Movie Preview: The Secret Life of Bees

BuzzSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:44:49 PDT

It's not every day that the film adaptation of a well-loved book appears to capture the same atmosphere and sentiments that the book does, but in my opinion, the trailer for The Secret Life of Bees looks like it might do just that. I loved the novel by Sue Monk Kidd; it was one of those books that left me feeling sad at the end because I had to part with characters I'd come to care about deeply.

The story follows 14-year-old Lily (Dakota Fanning) whose mother died, leaving Lily with an abusive father. Together with her caregiver Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson), Lily runs away from her father, and the two wind up at a pink house and under the protection of four smart, strong, beekeeping sisters.

The trailer does seem to veer into sappiness a few times, but is just grounded enough to avoid looking like a Lifetime TV movie. Queen Latifah has a solid, maternal way about her in this role, which is refreshing, and it's really great to see Dakota Fanning playing an older character. Alicia Keys has a good presence onscreen, and I may be most excited to see Sophie Okonedo (who was nominated for an Oscar for her role in Hotel Rwanda), whom I find absolutely mesmerizing every time I see her in another movie.

The Secret Life of Bees opens October 17. To see what I'm talking about,

Source

Cast of Secret Life of Bees Set, Dakota Fanning Strikes Again

BuzzSugar — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 11:32:28 PST

In yet more book-to-movie news, the bestselling novel by Sue Monk Kidd The Secret Life of Bees will be adapted for film and they already have a cast mostly in place. The young girl at the center of the story will be played by - who else? - Dakota Fanning. With the addition of this project, Fanning has six movies in various stages of production. When does she have the time to come-of-age in real life?

Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah and Sophie Okonedo have also signed on for the project and Alicia Keys is apparently in talks to join as well. According to Variety:

Set in South Carolina in 1964, story centers on Lily Owens (Fanning), who escapes her lonely life and troubled relationship with her father by running away with her caregiver and only friend (Hudson) to a South Carolina town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Latifah, Okonedo and Keys would play the three sisters.

I liked the book very much so I hope they don't make it into a silly Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood kind of thing. What do you think? Are you interested in a big-screen version of The Secret Life of Bees?

Source and source