The Secret Life of Bees

This movie was recommended to me by either my mom or my friend Carole (can't remember which). It really doesn't matter, because neither could make me very excited about watching a movie. I love 'em both, but our tastes vary so much that sometimes I wonder how I can stand to be around them. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I actually enjoyed this movie. It's a good story, but it's one of those movies where it seems like so much is left unsaid. Of course I knew going into it that it was first a novel (which I haven't read), so who's to say I would have noticed this if I hadn't already known that, but I felt like I could tell we were skimming over the depths that are found in the book.

I'm sure this is going to make me sound like I am soulless and dead inside, but sometimes I hate movies that make me feel. Books, yeah, any day. But with movies I'm in it for the escapism. For just that reason, I think I would have liked the book better than the movie. No surprise there, since that's the way it always seems to work anyway. Even so, this was a good movie . . . except maybe for the part where Dakota Fanning has to tell the bees, "I love you, I love you, I love you." She looked nearly as embarrassed as I felt for her having to say that. Even Queen Latifah's response seemed to be oohhhhhhkay . . . like she wanted to add, "whatevuh you gotta do, sistah," with a politely surreptitious eye roll.

If you are watching the movie and trying to figure it out--that really is Paul Bettany as T. Ray. I thought it was just someone who looked a lot like him. I guess I couldn't believe he could look so much like a white-trash Southerner. Isn't he British? I suppose that's a testament to his talent as an actor.