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IMDbPro

The Secret Life of Bees

  • 2008
  • PG-13
  • 1h 54m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
27K
YOUR RATING
The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
This is the first theatrical trailer for The Secret Lives of Bees, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood.
Play trailer2:38
2 Videos
80 Photos
Drama

In 1964, a teenage girl in search of the truth about her mother runs away to a small town in South Carolina and finds a family of independent women who can connect her to her past.In 1964, a teenage girl in search of the truth about her mother runs away to a small town in South Carolina and finds a family of independent women who can connect her to her past.In 1964, a teenage girl in search of the truth about her mother runs away to a small town in South Carolina and finds a family of independent women who can connect her to her past.

  • Director
    • Gina Prince-Bythewood
  • Writers
    • Gina Prince-Bythewood
    • Sue Monk Kidd
  • Stars
    • Dakota Fanning
    • Jennifer Hudson
    • Queen Latifah
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    27K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Gina Prince-Bythewood
    • Writers
      • Gina Prince-Bythewood
      • Sue Monk Kidd
    • Stars
      • Dakota Fanning
      • Jennifer Hudson
      • Queen Latifah
    • 165User reviews
    • 103Critic reviews
    • 57Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 11 wins & 17 nominations

    Videos2

    The Secret Lives of Bees: Trailer #1
    Trailer 2:38
    Watch The Secret Lives of Bees: Trailer #1
    The Secret Life Of Bees: Special Features Adaptation (Exclusive Clip)
    Clip 1:57
    Watch The Secret Life Of Bees: Special Features Adaptation (Exclusive Clip)

    Photos80

    Queen Latifah in The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
    Dakota Fanning, Richard Todd Sullivan, and Jennifer Hudson in The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
    Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Alicia Keys, and Jennifer Hudson in The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
    Alicia Keys and Nate Parker in The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
    Alicia Keys in The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
    Dakota Fanning in The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
    Paul Bettany in The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
    Dakota Fanning and Tristan Mack Wilds in The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
    Alicia Keys and Nate Parker in The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
    Queen Latifah and Dakota Fanning in The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
    Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, and Jennifer Hudson in The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
    Dakota Fanning and Jennifer Hudson in The Secret Life of Bees (2008)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Dakota Fanning
    Dakota Fanning
    • Lily Owens
    Jennifer Hudson
    Jennifer Hudson
    • Rosaleen Daise
    Queen Latifah
    Queen Latifah
    • August Boatwright
    Alicia Keys
    Alicia Keys
    • June Boatwright
    Sophie Okonedo
    Sophie Okonedo
    • May Boatwright
    Paul Bettany
    Paul Bettany
    • T. Ray Owens
    Hilarie Burton
    Hilarie Burton
    • Deborah Owens
    Tristan Mack Wilds
    Tristan Mack Wilds
    • Zach Taylor
    • (as Tristan Wilds)
    Nate Parker
    Nate Parker
    • Neil
    Shondrella Avery
    Shondrella Avery
    • Greta
    Renee Ford Clark
    • Doll
    • (as Renée Clark)
    Sharon Conley
    Sharon Conley
    • Violet
    • (as a different name)
    Nicky Buggs
    Nicky Buggs
    • Cressie
    Jasmine Burke
    Jasmine Burke
    • Sugar Girl
    Emma Sage Bowman
    • Young Lily
    Emily Alyn Lind
    Emily Alyn Lind
    • Young Lily
    Addy Miller
    Addy Miller
    • Young Lily
    Taylor Kowalski
    Taylor Kowalski
    • Teenager
    • Director
      • Gina Prince-Bythewood
    • Writers
      • Gina Prince-Bythewood
      • Sue Monk Kidd
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Alicia Keys learned to play the cello in 4 weeks for this part.
    • 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.
    • Quotes

      Zach Taylor: Miss August told me about you being here helping out. She didn't mention anything about you being white.

      Lily Owens: Maybe she didn't notice.

    • Alternate versions
      Home video versions (DVD and Blu-ray) include both the original theatrical version and the extended director's cut of 114 minutes.
    • Connections
      Featured in The 35th Annual People's Choice Awards (2009)
    • Soundtracks
      Hippy Hippy Shake
      Written by Chan Romero (as Robert L. Romero)

      Performed by The Swinging Blue Jeans

      Courtesy of EMI Records Ltd.

      Under license from EMI Film & Television Music

    User reviews165

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    Welcome to the family!
    Writer/Director Gina Prince-Bythewood, winner of the Independent Spirit Award for Sundance hit, "Love & Basketball," has now brought the beloved, acclaimed best-seller, "The Secret Life of Bees" to the screen.

    1964, South Carolina. Lily Owens (played with open-eyed honestly by Dakota Fanning) is raised in a loveless home by her cruel, distant father. Fourteen year old Lily longs for a mother she never knew. When her only friend, their black maid Rosaleen, is assaulted in a racist incident, the girls are forced to go on the run.

    Lily and Rosaleen end up on the doorstep of the Boatwrights, the black sisters who own a successful honey farm. Lily concocts an elaborate lie to persuade the maternal August Boatwright (played with warm dignity by Queen Latifah) to temporarily take them in. They are met with some resistance from the guarded June (Alicia Keys), a classical cellist and civil rights activist. But they are welcomed enthusiastically by the open-hearted May (played with touching vulnerability by Sophie Okonedo). They soon find that hyper-sensitive May is moved to tears by the mention of anything sad.

    August teaches Lily how to tend the bees, and May whole heartedly embraces both girls. They are soon accepted as part of the family. But Lily still needs to find the truth of why her mother left her.

    This is a coming of age story and parable about how to cope with the painful truth and find forgiveness. As Lily's young love interest puts it, "It's not just about the truth. It's about what you do with it." The two sisters illustrate different ways to deal with the hard truths of life. June has closed her heart and built a protective wall to keep out hurtful emotions. While May has completely opened her heart and feels everyone's pain. Her heart is open to joy but it is also an open wound.

    I loved being in this world and a part of this loving family - so much that I stayed for a second screening. This is due in part to Gina Prince-Bythewood's excellent adaptation and the wonderful acting of Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, and especially Sophie Okonedo - who is literally the heart of the film.

    If you're looking for a sweet way to spend the afternoon, "The Secret Life of Bees" will supply the honey.

    Movie blessings! Jana Segal reel inspiration dot blogspot dot com
    helpful•73
    9
    • reelinspiration
    • Oct 18, 2008

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    FAQ4

    • Is "The Secret Life of Bees" based on a book?
    • Doesn't Lily look different than Fanning?
    • Aren't the Bee sisters in their 60s?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 17, 2008 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Tìm Lại Yêu Thương
    • Filming locations
      • Lumberton, North Carolina, USA
    • Production companies
      • Searchlight Pictures
      • Overbrook Entertainment
      • Donners' Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $11,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $37,770,162
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $10,527,799
      • Oct 19, 2008
    • Gross worldwide
      • $39,952,437
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 54 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • SDDS
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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