The Secret Life of Bees | Christian Toto reviews, DVD, Drama, Family | DONNE TEMPO
The Secret Life of Bees
"Bees" offers a poignant reminder of just how far race relations in the U.S. have come over the past 40-plus years. Set in 1964, the film stars Fanning as Lily, a young white teen who goes to live with a black woman named August (Queen Latifah), a rare person of color who ran her own successful business in the deeply segregated South.
August and her family give Lily a home after her own is shattered by tragedy. Lily accidentally shot her mother years ago, leaving her with her abusive father (an almost unrecognizable Paul Bettany).
Lily eventually leaves home and takes Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson), one of the black woman who works with Lily's father, with her. They end up in the home of August Boatwright, a honey entrepreneur with a heart as big as her extended family.
But can Lily come to grips with the horrors in her past, or will they, and her enraged father, catch up with her?
"Bees" delivers a wealth of narrative threads, nearly all of which are well worth following. The black women here are strong, cultured and eager to embrace their newly acquired civil rights. But that doesn't mean all Americans are eager to give up their bigoted ways.
While "Bees" touches on the era's racism, the story doesn't get bogged down with the awful details. The bigotry is a backdrop for a colorful saga about the family ties that bind us down, and the ones we forget to set us free.
The goods: Let's start with Fanning, who's such a strong, intuitive actress you keep forgetting she's still a teen, still learning her craft. Queen Latifah radiates gravitas, but she can also turn from matriarchal to maternal within seconds. "Bees" does suffer some mawkish moments, particularly when the characters start spewing lines that sound more like life lesson tips than genuine banter. And Hudson's character isn't developed as well as it might have been. But Alicia Keys makes a confident film debut as the combustible June and Sophie Okonedo is outstanding as the child-like May.
The mandatory extras: Plenty, including commentary from cast and crew, an insightful tour of the film set by author Sue Monk Kidd, footage of the movie's world premiere and a step-by-step account of how the book became a major motion picture. The disc also includes deleted scenes and an extended director's cut as well as the theatrical version.
Above and beyond: "The Secret Life of Bees" might be too complicated a story for younger viewers to grasp, but it's ideal viewing for parents and teens ready to tackle a tough but rewarding story that will spark any number of rich discussions.
— Christian Toto
