The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
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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
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
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 2/5 |
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. Full Review |
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 3/6 |
There’s a purity, clarity and honesty to this feminist heart-warmer’s melodramatic instincts that make it surprisingly moving and satisfying. Full Review |
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2.5/5 |
Fanning and Latifah form the proficient core of this reliable if humdrum American period drama. Full Review |
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1/5 |
Tragedies strike and life lessons are learnt, homespun wisdom is dispensed. It’s simplistic to the point of total idiocy. Full Review |
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2/5 |
This fairytale of the civil rights era is all honey and no sting. Full Review |
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2/5 |
It's generous-minded, and though it labours awkwardly to move you, that doesn't mean you won't be moved. Full Review |
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2/5 |
From the producer of X-Men… comes the dullest, gooiest chick-flick of the year. Full Review |
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2/5 |
It’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. Full Review |
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2/5 |
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. Full Review |
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3/5 |
Idyllic 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. Full Review |
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3/5 |
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. Full Review |
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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). Full Review |
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1/5 |
This ghastly ode to female companionship apparently derives from a bestselling novel, but it feels more like something stitched together from other sorority movies. Full Review |
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2/5 |
The casting is fine, but the film’s strange and potentially heartening story desperately needs a bolder touch. Full Review |
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3/5 |
Engaging, well made and impressively acted, this is essentially a coming of age chick flick with a slightly rougher edge than usual. Full Review |
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3.5/5 |
While this film is every bit as warm and emotional as it looks, ... the cast make sure things don't get too sugary. Full Review |
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6/10 |
Based on the novel by Sue Monk Kidd, the tale will poach your heart this cold winter. Full Review |
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3.5/5 |
Three actors bring out the script's darkness with remarkable skill. The rest of the cast is good, but they settle for easier performances Full Review |
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5/5 |
Can I tell you a secret? This movie is *really* good. Grab Nana and go see it! Full Review |
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B- |
Bees is almost too sweet, but with enduring enough performances to make a solid movie. Full Review |
CommentLatest News for The Secret Life of Bees
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