Book club favorite THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES more than just survives its transition to the screen. Thanks to its strong cast, this female-centric drama thrives. Dakota Fanning stars as Lily, a 14-year-old girl living with her abusive father (Paul Bettany) in South Carolina in 1964. Lily struggles with a burden of guilt after she accidentally killed her mother a decade before, and she longs for knowledge of the woman. When the family's caretaker Rosaleen (Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson) is arrested after standing up to a group of violent white men, Lily seizes the opportunity to run off with Rosaleen and search for clues to her mother's life. They arrive at the home of the Boatwrights, a trio of black sisters. Motherly August (Queen Latifah) cultivates the state's most coveted honey, June (Alicia Keys) focuses on her music and on rebuffing the advances of an ardent suitor (Nate Parker), and childlike May (Sophie Okonedo) struggles to stay happy in the turbulent time. But in a still-racist world where the Civil Rights Act has just been passed, the Boatwrights' home acts as a haven for Lily as she searches for information about her mother's past.
The heavy drama could've presented a challenge for Fanning, who has gone beyond the role of a little girl, but she does a fine job. The other actresses in the film, especially Latifah and Okonedo, shine without overpowering the other performances. Bettany departs from his usual charming roles and melts into the difficult part of Lily's violent father. In the spirit of past favorites such as THE COLOR PURPLE and CORRINA, CORRINA, THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES presents a gripping look at the South in the 1960s with a nice balance of laughter and tears.
Blu-ray Disc Features:
Note: This Release Features Both the Theatrical Feature Film and Directors Extended Cut of THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES
Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.35
Audio:
Dolby Surround 5.1 - English, Spanish
DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 - English
Subtitles - English, French, Spanish - Optional
Additional Release Material:
Deleted Scenes (8)
Featurette:
1. "Adaptation: Bringing THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES to the Big Screen"
2. "The Women and Men of THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES"
3. "Inside the Pink House with Sue Monk Kidd"
4. "A Day In The Life"
5. "The World Premiere"
Audio Commentary:
1. Director/Writer Gina Prince-Bythewood, Producer Lauren Shuler Donner, Actors Dakota Fanning and Queen Latifah
2. Director/Writer Gina Prince-Bythewood and Editor Terilyn Shropshire
Trailers:
1. Forced Trailers: Anti smoking PSA, NOTORIOUS, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, BOTTLE SHOCK, GOSPEL HILL
2. Trailer Farm: NOBEL SON, THE LIST, AUSTRALIA, MAMMA I WANT TO SING
Distributor Notes: Queen Latifah and Dakota Fanning head a stellar ensemble cast in this "wonderful film about family, independence and the transcendent power of love" (Minneapolis Star Tribune) based on the acclaimed best-selling novel. To escape her cruel, angry father - and discover the truth about her late mother's past - 14-year old Lily Owens flees with her caregiver and friend Rosaleen to a South Carolina town where she's taken in by the bee-keeping Boatwright sisters. Surrounded by the unexpected love, grace and spirituality she encounters there, Lily forms a bond with each of these uniquely gifted women and discovers that sometimes you must leave home in order to find it.
Source: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Director of Photography
Rogier Stoffers:
Executive Producer
Jada Pinkett Smith: BAMBOOZLED
Music Supervisor
Linda Cohen: Music, GIGANTIC: A TALE OF TWO JOHNS (2003)
Source Writer
Sue Monk Kidd: Novelist
Production Designer
Warren Alan Young: Production Designer, WAIST DEEP (2006)
Review 1:
"The ensemble cast is the film's strongest asset....Those who were moved by the book are likely to find this adaptation affecting and emotionally satisfying."
Source: USA Today
10/17/2008
Review 2:
"One of the pleasures of the film is that the themes don't hit you over the head....There are some deeply emotional moments..."
Source: Premiere
10/24/2008
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