Directed by: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Written by: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Starring: Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo
Rating: [2.5/5]
Atoning for the sins of one’s past remains an age-old question whole religious institutions try to answer knowing the damage done and how to possibly rectify it. This becomes a large question for adults but when put on the shoulders of a little girl, it makes for something exploratory and even more heartbreaking. The Secret Life of Bees dives into this with a story about these women and girls as they operate in a world where violence seeks to meet them.
Running away from home after dealing with the abusive actions of her father, Lily (Dakota Fanning) makes her way to a bee farm along with Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson). There they meet three sisters who run this farm and make a living for themselves August (Queen Latifah), June (Alicia Keys), and May (Sophie Okonedo).
Running away from one’s problems elicits a genuine primal reaction from individuals as it comes as part of the dichotomy of fight or flight. With someone as small as Lily having to take on someone like her father, flight proved to be the right decision. Dealing with the burden of what occurred in her family home, the weight of this on such a small girl amongst the happiness existent in the Boatwright home creates what this story tries to achieve stemming from its novel origins. With it comes this balancing act where sweetness tries its best to emanate through all of the darker elements. While the film does not handle it all well in the most seamless manner, what results in the conclusion proves to be somewhat worthwhile.
Even with this feature celebrating the achievements of these women and having its origins from a novel, having this story told from the perspective of Lily when the far more interesting characters prove to be the Black women raises some eyebrows. Sure, it remains her story but she merely serves as the conduit for what gets told when you have the Boatwright sisters and Roseleen providing the true power this film has to offer. I point this out because this happens far too often in fictional storytelling and shows some of the trappings of the plot this feature falls into when discussing the racial elements of the story.
With that being said, a distinct warmness exists in this feature in the way it shows how these women and girls operate and succeed in this world. Not only with the ever-existent sexism but also the apparent racism occurring with this feature making it clear it takes place shortly after the signing of the Civil Rights Act. As much as this feature shows those blood-boiling moments of racism running unchecked, this brimming positivity and love coming from all of the individuals in that house get at the poignancy this feature seeks to deliver and hopefully make one cry. They handle the tragedy together as well as the positive moments in the way they support each other.
Where the film struggles is finding that proper balance in these elements of the story and how it ultimately pieces everything together. Some moments feel a bit obtuse when compared to everything else occurring which leaves for some head-scratching decisions as a whole. It makes for something lacking that punch made necessary when tackling the subject matter it does here in this feature. It needs more precision even when it assuredly makes for something heartwarming in its overarching message.
One element that cannot be questioned is certainly the performances at the helm with none other than Queen Latifah shining bright in the role of August. She consistently proves to be one of those actors who should be in much more because whenever she appears in a role she absolutely knocks it out of the park. Whether it be Chicago or Girls Trip she knows how to play up the comedy but here she drives home the emotion this feature has to offer. Even in moments where the narrative begins to drag, she manages to lift it up in moments when she appears on screen.
Overall very sweet but unmistakably missing a piece of cohesion, this feature has plenty to love and does not necessarily like leaving me squarely in the middle here. The feature wears its heart on its sleeve, which can certainly not be held against it, which will wet the eyes of any cynic but the film needed more in what it sought to promise ultimately leading to a mixed bag of a film.
Films with Josh 
