ops-52535 Well,this was a nice surprise,it has it all except for violence and murder,and that is a relieve .ms fanning does a marvellous job in this film,along the 4 coloured girls of the main cast, there are some magical moments in the movie,that are profounlingly touching the strings of my harp of feelings-. the music are made with a great touch,the use of sound and light are masterworthy,and it has a brilliant ending. its a through hit from the directress.its all about love and feelings....and honey and bees, and thank yu dakota

krocheav I was late finding this movie and it is indeed a 'find'. Part produced by rapper/actor Will Smith (Pursuit of Happiness '06), it tells the story of Lily, a troubled white teenager living with her anger filled father T.Ray - very well played by UK actor Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind '01). After a rather harrowing opening, Lily's reached the stage where she can't take any more emotional torment from her father and runs away with their Negro housekeeper. This leads to several complications. Being set in 1964, a white girl traveling with a black through red-neck South Carolina proves an incendiary combination.A remarkably mature performance by Dakota Fanning brings strong dynamics to her inwards searching character (let's hope Hollywood doesn't throw this fine actress away with mediocre roles). Director and real life adoptee Gina Prince-Bytherwood ('Beyond The Lights' '14) injects elements of personal soul searching into her screenplay adaptation of Sue Monk Kid's 2001 novel. Gina had suffered through a search for her own biological birth mother that ended with a less than satisfactory outcome. She seems the right director for this at-times intense story. For some, there could be the odd situation that may feel a little too set-up - also brief moments where it perhaps strays into coyness but, this could also serve as a welcome break for many viewers. By and large it remains on target as it moves towards its necessary conclusion. The curious cast of assorted American and British female singer/songwriters namely: Queen Latifah ~ Alicia Keys ~ Sophie Okenedo and actress/Spokesperson Jennifer Hudson all work well together. A convincing portrayal is also given by actor/filmmaker Neil Parker (Birth of a Nation '16). Netherlands born director of photography Rogier Stoffers (Disturbia '07) creates a fine sense of personal involvement and treats us to some glowing visuals. Mark Isham keeps the music in check - the sound track also includes several appealing songs that fit very nicely into the story without feeling like they were added for padding. It also features a soul stirring rendition of "Amazing Grace" played on Cello which most unfortunately is not played to its conclusion. Sigh! For those who enjoy a close look into the hearts of others that we share this sometimes sorry world with, then it could be just the right movie for you. A minor draw back at times, could be some of the broad South Carolina accents. This winner of various awards also allows us a welcome look into the world of honey bees. Well worth viewing or buying...

csisman-595-441500 This movie just misses 10/10 for me. It's a beautiful story, the movie is stunningly shot and all the actors are brilliant, especially Sophie Okonedo. I'm docking a point because it centres Dakota Fanning's character, Lily, a young white girl, instead of centring the stories of women of colour, which is crucial for a film exploring issues of race during the civil rights movement. In all other respects, however, this film is fantastic. The inevitable violence that any civil rights story has is counterpointed by the safe, secret world which August, May, and June create. Beekeeping acts as a metaphor for female solidarity. I would definitely recommend this film.

SnoopyStyle At age 4, Lily Owens accidentally kills her mother (Hilarie Burton) as she struggled with her father (Paul Bettany). It's 1964 South Carolina. Lily (Dakota Fanning) is about to turn 14. Her father is a cold abusive man. They run a peach farm and Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson) is her caregiver and only friend. Civil Rights Act has just been passed. Rosaleen gets beaten for trying to register to vote. Lily breaks her out of the hospital before they finish the job. They are headed to Tiburon because that is what's written on the back of her mother's picture. Lily finds jars of honey for sale which leads to August Boatwright (Queen Latifah) who lives with her sisters May (Sophie Okonedo) and June (Alicia Keys). Lily befriends a teen black boy Zach Taylor (Tristan Wilds) who comes to work with the bees.The material wants to be better. It deserves to be more epic. It could be more compelling considering the subject matter. Before getting to August and her sisters, this movie is intense. Hudson getting beaten after spilling the tobacco juice is a real big scene. Paul Bettany is a good villain. The problem is that the story at the house takes a break. The house exists in a bubble and the tension somehow floats away. The story meanders and it never truly recovers its early intensity. Also, there may be one too many side stories. As with some novel-turn-movies, it may not be something that could translate quite as well as what's on the page.