Can I tell you a secret? This movie is *really* good. Grab Nana and go see it!
The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:134
Fresh:78
Rotten:56
Average Rating:5.9/10
Consensus: The Secret Life of Bees has moments of charm, but is largely too maudlin and sticky-sweet.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for thematic material and some violence.
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Oct 17, 2008 Wide
Box Office: $37,665,012
Synopsis: THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES, based on the New York Times best selling novel and set in South Carolina in 1964, is the moving tale of Lily Owens (Fanning) a 14 year-old girl who is haunted by the memory... THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES, based on the New York Times best selling novel and set in South Carolina in 1964, is the moving tale of Lily Owens (Fanning) a 14 year-old girl who is haunted by the memory of her late mother (Burton). To escape her lonely life and troubled relationship with her father (Bettany), Lily flees with Rosaleen (Hudson), her caregiver and only friend, to a South Carolina town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by the intelligent and independent Boatwright sisters (Latifah, Okonedo and Keys), Lily finds solace in their mesmerizing world of beekeeping. [More]
Starring: Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys
Starring: Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo, Nate Parker, Tristan Wilds, Hilarie Burton, Paul Bettany
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Screenwriter: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Producer: Lauren Shuler Donner, Will Smith, James Lassiter, Joe Pichirallo
Composer: Mark Isham
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
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Release:
Feb 3, 2009
Reviews for The Secret Life of Bees
Bees is almost too sweet, but with enduring enough performances to make a solid movie.
(...) Hay un mérito atendible en la directora y es evitar caer en la sensiblería barata que el asunto arriesgaba.
The story is a gentle depiction of harsh times that works best as a coming-of-age parable, not so well as a historical drama.
Once again, Dakota Fanning demonstrates that, even as a teenager, she already has the acting skills and range equal to -- if not better than -- her A-list contemporaries.
Glossy yet ultimately shallow, this platitudinous, unconvincing drama makes The Colour Purple look like Mississippi Burning.
On most levels the film, which has a surprising number of unconvincing details, takes the sugary option; it shies away from the harsher realities whenever possible.
A dense story about a little girl and the impact her mother's death has on her makes terrific cinema in this beautifully realised film
The Secret Life of Bees features another buzz-worthy turn by Dakota Fanning.
The source material remains affecting and the cast work hard to add dimension to a lacklustre screenplay. But sadly, it adds up to less than the sum of its parts.
There’s a purity, clarity and honesty to this feminist heart-warmer’s melodramatic instincts that make it surprisingly moving and satisfying.
Fanning and Latifah form the proficient core of this reliable if humdrum American period drama.
Tragedies strike and life lessons are learnt, homespun wisdom is dispensed. It’s simplistic to the point of total idiocy.
It's generous-minded, and though it labours awkwardly to move you, that doesn't mean you won't be moved.
From the producer of X-Men… comes the dullest, gooiest chick-flick of the year.
It’ll be way too cloying for most – but the, ahem, bee’s knees for sugar fiends. Probably best enjoyed with a glass of Chardonnay and your cynicism on hold.
The whole thing is coated in a golden hue, as though the lens has been dunked in syrup. Males - or females with a horror of smug, sugary sentiment - should run a mile.
Idyllic tale despite the back story of racial tension and family abuse. Fanning holds her own in a great cast with Okonedo and Paul Bettany as an unbalanced father in fine form.
Latest News for The Secret Life of Bees
January 08, 2009:
Broadcast Film Critics Name Critics' Choice Winners
The 14th Annual Critics' Choice Awards were given on January 8, 2009, to honor the finest achievements in 2008 filmmaking. A list of nominees follows below, with winners in bold: More...
January 08, 2009:
Dark Knight Sweeps People's Choice Awards ![]()
"The Dark Knight" cleaned up at the 35th annual People's Choice Awards, taking home hardware for favorite movie, action movie, cast, superhero, and onscreen matchup. More...
December 05, 2008:
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December 05, 2008:
Female Directors Challenge Status Quo ![]()
Hollywood directors have always been a bit of a boys' club, but as the $70 million opening of Catherine Hardwicke's "Twilight" attests, that's slowly changing. More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| 19% 19% | Transformers: Revenge … |
| 55% 55% | Orphan |
| 43% 43% | The Proposal |
| 26% 26% | Land of the Lost |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 88% 88% | Ballast |
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