The issue of racial integration is ever-present and it certainly serves as a reminder of how far America has come to vote for a black President.
1 Comment
12/05/08
The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
58
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:134
Fresh:78
Rotten:56
Average Rating:5.9/10
Consensus: The Secret Life of Bees has moments of charm, but is largely too maudlin and sticky-sweet.
Theatrical Release:05-12-2008
Synopsis: THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES, based on the New York Times best selling novel and set in South Carolina in 1964, is the moving tale of Lily Owens (Fanning) a 14 year-old girl who is haunted by the memory... [More]
Starring: Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Reviews for The Secret Life of Bees
A god-awful chick flick about black women bonding in a sugary, never-never South. It should be renamed How to Make an American Wilt (and any other viewer).
12/05/08
Tragedies strike and life lessons are learnt, homespun wisdom is dispensed. It’s simplistic to the point of total idiocy.
12/05/08
Top CriticIt’ll be way too cloying for most – but the, ahem, bee’s knees for sugar fiends. Probably best enjoyed with a glass of Chardonnay and your cynicism on hold.
12/05/08
This ghastly ode to female companionship apparently derives from a bestselling novel, but it feels more like something stitched together from other sorority movies.
12/05/08
The casting is fine, but the film’s strange and potentially heartening story desperately needs a bolder touch.
12/05/08
The whole thing is coated in a golden hue, as though the lens has been dunked in syrup. Males - or females with a horror of smug, sugary sentiment - should run a mile.
12/05/08
Fanning and Latifah form the proficient core of this reliable if humdrum American period drama.
12/05/08
Top CriticIt's generous-minded, and though it labours awkwardly to move you, that doesn't mean you won't be moved.
12/05/08
Top CriticFrom the producer of X-Men… comes the dullest, gooiest chick-flick of the year.
12/05/08
The source material remains affecting and the cast work hard to add dimension to a lacklustre screenplay. But sadly, it adds up to less than the sum of its parts.
12/05/08
Top CriticIdyllic tale despite the back story of racial tension and family abuse. Fanning holds her own in a great cast with Okonedo and Paul Bettany as an unbalanced father in fine form.
12/05/08
Engaging, well made and impressively acted, this is essentially a coming of age chick flick with a slightly rougher edge than usual.
12/05/08
Three actors bring out the script's darkness with remarkable skill. The rest of the cast is good, but they settle for easier performances
11/21/08
While this film is every bit as warm and emotional as it looks, ... the cast make sure things don't get too sugary.
12/05/08
Based on the novel by Sue Monk Kidd, the tale will poach your heart this cold winter.
12/04/08
There’s a purity, clarity and honesty to this feminist heart-warmer’s melodramatic instincts that make it surprisingly moving and satisfying.
12/05/08
Top CriticThis fairytale of the civil rights era is all honey and no sting.
12/05/08
Top CriticIsn't it time that Hollywood took a sabbatical -- maybe a permanent one -- from movies in which black characters exist primarily to save the souls of white ones?
10/15/08
Every year, a movie is released that is so torturous for me to sit through that it almost violates the terms of the Geneva Convention.
10/17/08
Latest News for The Secret Life of Bees
January 08, 2009:
Broadcast Film Critics Name Critics' Choice Winners
The 14th Annual Critics' Choice Awards were given on January 8, 2009, to honor the finest achievements in 2008 filmmaking. A list of nominees follows below, with winners in bold: More...
January 08, 2009:
Dark Knight Sweeps People's Choice Awards 
"The Dark Knight" cleaned up at the 35th annual People's Choice Awards, taking home hardware for favorite movie, action movie, cast, superhero, and onscreen matchup. More...
December 05, 2008:
UK Critics Consensus: Writers Warm to Madagascar 2; UK Critics Liked Lakeview Terrace
With thirteen new releases in the UK cinemas this weekend, let Rotten Tomatoes help you sort the tinsel from the turkeys. We have animals on the loose in Madagascar: Escape 2... More...
December 05, 2008:
Female Directors Challenge Status Quo
Hollywood directors have always been a bit of a boys' club, but as the $70 million opening of Catherine Hardwicke's "Twilight" attests, that's slowly changing. More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds