The Secret Life of Bees (DVD)

The Secret Life of Bees (2008) starring Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifa, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo, Paul Bettany. Set in 1964 in the American South, 14-year-old Lily (Fanning) escapes her dreary existence with her abusive father and heads to a nearby town with her friend and caregiver, Rosaleen (Hudson). Racial tensions are high, as President Johnson has just signed the Civil Rights Bill. But Lily and Rosaleen find a safe place to stay on the honey farm of three black sisters, August (Latifa), May (Okonedo) and June (Keys) Boatwright. Thanks to a strong performance by young Fanning, this is a movie which captures the spirit of the book it is based on. Adapted from the novel by Sue Monk Kidd. Grade: A-