Heartland Truly Moving Pictures

Starring Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Sophie Okonedo, a powerhouse ensemble of women from the world of music and film, THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES is the touching story about the need for love, sisterhood and redemption that explores the undeniable desire for a sense of belonging and the often daunting journeys that we must navigate to achieve it. Set in South Carolina, the home of the intelligent and independent honey-making Boatwright sisters (Latifah, Keys and Okonedo) is suddenly thrust into upheaval with the arrival of fourteen year-old Lily Owens (Fanning) and her caretaker Rosaleen (Hudson).

Surrounded by the unexpected comforts, grace and deep rooted spirituality Lily (Fanning) encounters in the Boatwright home, she soon forms a maternal bond with each of these women whose unique and special gifts help reconcile the loss of her mother. Through the strength and female empowerment that embodies the Boatwright sisters, Lily ultimately comes to the realization that sometimes you must leave home in order to find it.

Owning and operating a successful bee farm and honey-making business, August Boatwright (Latifah) is the family matriarch running the household with a firm but loving hand with her sisters, the fiercely independent music teacher June (Keys) and the innocent childlike May (Okonedo). The Boatwright sisters’ lives are disrupted when fourteen year-old Lily Owens (Fanning) and her caretaker Rosaleen (Hudson) appear on their doorstep seeking refuge. After fleeing with Rosaleen to Tiburon, South Carolina, a place surrounded by mystery and a strong connection to Lily’s mother, they find shelter at the Boatwright household. Lily is immediately taken under the wing of August Boatwright (Latifah) as her new beekeeping apprentice.

There she is given a comfortable place to explore and, for the first time in her life, just be. Lily also discovers joy in the simple pleasures of life through her deepening relationship with the Boatwright sisters and soon comes into her own, determined to enjoy the sweet nectar of life for the first time. As a budding young woman who has left the place she once called home, Lily unexpectedly finds her true home and a family she has always yearned for.

This movie is a F.I.L.M. Project. F.I.L.M. (Finding Inspiration in Literature and Movies) is a literacy and activity program for youth. Download the Curriculum and the Mentor Guide!

StarringDirected byRatingRuntimeGenrePG-13110 minDrama, Family

This movie is a Youth F.I.L.M. Project selection, pairing the movie and the book from which it was adapted with a free, downloadable curriculum for youth. Learn more about the Youth F.I.L.M. Project.