Acrostic Movie Review - The Secret Life of Bees

Here's a rare film with a mostly-female and black cast, based
On Sue Monk Kidd's hugely popular
Novel and faithful to it. Dakota Fanning,
Evolving into a teen, does a convincing job as Lily, a runaway
Yearning for closure with her late mother. Lily becomes

Indebted to four black women, surrogate motherhood by committee. Do
The real Fanning girls even have so many nannies? The movie is
Somewhat melodramatic and slides into Lifetime movie mode, but it

Succeeded in
Tugging at my heartstrings. There's
Inspired acting from Jennifer Hudson and Queen Latifah. As the
Childlike May, Sophie Okonedo really shines. Alicia
Keys is like a Black Panther in training, but
You know her bravado will be melted by the winsome Lily.

Set in the south during the civil rights era, the threat of
Wicked racial violence hangs over the film and
Endangers the characters. As chick flicks go, it's not as
Entertaining as Sex and the City or as powerful as
The Color Purple, but it gives you more to chew on.