Their Eyes Were Watching God Trivia Quiz

Answer: love and living

The movie opens with Janie, played by Halle Berry, returning to Eatonville after losing the only man who ever really loved her.

Answer: 1906

Janie and her 'husband' Joe Starks arrive in Eatonville in 1907, a year after its charter. Several years later we see Joe showing everyone that they'd finally been incorporated into the state.

Answer: Johnny Taylor

Janie was raised by her grandmother. When the old woman saw Janie leisurely kissing Johnny by the side of the road, she arranged a marriage to an old farmer name Logan. Logan was Janie's first husband, but we never hear of her ending that marriage officially.

Answer: buy a plow

The old farmer had refused Janie's request to accompany him into the town to buy the plow. He set her on several tasks to do while he was away, including making him chops for dinner. Instead of killing a pig to make chops, Janie set them all free and met Joe Starks in the process. Joe was so taken by Janie, despite her filthy appearance, that he encouraged her to leave the farm and join him to Eatonville.

Answer: False

She said this to Joe when she first met him. Amos was already living in Eatonville when she and Joe arrived there. He nursed a 20 year crush on Janie while she lived there as Mrs. Mayor Starks.

Answer: 50

It was a generous gift to the people living on the land, but when they arrived it wasn't exactly what the Starks expected. Joe introduced Janie as his wife when they arrived, and she acted as such, but I am sure she was legally married to farmer Logan. Later, Joe acted as their liaison and bought much more land.

He became and stayed the town's mayor for 20 years. This ended up ruining his relationship with Janie.

Answer: Starks General Store and Post Office

Janie and Joe ran the business, and Joe sat as town mayor. The town regulars spent countless hours gossiping and player checkers in the entrance way of the store. The name of the store is seen many times in the movie.

Answer: Amos touched her hair

Janie wore her long curls loose and she dressed very comfortably. One day she was talking to the checker players, Amos among them, having fun and laughing. Then, Joe witnessed Amos lightly touching her hair. Janie did not even feel him do it, and he meant no harm, but Joe insisted she turn herself into a proper mayor's wife. So, she concealed her hair and dressed herself down for the next 20 years.

Answer: inside me

Janie tried her best to make peace with Joe before he passed away. She wanted to tell him she was sorry for her part in their estrangement and that she had tried to love him all the while. He would have none of it. He wouldn't hear her viewpoint or make peace with her. She said, after he died, "Sittin' in that rulin' chair was hard for you too."

Answer: Yes

Joe stayed bitter to the very end. But, despite the changes in Joe over the years he still had a huge turnout for his funeral. Janie stopped being the repressed Mrs. Mayor Starks immediately. Her hair came back down, lovely and free, and she danced and laughed again. She did not miss Joe and was glad their marriage was over at last.

Answer: He kissed her

Tea Cake and Janie connected instantly. They had a special instant ease with each other that doesn't happen often in a lifetime. It did not hurt at all, of course, that Tea Cake was easy on the eyes!

Answer: Virgil

He told Janie is real name right off, but he also explained that everyone called him Tea Cake. The beautiful Michael Ealy played Tea Cake. Michael can also be seen in the movies "Bad Company", "Kissing Jessica Stein", "2 Fast 2 Furious", and both "Barbershop" films.

Answer: he has blue eyes

Micheal Ealy, born Michael Brown, was born August 1973 and is very blue eyed. He is a handsome man and his intense blue eyes are extremely compelling. Tea Cake was either 26 or 27 when he met Janie, was American, and fell in love with Janie. He took her money once, but was trying to prove to her he could make money.

After he lost all of it, he explained if they were going to stay together they could never use another dime of the money left from her marriage to Joe. They agreed to earn their money and live off what life that would bring.

They spent a short time very happy living that way.

Answer: Janie shot him

This seen was excruciating to watch. After finally finding a real man to love her, Janie had to kill Tea Cake in order to save her own life. The two had been caught in a hurricane that caused Lake Okeechobee (know as the "liquid heart" of South Florida) to flood their little migrant farmer town. Tea Cake almost drowned in the flood, and he was bitten by a rabid German Shepard. But, it was the madness caused by rabies that had him paranoid enough to point a hand gun at Janie.

She had taken all but 2 bullets from the gun in between his bathroom visits, but he came back too soon to get them all.

When he'd finally gone so mad he did not really know her, and could barely even see her anymore, he started firing the gun at her. She knew after each shot she was getting closer to death herself. So, finally she had no choice but to use a shotgun on him to save herself.

He was never going to survive the rabies, as it was not discovered in time to be treated, but it killed her to do it. She wailed in grief afterward and it tore my heart out. Halle deserves an Emmy for that, and Michael does as well.

Answer: Phoebe

The talented Nicki Micheaux played Janie's long time friend and Eatonville resident Phoebe. Nicki was a guest star on "Six Feet Under" and played Keith's drug addicted sister Karla. She was also seen on the FX hit series "The Shield" and the Showtime series "Soul Food". After hearing Janie's story, Phoebe said she was going make her husband Sam take her fishing.
Janie: "Love is a movin' thang, an' different on every shore."