Common Sense Media Review
By Renee Schonfeld
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
1960s-set family drama tackles weighty issues.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Secret Life of Bees
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 6 parent reviews
Based on 25 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is a powerful and emotional journey that addresses difficult themes such as racial discrimination, family abuse, and personal growth. While some find certain scenes intense and upsetting, many appreciate the heartfelt storytelling and strong performances, making it a recommendable choice for older youth despite its mature themes.
- emotional journey
- powerful themes
- strong storytelling
- suitable for older youth
- difficult scenes
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Running from a cruel and ignorant father -- as well as the uncertainty and guilt surrounding the death of her mother years earlier -- 14-year-old Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning) rescues Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson), a nanny who's become a fugitive, and sets out on a journey to find a place for herself in the world, as well as answers to questions about her mother's love. It's South Carolina in 1964: The president has just signed landmark Civil Rights legislation, and racial tensions are running high. Guided by some of Lily's mother's mementos, Lily and Rosaleen find their way to the home of the Boatwrights, a family of African-American women who run a thriving honey farm. Matriarch August Boatwright (Queen Latifah), takes the runaways in and, along with an assorted group of family and friends, provides them with a home, a heart, and answers.
Is It Any Good?
Director/writer Gina Prince-Bythewood is nothing if not earnest in her attempt to bring Sue Monk Kidd's heartwarming novel to the screen. The visuals in THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES pay tribute to the beauty of the South, its warm "honey" tones and thick, sweet air. The music is particularly wonderful and enriches the film's emotional core.
But it's not a fully successful dramatization because the movie's heroes are almost all saintly and perfect, speaking in timeless homilies and maxims. The villains, on the other hand, are unrelentingly bad. Only Lily has the nuance of character that makes a movie more a work of art than a lesson to be learned.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the movie's messages. More than 40 years have passed since the events in the film took place. How have racial politics changed? How haven't they? Families can also discuss what Lily was looking for when she left home. Why did she take Rosaleen with her? How did Lily's innocent acceptance of her African-American friends get them in trouble? Do the filmmakers show that Lily's father learned a lesson? Parents and teens who've read the book the movie is based on can compare and contrast the two. Which do you like better? Why?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 16, 2008
- On DVD or streaming : February 3, 2009
- Cast : Dakota Fanning , Jennifer Hudson , Queen Latifah
- Director : Gina Prince-Bythewood
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Black Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Fox Searchlight
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 110 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic material and some violence.
- Award : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Winner
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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