Oct 18 2008
There’s A Lot of Buzz About “The Secret Life of Bees”
by Terry Marsh
Even the most simple of activities can produce profound statements about life.
That seems to be the underlying statement in the new film,”The Secret Life of Bees “. It is a sweet coming of age story centered around the Lily Owens, a young girl who runs away from a horrible life with her father after the accidental death of her mother. She ends up on a bee farm in South Carolina in the care of three sisters, who’ve carved a life for themselves despite being strong black women in the deep south during the Civil Rights Era .
The movie is based on the novel by Sue Monk Kidd , and is beautifully acted by an all-star cast who one might think might be the billing for a performance of music industry diva’s if it weren’t for Dakota Fanning , who stars as Lily.
Though the movie just hit the box office on Friday, it’s already generating oscar buzz after a successful run at the Toronto International Film Festival.
“The Secret Life of Bees” is directed by Gina Prince-Blythewood , who seems at her best when dealing with coming of age stories. She also directed one of my favorite films, “Love and Basketball “, which is also focuses on the growth and maturation of a young woman.
Queen Latifah , Alicia Keys , Sophie Okonedo , star as the Boatwright sisters, who own the farm, and who earn their living by selling the honey that the bees produce. Jennifer Hudson plays Rosaleen Daise, a woman who becomes a mother figure for Fanning’s character while working on the peach farm owned by T. Ray Owens, Lily’s father.
The film also stars Nate Parker , who did a wonderful job in the Denzel Washington segregation era movie, “The Great Debaters”, and is quickly growing in stature as a respectable young actor.
Prince-Blythewood does a great job of storytelling in “Bees”. Her characters tug at the emotions, and the entire film becomes a tablet for life lessons as Lily feels her way through dealing with her past experiences and growing into a woman who simply just “feels”.
Don’t be surprised if this film garners several award nominations.
