirited woman who lives her ...
  • RightEye
    November 27, 2007
    RightEye
    This was pretty good, I'll be the first to admit that it confused me a bit, but overall a good rental

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Their Eyes Were Watching God Trivia

  • What was the charters real name that Michael Ealy played in Their Eyes Were Watching God?  Answer »
  • What actor stared in: Their Eyes Were Watching God Get Rich Or Die Trying Hustle And Flow  Answer »
  • Who said:"if you can get a kiss like that you can die a happy women."and which movie is she speaking of?  Answer »
  • In what movie is there a character named Teacake? (Hint: Halle Berry is the main character in the movie)  Answer »
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