Their Eyes Were Watching God: Movie Version

By Gigi Mack

Study Guide compares the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston to the movie version Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005) starring Halle Berry. The film leaves out some characters and parts of the plot, but is a solid representation of the novel. Some dialogue is directly from the novel. Halle Berry is a perfect choice to portray the main character Janie.

- A Teacher Time-Saver - Perfect For CCSS - Distance Learning or Homeschooling -

The Common Core Standards call for comparing the novel text to a different version, especially a film version. Movie Version study guides provide reliable information about the comparison to know if student responses are accurate. Movie Version study guides compare the movie of a book to the book itself.  The study guides cover both the plot and characters in the movie and the book.

Each study guide contains:
The Movie:  A scene-by-scene comparison with chapters in the book, including errors and omissions in the movie.
The Book:  Complete chapter-by-chapter summaries of the book.
How Accurate is the Movie?  Each study guide rates the movie's accuracy according to Plot, Characters, Setting, Structure, Symbols, and Theme and reveals what's in the movie that's NOT in the book and what's in the book that's NOT in the movie.

Digitally download the movie version study guide today to find out how the movie is not like the book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: MovieVersion.com LLC
• Release date: Apr 29, 2024
• ISBN: 9781937714307

Book preview

THE MOVIE VERSION OF THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD IS NOT LIKE THE BOOK by Zora Neale Hurston

RECOMMENDED MOVIE: Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005) starring Halle Berry. The film leaves out some characters and parts of the plot, but is a solid representation of the novel. Some dialogue is directly from the novel. Halle Berry is a perfect choice to portray the main character Janie.

HOW ACCURATE IS THE MOVIE VERSION OF THE BOOK?

WHAT’S IN THE BOOK THAT’S NOT IN THE MOVIE?

The Washburn family, Alphabet, Nanny’s life as a runaway slave, Leafy, the yellow mule dragging-out, root doctor, poison rumor, Who Flung, Tea Cake’s guitar, blue satin dress, Tea Cake’s party, Nunkie’s flirtation, Mrs. Turner, Mrs. Turner’s brother, the destruction of Turner’s restaurant, Tea Cake’s gambling, the cow, Tea Cake’s burial of the dead in Palm Beach, Janie’s arrest and trial, Tea Cake’s funeral, seed packet, Lige, Walter Stone, Sop-de-Bottom, Bootyny, Stew Beef, Dockery, Sterett, and Coodemay .

WHAT’S IN THE MOVIE THAT’S NOT IN THE BOOK?

Janie’s floating in the water, pigs, monogrammed handkerchief, Hezekiah’s gossiping, Janie’s piano lesson, Tea Cake’s denim jacket, Tea Cake’s harmonica.

WHAT’S THE SAME?

Nanny, pear tree, Logan Killicks, Joe Starks’s business success, head rags, the lamp-lighting ceremony, Janie and Tea Cake’s romance, life on the muck, Seminole Indians, the hurricane, dog bite, death scene.

THE MOVIE: SUMMARY

The following is a scene-by-scene comparison of the movie to the corresponding chapters in the book.

THE MOVIE: CHAPTER 1

At sunset, neighbors in Eatonville, Florida sit on their porches gossiping about Janie, an attractive widow walking toward them. (ACCURATE) The neighbors are unaware that Janie has survived a hurricane and is returning from burying the dead. (ACCURATE) The neighbors wonder why she is wearing muddy overalls. (ACCURATE) They wonder what she will do with the money the old man (her second husband Joe Starks) left her. (ACCURATE) They wonder what happened to the young man named Tea Cake who used to be her sweetheart. (ACCURATE) When Janie reaches the porches she says, Afternoon ladies, and walks directly to the gate of her house. (ACCURATE, but in the book Janie says, Good evenin’.)

After Janie enters her house, the women on the porches continue to gossip and criticize Janie for not stopping to chat with them. (ACCURATE) They wonder if she will get back together with her young boyfriend Tea Cake. (ACCURATE) One of the women tells someone to go get Janie’s best friend Pheoby Watson. (ERROR: In the book Pheoby is on the porch and is the only woman who defends her friend Janie)

As Janie enters her house, she picks a rose. (ERROR: Not in the book) Once inside, Janie sits at the piano and plays. (ERROR: Not in the book) She looks at the photograph of her husband Joe and her. (ERROR: Not in the book)

Pheoby finds Janie in her house washing the mud off her feet. (ACCURATE, but in the book Janie is on her back steps) Janie hasn’t eaten all day and is grateful for the food Pheoby brings to her. (ACCURATE) Pheoby says she covered up all the furniture for Janie to keep the dust off. (ERROR: Not in the book) Pheoby begins to criticize Tea Cake, saying it was a mistake for Janie to take up with him. (ERROR: Not in the book) Janie says Tea Cake is dead. (ACCURATE) She got used to wearing overalls in the Everglades. (ACCURATE) Janie begins to tell Pheoby where she has been for the past year and a half. (ACCURATE)

OMISSIONS: The neighbors wonder why Janie has changed from the blue satin dress she wore when she left town. Pheoby excuses herself from the gossips on their porches, saying she is going to take Janie some supper.

THE MOVIE: CHAPTER 2

A flashback begins. (ACCURATE) Janie never knew her parents. (ACCURATE) She was raised by her grandmother, Nanny. (ACCURATE)

One afternoon in the springtime when Janie is sixteen, she is in the front yard watching the bees in a flowering pear tree. (ACCURATE) She sees a boy named Johnny Taylor coming down the road and goes to the gate to talk to him. (ACCURATE) Johnny kisses Janie at the front gate. (ACCURATE) Nanny scolds Janie for kissing Johnny and tells her it is time she got married. (ACCURATE) Nanny has already made a