The Secret Life of Bees (2008)

set in South Carolina in 1964, this is the tale of Lily Owens a 14 year-old girl who is haunted by the memory of her late mother. To escape her lonely life and troubled relationship with ... See full summary »

Director:

Gina Prince-Bythewood

Writers:

Gina Prince-Bythewood (screenplay), Sue Monk Kidd (novel)

Stars:

Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson

10 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dakota Fanning	...	Lily Owens
Queen Latifah	...	August Boatwright
Jennifer Hudson	...	Rosaleen Daise
Alicia Keys	...	June Boatwright
Sophie Okonedo	...	May Boatwright
Paul Bettany	...	T. Ray Owens
Hilarie Burton	...	Deborah Owens
Tristan Wilds	...	Zach Taylor
Nate Parker	...	Neil
Shondrella Avery	...	Greta
Renee Ford Clark	...	Doll (as Renée Clark)
Sharon Conley	...	Violet (as Sharon Morris)
Nicky Buggs	...	Cressie
Jasmine Burke	...	Sugar Girl
Emma Sage Bowman	...	Young Lily

Storyline

set in South Carolina in 1964, this is the tale of Lily Owens a 14 year-old girl who is haunted by the memory of her late mother. To escape her lonely life and troubled relationship with her father, Lily flees with Rosaleen, 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, Lily finds solace in their mesmerizing world of beekeeping.

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Plot Keywords:

south carolina | sister | beekeeping | american south | domestic violence | 

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Taglines:

Bring Your Girlfriends, Sisters, Mothers and Daughters

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic material and some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [fr] Official site [jp]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 October 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Vida Secreta das Abelhas

Filming Locations:

Watha, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£74,626 (UK) (5 December 2008)

Gross:

$37,766,350 (USA) (20 February 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Overbrook Entertainment, Donners' Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min 114 min (director's cut) 110 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby (as Dolby Stereo) SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alicia Keys learned to play the cello in 4 weeks for this part.

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Goofs

The story takes place in 1964. Throughout the story, June wears a silk-screen NAACP t-shirt. Silk-screened t-shirts did not exist until the issuance of a patent for the garment screen printing machine in 1969.

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Quotes

Lily Owens: [to T. Ray] My whole life has been nothing but a hole, where my mother should have been. It always left me aching, but I never thought about what it did to you.

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Connections

Featured in The 14th Annual Critics' Choice Awards (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Heaven's My Home"
(2007)
Written by Ruby Amanfu and Katie Herzig
Performed by Sam and Ruby
Courtesy of Sam and Ruby Music

User Reviews

wonderful movie

I'm not sure why this film got such a bad rating....it's truly one of the nicest films I've seen in a long time! I brought my daughter to see the movie today -- we both had tears in our eyes throughout the movie. The acting was superb, as was the casting. Normally I like to read the book before seeing a movie, as usually the book is so much better. I am glad that my daughter talked me into going to this movie. I think cinematically, it was one of the prettiest movies I've seen in awhile. You are taken from laughing one moment to feeling as though your heart is being tugged out of your body in the next moment. I will definitely be recommending this film to my friends!