Their Eyes Were Watching God (film)
| Their Eyes Were Watching God | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Darnell Martin |
| Written by | Zora Neale Hurston (novel) Suzan-Lori Parks (teleplay) Misan Sagay (teleplay) Bobby Smith, Jr. (teleplay) |
| Produced by | Matthew Carlisle Quincy Jones Oprah Winfrey |
| Starring | Halle Berry Michael Ealy |
| Music by | Terence Blanchard |
| Distributed by | ABC Harpo Films Touchstone Television |
Release date |
|
Running time | 113 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Their Eyes Were Watching God is an American Broadcasting Company television movie aired on March 6, 2005 at 9 p.m. EDT based upon Zora Neale Hurston's 1937 novel of the same name. The film was directed by Darnell Martin and produced by Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions (Winfrey served as the host for the broadcast.) Its teleplay was by Suzan-Lori Parks, Misan Sagay, and Bobby Smith, Jr.
Reception
Sharon L. Jones, an English professor at Wright State University writes that the film bears no comparison to the novel. The novel emphasizes Janie's life journey of living with others who try to help to establish identity for her; therefore, she struggles to find such an identity. However, Jones says the film leaves out many important concepts that help convey the central theme. She says that it is believed that Harpo's production focused the movie on the general idea of love more to reach a broad range of audience since most of her viewers are white females.[1]
Virginia Heffernan of The New York Times comments on Halle Berry's performance as Janie. She states that out of all the actresses, Halle Berry excels at acting Janie's role. She pinpoints that the sexual scenes that Berry acts impacts viewers greatly to the point where they will definitely not forget the movie.[citation needed]
Ester Iverem, a journalist states that the movie stands out for its Black romance and sexuality. She also mentions the chemistry seen between Halle Berry and Michael Ealy. Their acting skills as each other's lover is what this movie stand out beyond its natural storyline. She furthers her thoughts by stating that the romance and sexuality seen in the movie are topics that compares to the romance and sexuality described in Hurston's novel.[citation needed]
Cast
- Halle Berry — Janie Crawford
- Michael Ealy — Tea Cake
- Ruben Santiago-Hudson — Joe Starks
- Nicki Micheaux — Phoebe Watson
- Lorraine Toussaint — Pearl Stone
- Ruby Dee — Nanny
- Terrence Howard — Amos Hicks
- Gabriel Casseus — Sam Watson
- Artel Kayàru — Motor Boat
- Jensen Atwood — Johnny Taylor
- Kevin Daniels — Liege Moss
- Wayne Duvall — Dr. Gordon
- Mel Winkler — Logan Killicks
- Maura Gale — Lula Moss
Awards and nominations
| Awarding Body | Award | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Satellite Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made For Television | Ruben Santiago-Hudson | nomination |
| Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a TV Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | Michael Ealy, Ruben Santiago-Hudson | nomination |
| Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | Halle Berry | nomination | |
| Outstanding TV Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | nomination | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made For Television | Halle Berry | nomination |
| Emmy Awards | Outstanding Hairstyling for a Mini-Series, Movie or a Special | Alan D'Angerio, Barbara Lorenz | nomination |
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Mini-Series or Movie | Halle Berry | nomination | |
| DGA Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television | Darnell Martin | nomination |
| CDG Awards | Outstanding Costume Design for Television Movie/Mini-Series | Eduardo Castro | nomination |
| Black Reel Awards | Best Actor - Television | Michael Ealy | winner |
| Best Actress - Television | Halle Berry | nomination | |
| Best Director - Television | Darnell Martin | nomination | |
| Best Film - Television | nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted - Television | Suzan-Lori Parks, Misan Sagay, Bobby Smith Jr | nomination | |
| Best Supporting Actor - Television | Ruben Santiago-Hudson | nomination | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Nicky Micheaux | nomination | |
| Black Movie Awards | Outstanding Television Movie | Kate Forte, Quincy Jones, Oprah Winfrey, Matthew Carlisle | nomination |
| Austin Film Critics Association | Breakthrough Artist Award | Terrence Howard | winner |
| American Cinema Editors, USA | Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Commercial Television | Peter C. Frank | nomination |
References
- ^ Jones, Sharon Lynette (2009). Critical Companion to Zora Neale Hurston: A Literary Reference to Her Life and Work. Infobase Publishing. pp. 218–. ISBN 0816068852. Retrieved Nov 2013.
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1. Cotton, Trystan T. and Kimberly Springer. Stories of Oprah. Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi Jackson, 2010. Print.
2. Felder, Deborah G. A Bookshelf of Our Own. New York, NY: Kensington Publishing Corp., 2005. Print.
3. Heffernan, Virginia. "NY Times Review: Their Eyes Were Watching God | Interversity.Org." Interversity.Org | A Bureaucracy-Free Zone. 4 March 2005. Web. 13 February 2011. <http://www.interversity.org/commentary/tewwg_review>.
4. Iverem, Esther. "Reviews of “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” “Born into Brothels” and Spike Lee’s “Sucker-Free City” Plus, in Brief, “Hitch” and “Diary of a Mad Black Woman”." Seeing Black. 4 March 2005. Web. 13 February 2011. <http://www.seeingblack.com/2005/x030405/eyes_movies.shtml>.