Bee Season (2005)

Popularity:

Up 81% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Directors:

Scott McGehee
David Siegel

Writers (WGA):

Myla Goldberg (novel)
Naomi Foner (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 November 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Words may define us, but it's love that connects us.

Plot:

A wife and mother begins a downward emotional spiral, as her husband avoids their collapsing marriage by immersing himself in his 11 year-old daughter's quest to become a spelling bee champion.

Plot Keywords:

Spelling | 11 Year Old | Secret | Spelling Bee | National Spelling Bee

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Richard Gere	...	Saul
Juliette Binoche	...	Miriam
Flora Cross	...	Eliza
Max Minghella	...	Aaron
Kate Bosworth	...	Chali
Corey Fischer	...	National Spelling Bee Pronouncer
Sam Zuckerman	...	National Spelling Bee Judge
Joan Mankin	...	Ms. Bergermeyer
Piers Mackenzie	...	Dr. Morris
Lorri Holt	...	Ms. Rai
Brian Leonard	...	Mr. Julien
Jamal Thornes	...	Wiseacre Boy's Mate
Kathy McGraw	...	Regional Bee Pronouncer
John Evans	...	Regional Bee Judge
Alisha Mullally	...	Young Miriam
John R. Searle	...	Himself
Seamus Genovese	...	Priest
Andrew Murray	...	Young Aaron
Dik Martin	...	State Bee Pronouncer (as Dick Martin)
Olivia Charles	...	State Bee Judge
Sujata Balu	...	Indian Woman
Steven Anthony Jones	...	Sergeant
David Ryan Smith	...	Nurse
Velina Brown	...	Hotel Housekeeper
Robyn Blair	...	Melanie
Justin Alioto	...	Kevin
Alex Keel	...	Sinna Bhagudori
Justin Ping Yuan	...	Li Chan
Anthony Ybarra	...	'Sequel' Speller
Ben Johnson	...	'Orangutan' Speller
Taylor Kane	...	'Coyote' Speller
Derek Wong	...	'Oasis' Speller
Sophie Oda	...	'Usurper' Speller (as Sophie Tamiko Oda)
Anand Zala	...	'Staccato' Speller
Samuel Richman	...	'Hoodlum' Speller
Shawn H. Smith	...	'Macrame' Speller (as Shawn Smith)
Mickey Boxell	...	'Lorgnette' Speller
Maya Ramchandran	...	'Daguerreotype' Speller
Neil Chalaka	...	'Glissando' Speller
Gaayatri Kaundinya	...	'Selenic' Speller
Charlotte Musengwa	...	'Duvetyn' Speller
Nikil Balakrishnan	...	'Peripatetic' Speller
Isaiah Aglibot Bryant	...	'Thoracic' Speller
Alison Doyle	...	National Spelling Bee Winner
Emily Trumble	...	'Iridian' Speller
Nathan Calixto	...	'Ecchymosis' Speller
Simon M. Ehrlich	...	'Succotash' Speller
Nick Taber	...	'Abiogenist' Speller
Gautam Krishnamurthi	...	'Strongylid' Speller
Corey Rateau	...	'Noctivagant' Speller
Patricia R. Floyd	...	Voice Actor (voice)
Timothy Gulan	...	Voice Actor (voice)
Betsy Hogg	...	Voice Actor (voice)
Jennifer Perito	...	Voice Actor (voice)
Kristin Reeves	...	Voice Actor (voice)
Rose Stockton	...	Voice Actor (voice)
Marlon Suson	...	Voice Actor (voice)
Michael Tommer	...	Voice Actor (voice)
Arden Winant	...	Voice Actor (voice)
Bruce Winant	...	Voice Actor (voice)
Vanessa Lemonides	...	Special Voicing (voice)
Dann Fink	...	Special Voicing (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anna Maria Perez de Tagle	...	Bee Season #1
Jaime Soria	...	Spelling Bee Parent
Joseph Amey	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Alissa Anderegg	...	Spelling Bee Student (uncredited)
Heather Barberie	...	Lab Assistant (uncredited)
Christa Bella	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Mia Bernardino	...	Eliza's Classmate (uncredited)
Chandler Bolt	...	Student (uncredited)
Mike Borg	...	Bee Contestant's Father (uncredited)
Domenic Bove	...	Spelling Bee Contestant (uncredited)
Cynthia Lea Clark	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Jared Dorrance	...	Spelling Bee Student (uncredited)
Michael Dunn	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
April Eaton	...	Spelling Bee Contestant (uncredited)
Cathy Fithian	...	Elevator Mom (uncredited)
Terri J. Freedman	...	Comfort Counselor (uncredited)
Juan Guerra	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Brandon Haas	...	Spelling Bee Student (uncredited)
David Hern	...	Bell Judge (uncredited)
Mason Hsieh	...	Nervous Spelling Bee contestant (uncredited)
Rick Kain	...	Yuppy Dad (uncredited)
Branden Weslee Kong	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Shaun Landry	...	Patient (uncredited)
Thomas Loher	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Annie Lore	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Jules McClellan	...	Lady in audience (uncredited)
Florentine Mocanu	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Tam Nguyen	...	Classroom Student (uncredited)
Marcus Niehaus	...	Student (uncredited)
Scott Palmer	...	Congressman (uncredited)
David Alan Poe	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Pat Ridley	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
Alexandra Rieger	...	Spelling Bee Student #73 (uncredited)
Jennifer Robertson	...	Family Member (uncredited)
Angie Ruiz	...	Kabbalah Student (uncredited)
Michael Sandow	...	(uncredited)
Peggy Sandow	...	Mother (uncredited)
Bobby Sharpe	...	Himself (uncredited)
Ezra Stanley	...	Student (uncredited)
Jonathan Tucker	...	Student (uncredited)
James D. Weston II	...	Parent (uncredited)

Directed by
Scott McGehee
David Siegel

Writing credits (WGA)
Myla Goldberg		(novel)
Naomi Foner		(screenplay) (as Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal)

Produced by
Albert Berger	....	producer
Rachel Hudgins	....	associate producer
Arnon Milchan	....	executive producer
Peggy Rajski	....	executive producer
Mark Romanek	....	executive producer
Mike Topoozian	....	associate producer
Ron Yerxa	....	producer

Original Music by
Peter Nashel

Cinematography by
Giles Nuttgens

Film Editing by
Lauren Zuckerman

Casting by
Robin Gurland
Mindy Marin

Production Design by
Kelly McGehee

Art Direction by
Michael E. Goldman

Set Decoration by
Kris Boxell

Costume Design by
Mary Malin

Makeup Department
Catherine Childers	....	hair department head
LuAnn Claps	....	makeup artist: Mr. Gere and Ms. Binoche
Gretchen Davis	....	makeup artist
Peggy Forcellini	....	hair stylist
Mindy Hall	....	makeup department head
Lyndell Quiyou	....	hair designer: Mr. Gere & Ms. Binoche
Yvette Rivas	....	hair stylist
Sherri Bramlett	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Brian Benson	....	production supervisor
Stuart Macphee	....	post-production supervisor
Susan McNamara	....	unit production manager
Katia Milani	....	post-production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael McCue	....	second second assistant director
Frank Simeone	....	additional second second assistant director
Gregory Kent Simmons	....	second assistant director
Mike Topoozian	....	first assistant director
Ken Twohy	....	crowds assistant director

Art Department
Susan Alegria	....	assistant art director: Miriam's project
Nate Belove	....	on-set dresser
Kate Bernier	....	art department production assistant
Aric Cheng	....	set designer
Richard W. Clot	....	propmaker
Nick D'Abo	....	propmaker (as Nick d'Abo)
Dale Haugo	....	lead scenic artist
Sean House	....	additional assistant property master
Mark Kessler	....	propmaker
John Lister	....	set dresser
David Loya	....	art department production assistant
Patrick Ludden	....	property master
Mark Luevano	....	construction foreman
Bill McGirr	....	set dresser
Doni McMillan	....	leadman (as Donald McMillan)
Craig Mohagen	....	construction coordinator
Annie Mueller	....	assistant property master
Katsuhiko Okada	....	propmaker
John Oster	....	propmaker
Dwane Platt	....	set dresser
Chuck Ray	....	construction foreman
Tom Richardson	....	scenic artist
Victor Salazar	....	shop laborer
Gretchen Scharfenberg	....	props
Ken Sly	....	property maker
Russell Souza	....	propmaker foreman
Kana Takahashi	....	art department coordinator
Kana Takahashi	....	graphic designer
Mark Warren	....	set dresser
Jody Weisenfeld	....	lead greens person
Nancy Wenz	....	associate set decorator (as Nanci Wenz)
Doug E. Williams	....	construction coordinator
Lauren Abrams	....	painter (uncredited)
Carol Chow	....	art department production assistant (uncredited)
Virginia Hopkins	....	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Stephen Balliet	....	sound
Ben Barker	....	sound editor
Michael Barry	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ryan Collison	....	foley engineer
Brian Copenhagen	....	utility sound
Lee Herrick	....	dialog & adr editor
Dan Korintus	....	dialogue editor
Tony Martinez	....	adr dialogue supervisor
Brendan Nicholson	....	preview re-recording mixer
Mike Patrick	....	sound recordist
Jay Peck	....	foley artist
Jacob Ribicoff	....	sound effects editor
Jac Rubenstein	....	dialogue editor
Warren Shaw	....	sound re-recording mixer
Warren Shaw	....	supervising sound editor
Jason Stasium	....	digital recordist
Nelson Stoll	....	production sound mixer
Nelson Stoll	....	sound mixer
Eric Strausser	....	assistant sound editor
John Soukup	....	sound transfer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Matt Heron	....	special effects coordinator
Sean House	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Will Cunningham	....	effects technical director
Kent Demaine	....	visual effects supervisor: Black Box Digital
Ivan DeWolf	....	sequence lead: Martian Labs
John Furniotis	....	visual effects
Max Harris	....	Flame compositor: Blackbox Digital
Karin Levinson	....	visual effects producer: Black Box Digital
Tom Nixon	....	digital artist
Will Robbins	....	visual effects supervisor: Black Box Digital
Deborah Ross	....	visual effects consultant
Miguel A. Salek	....	compositor
Andrew A. Paules	....	visual effects artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Rocky Capella	....	stunt coordinator
Thomas M. Ficke	....	stunt coordinator (as Tom Ficke)

Camera and Electrical Department
Joseph J. Allen	....	grip
James Beaumonte	....	company grip
Phil Bray	....	still photographer
Dave Childers	....	key grip
Gregory M. Childers	....	grip
Ian Chriss	....	electrician
Gregory Collis	....	grip
Louis DiCesare	....	gaffer
Patrick Figueroa	....	best boy grip
Jeph Folkins	....	additional camera loader
Richard Foreman Jr.	....	still photographer
Tim Guffin	....	assistant camera
Leslie Hamilton	....	second assistant camera
Chris Hayes	....	camera operator
John Lacy	....	best boy electric
Mary Ellen Mark	....	still photographer
Patrick McArdle	....	first assistant camera
Gary McClendon	....	electrician
Mark Nakahara	....	electrician
Phil Pastuhov	....	aerial director of photography
Duane Robinson	....	key rigging grip: San Francisco
Mike Scanlon	....	electrician
Kevin Schlack	....	grip
Chris Shellenberger	....	electrician
Sophie Shellenberger	....	rigging electrician
John Spezzano	....	dolly grip
Terry Sullivan	....	electrician
Ricky Tayerle	....	electrician
Paige Thomas	....	additional first assistant camera
John Trunk	....	video assist operator
Mark Walpole	....	camera assistant: Washington D.C.
Lou Weinert	....	camera operator
Mark Sheets	....	rigging grip (uncredited)
Todd Stoneman	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Aisha Coley	....	casting executive
Colleen Kenneavy	....	extras casting
Cash Oshman	....	crowd casting
Cathy Weiner	....	casting assistant
Bruce Winant	....	adr voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Michael Becker	....	set costumer
Mickey Carleton	....	costume supervisor
Tabitha Johnson	....	wardrobe production assistant
Jessa Santens	....	wardrobe production assistant
Valerie White	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Andrew Brotzman	....	post-production assistant
Jason Crump	....	colorist: dailies
Kiersten Harter	....	second assistant editor
Abbi Jutkowitz	....	apprentice editor
Mato	....	color timer
Tanya Smith	....	post-production assistant
Martin Walsh	....	additional editor
Shelly Westerman	....	associate editor
Lonnie A. Mathes	....	post-production assistant (uncredited)

Music Department
Nancy Allen	....	music editor
Christine Bergren	....	music legal and clearance
Peter Clarke	....	music editor: UK
Brian Deming	....	additional score recordist
Tim Fain	....	violin soloist
Joel Iwataki	....	music score mixer
Kory Kruckenberg	....	scoring assistant engineer
Annette Kudrak	....	music editor
David Sabee	....	orchestra contractor
Jason Stasium	....	digital recordist
Adam Stern	....	conductor
Robert Puff	....	music librarian (uncredited)

Transportation Department
John Bromstead	....	driver
Robert aaron Brown	....	driver
Lonnie Craig	....	driver
David Joseph	....	driver: production van
John R. Lopez	....	driver
Derek Raser	....	transportation coordinator
Frank Rocha	....	transportation local captain

Other crew
Carmen Alvarez	....	project assistant: Miriam's Project
Karen Baker	....	office production assistant
Cathryn Blum	....	location scout
Mark Bosia	....	medic coordinator
Jane Bulmer	....	assistant: Mr. Milchan
Kris Butler	....	locations
Gino Caputi	....	production assistant
Carol Chow	....	project assistant: Miriam's Project
Brad Combs	....	assistant: Mr. Milchan (as Michael Bradley Combs)
Michael Coons	....	stand-in
Katherine Covell	....	project assistant: Miriam's Project
Mary Cybulski	....	script supervisor
Dante	....	warm-up comic
Brad Davis	....	production accountant
Sharlene Duale	....	production coordinator
Rory Enke	....	location manager
Ben Flax	....	project assistant: Miriam's Project
Scott Foster	....	production assistant: Washington D.C.
Jennifer Zolten Freed	....	post-production accountant
Justin Freimann	....	intern
Carolyn Fulkerson	....	cello coach: Mr. Minghella
Felix Gehm	....	assistant location manager
Bill Hart	....	acting coach: Ms. Cross
Kennedy Heidel	....	stand-in
Ledi Imeraj	....	stand-in
Karen Jine	....	production office assistant
Cory Johnson	....	production assistant
Rowdy Kelley	....	assistant locations
Paul Kenney	....	assistant accountant
Mike Kohl	....	production assistant
Shannon Kors	....	assistant: Mr. McGehee and Mr. Siegel
Robert Lane	....	first assistant accountant
Catherine Leyba	....	assistant production coordinator
Stephen Lippross	....	post-production accountant
David Loya	....	project assistant: Miriam's Project
Andrew Magarian	....	acting coach
Danielle McKee	....	production assistant
Peter Moody	....	location scout
Dave Moorer	....	set medic
Mark Moran	....	associate to producers
Cindy Nevins	....	payroll accountant
Suzanne Ornstein	....	violin coach: Mr. Gere
Mike Phillips	....	helicopter pilot
Michelle Pizanis	....	set production assistant
Peggy Plessas	....	dialect coach: Ms. Binoche (as Peggy Hall-Plessas)
Geof Prysirr	....	acting coach: Ms. Cross
Sandy Reed	....	head craft service
Jonathan Reich	....	location manager: Washington DC
Brad Robinson	....	set production assistant
Jean-Louis Rodrigue	....	movement specialist
Deborah Ross	....	title designer
Scott Sandine	....	set medic
Jonathan Shedd	....	location manager
Mitch Sisskind	....	guide: Kabbalah
Christina Soletti	....	clearance coordinator
Christina Soletti	....	research consultant
Staci Southwick	....	project assistant: Miriam's Project
TreJulie Stamos	....	assistant production coordinator: pre-production
Alysa Sun	....	production assistant
Deborah Sussel	....	dialect coach: Mr. Minghella
Sean Kevin Sweeney	....	production assistant
Jassen Todorov	....	violin coach: Mr. Gere
Michael Umble	....	publicist
Drew Vandervelde	....	production coordinator: Washington DC
Christine Wilcock	....	production office assistant
Dave Willis	....	production assistant
Rachel Willis	....	stand-in
Nancy Wong	....	key assistant location manager
Robert 'Bobby Z' Zajonc	....	helicopter pilot (as Robert M. Zajonc)
Kevin Zelman	....	additional set production assistant
Ami Zins	....	film commissioner
Jonathan Zurer	....	producer: Washington D.C.
Howard R. Schuster	....	financing (uncredited)

Thanks
Anthony Minghella	....	very special thanks
Jae Song	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Bee Season Productions Inc.
• Fox Searchlight Pictures
• Bona Fide Productions
• i5 Films
• Epsilon Motion Pictures
• Fox Searchlab
• Merkel Verwaltungsgesellschaft Filmproduktions
• Regency Enterprises

Distributors

• 20th Century Fox Netherlands (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2006) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (2006) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2005-2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Fox Searchlight Pictures (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Italian International Film (2006) (Italy) (theatrical)
• UGC-Fox Distribution (UFD) (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• FS Film Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• PlazaVista Entertainment (2006) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• TV3 (2008) (Estonia) (TV)
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Special Effects

• Film Effects (opticals)
• Black Box Digital (visual effects)
• Martian Labs (3-D visual effects)
• OOOii

Other Companies

• Aero Mock-Ups  aircraft mock-up rental
• Beau Bonneau Casting  extras casting
• Big Crowds  crowd casting
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• DTC Grip & Electric  grip and lighting equipment
• Film Effects  opticals
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• KQED  courtesy of: KQED public radio segments (as KQED, Inc.)
• Mega Playground  video dailies: screening rooms
• Nettwerk Records  soundtrack
• Orbit Digital  Avids
• Raycom-JP Sports  footage provided by (as Raycom/JP Sports)
• Rockbottom Rentals  nextel cell phone rentals
• Trevanna Post  post-production accounting
• Twentieth Century Fox Television  courtesy of: footage from "Family Guy"
• Twentieth Century Fox  courtesy of: footage from "Song of Bernadette"

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, a scene of sensuality and brief strong language

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English | Hebrew

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Finland:K-7 | France:U | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Mexico:B | Netherlands:AL | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:12 | Sweden:Btl | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 (certificate #40910)

Filming Locations:

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Oakland, California, USA

Company:

Bee Season Productions Inc.

Trivia:

Dakota Fanning was originally going to play Eliza, but directors thought that Flora Cross looked like Juliette Binoche and selected Cross instead.

Goofs:

Continuity: The license plates on the family Volvo are different on the front and back. The front license plate starts with a "4", the rear license plate starts with a "5".

Quotes:

[first lines]
National Spelling Bee Pronouncer:Number 14. Eliza Naumann, Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California. "Oppidan".
Eliza:"Oppidan".
[sighs]
Eliza:[narrating] My father told me once that words and letters hold all the secrets of the universe. That in there shapes and sounds, I could find everything and see beyond myself, to something special. Perfect. My father told me once that I could reach the ear of God.

Movie Connections:

References La Dolce Vita (1960)

Soundtrack:

I'll Be Near You

E-l-i-z-a

If there is a novel that doesn't lend itself for cinematic adaptation, "Bee Season", written by Myla Goldberg, would seem to be the one. It doesn't help that the screen play, as written by the talented Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal, doesn't help to clarify for the casual viewer what is going on with the Naumanns of Oakland. In fact, the problem in the novel, as well as with the movie is Miriam, the distant mother who has fled reality and lives in a world of her own.

"Bee Season" co-directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel feels empty because the somber treatment they have given to the movie. The dark cinematography of Giles Nuttgens doesn't help either, but the musical scores of Peter Nasher works well, as a whole.

One enters the Naumann world through the sensitive Eliza, a girl much older and wiser than her 11 years indicate. It is Eliza who senses all that is wrong with her family, as it appears they are falling apart in front of her, and as a little girl, she simply can't do anything at all to bring everyone together. As a way to escape the unhappy home, Eliza immerses herself in the spelling bee contests in which she excels. Not until then, does she get the attention of her father, who supports her newly found talent.

Saul, the religious studies professor, doesn't even come aware about what's wrong with his marriage until it's too late. In fact, he is a man appears to be unable to communicate with the illusive Miriam, a woman who is deeply disturbed by what happened in her own life with the tragedy of her parents death. Saul and Miriam's marriage is over, but they don't do anything to correct the situation. Miriam's problems come to a head when she is taken away and makes Saul confront the many issues that he probably never dealt with before.

Aaron, the older son, is rebelling against his own religion. He needs to experiment with other beliefs because he is at that stage of his life in which he is trying to find out who he is. That is why when he meets Chali, the young Hare Krishna follower, he decides to follow her in his quest for finding a guidance for his life.

The ensemble playing is dominated by the youngest cast member, Flora Cross, who makes a luminous Eliza. Her expressive eyes and her intelligence tells everything about her. Juliette Binoche's Miriam is a puzzle. Richard Gere does what he can with Saul and Max Minghella has some good moments as Aaron. Kate Bosworth is seen briefly as Chali.

"Bee Season" is a difficult film to sit through because it is a dark look into a family falling apart without a safety net. Also, the way the film has been promoted gives a false impression about its content.