The plot of "Their Eyes Were Watching God" revolves around the life of Janie Crawford, an African-American woman living in the early 20th century.

It portrays the experiences of African-American women in the early 20th century, highlighting the struggles they faced in a society marked by racism and gender inequality.

[1] Catering to Winfrey's expected TV audience, the film largely avoided the more controversial themes of race, gender, and power that Hurston explored in her novel.

Karen Valby of Entertainment Weekly comments, "While the book chews on meaty questions of race and identity, the movie largely resigns itself to the realm of sudsy romance.

"[2] New York Times critic Virginia Heffernan said, "[T]he film is less a literary tribute than a visual fix of Harlequin Romance: Black Southern Series— all sensual soft-core scenes and contemporary, accessible language.