The film opens with a voiceover of a girl named Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning) who matter-of-factly confesses to accidentally shooting her mother (Hilarie Burton) at the young age of four. The accident occurs after Lily’s mother attempts to leave her husband and a struggle ensues. Ten years later, the guilt from that tragic day is still heavy on Lily’s conscience, compounded by the fact that her father is an abusive and unloving drunk. On the brink of turning 14 years old, Lily wants nothing more than to know what her mother was like. Her father T. Ray (Paul Bettany) is unresponsive and bitter, and Lily’s sole source of comfort is her African American caretaker, Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson).
On the day of Lily’s 14th birthday, Lyndon B. Johnson announces that the Civil Rights bill has been passed, making it possible for blacks to vote. On her way to register to vote, Rosaleen is beaten up by a group of racist white men, unjustly arrested and carted off to the hospital. After Lily’s father tells her that her mother didn’t want her, Lily decides she’s had enough of T. Ray’s physical and emotional abuse. Lily breaks Rosaleen out of the hospital and the two head to Tiburon, S.C., the only clue Lily has to her mother’s past.
Once in Tiburon, the two find their way to the Pepto-Bismol pink house of the Boatwright sisters, who run the Black Madonna Honey business. Lily and Rosaleen are shocked to discover cultured black women living in a beautifully furnished house that seems like something out of a fairy tale. August (Queen Latifah), who is in charge of the bee-keeping, is the matriarch of the family and willingly takes Lily and Rosaleen into her home when they need a place to stay. June (Alicia Keys) is a classical cellist and schoolteacher and represents the new age of independent women. May (Sophie Okonedo) is the somewhat simple-minded and overly emotional sister who has carried the sorrow of the world on her shoulders since the death of her twin sister, April.
Once Lily gets settled in the honey house with Rosaleen and integrates herself into the lives of the Boatwright sisters, the movie comes to life. Lily eagerly learns the art of beekeeping as an apprentice to August, working alongside fellow apprentice Zach (Tristan Wilds) on whom she develops a crush without giving a second thought to their different skin colors. While the rest of the country is in a state of unrest due to the passing of the Civil Rights Act, the Boatwrights are in their own private bubble of freedom and contentment, untouched by the hatred of the outside world. Lily’s new blissful life seems too good to be true—and it is. The real world rears its ugly head, interrupting the peace at the Boatwright house and reminding everyone that race is still very much an issue despite recent developments that would lead us to believe otherwise.
The highlights of the film are undoubtedly the leading ladies. Lily is a complex character but Fanning portrays the wise-beyond-her-years persona with ease, playing Lily with emotional depth and sincerity. Queen Latifah is always a joy to watch and doesn’t disappoint as the regal and loving August Boatwright. Since half of the cast members are professional singers, I would’ve liked to hear them showcase their talent more, although Hudson and Keys lend their voices to the film’s soundtrack.
Get ready to bust out the tissues because “The Secret Life of Bees” is the mother of all tearjerkers. Fanning’s earnest performance as Lily Owens had me wiping away tears on more than one occasion. The combined chemistry of the cast is truly spectacular, providing a strong sense of female empowerment and ensuring that audiences will be entertained.