The Secret Life of Bees

Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees follows fourteen-year-old Lily Owens, who carries the weight of a mother she barely remembers. Her father, T. Ray, is cold and cruel, and her only comfort is Rosaleen, the Black woman who has raised her. After a confrontation forces them to leave, the two travel to a small town connected to Lily's mother's past, where they are taken in by the Boatwright sisters, who keep bees and live largely apart from the turmoil around them. Lily settles into their household while still searching for the truth about her mother.

Gina Prince-Bythewood directed and wrote the screenplay, adapting Sue Monk Kidd's novel. It was her second feature, following Love & Basketball (2000), and came before Beyond the Lights (2014), The Old Guard (2020), The Woman King (2022) and Children of Blood and Bone (2027). Dakota Fanning plays Lily, with Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo and Paul Bettany in supporting roles. Will Smith, Lauren Shuler Donner and James Lassiter produced.

Made for about 11 million dollars, the film earned roughly 40 million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 7.2 out of 10 from around 30,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.5 from a much smaller number, meaning audiences respond to it warmly. Its critics' rating is 6 out of 10 from 139 reviews, so reviews were milder than the viewer response.