A lovely film about a girl who lost her mother during a racially oppressive climate, The Secret Life Of Bees is a wonderful display of how love can come from all of the mothers around you, even in the most trying times.
Movies based on books usually have me wanting to read the book first. Books are usually better and include all of the nuances that are almost impossible to show on film, but movies can do a great job as well. Particularly if you never knew that the book existed (as is the case here for me).
The Secret Life Of Bees is about Lily, a 14-year old white teen who lost her mother in a tragic accident when she was 4 and now lives with her harsh and abusive father. She is also taken care of by her housemaid, Rosaleen, who is black. It is 1964 in South Carolina and civil rights issues are being argued about daily. When Rosaleen stands up for herself and gets beaten, arrested, and taken to a hospital, Lily breaks her out and the two go on a journey to a town Lily’s mother wrote on a photo long ago. There she meets a beekeeper and honey producer, August, and both she and Rosaleen begin to earn their keep.
This is one of those movies that kept me interested the entire time. Although the subject-matter can be painful to watch, there is a serene quality to the film. There is a peacefulness emanating from August and her two sisters (Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, and Sophie Okonedo) that Lily and Rosaleen (Dakota Fanning and Jennifer Hudson) crave and have never been exposed to before. You are just as taken as they are with the feeling and want to know more about it.
It is also incredibly interesting to see Paul Bettany play a rough role. As Lily’s dad, who is unkind, desperate, and likely has a complicated history, I’ve never seen him in this light before (we’re not going to count Silas from The Da Vinci Code here – he’s not really a villain). Bettany does a great job (as always) and adds a little bit of depth. You don’t like him, but you do wonder about him. He is not a “bad guy” cardboard cutout.
I assume that the book delves more deeply into the racial tensions of the 60s, but the movie touches on them well enough. When everyone is left alone at August’s house, the world is a peaceful and beautiful place. Lily and Rosaleen find solace and love. But when anyone else enters the picture or they leave the property, they have to face the hatred and awfulness of the time.
Another thing that is touched on, which I have only heard addressed in The Help, is the relationships between white children and their black nannies. As much as it might appear that the two love each other, and they likely did, it is an extremely complicated relationship, particularly as that child grows up. These women went from caretakers of babies to being someone the growing children ordered around and had expectations of. History will continue this conversation, but I was very pleased to hear it discussed here.
This is an incredibly enjoyable film with great actors and an intriguing story. It is not about one thing, but many things that all come together in the end. It’s a good one.
Runtime: 114 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: PG-13
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Available: To rent on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
Movies based on books usually have me wanting to read the book first. Books are usually better and include all of the nuances that are almost impossible to show on film, but movies can do a great job as well. Particularly if you never knew that the book existed (as is the case here for me).
