Great movie, but lacking...
I loved this book so was excited to see that the movie was being made with this cast. They did a great job turning the book into a movie. The acting was good. I cried and cheered. Dakota Fanning was truly phenomenal.
The only thing holding me back from giving this a "Must Go" was Queen Latifa. I LOVE her, normally. But the character she plays, Miss August, is a strong woman who has been through a lot - is very loving, but has a hurt in her too. Latifa played the part with a constant smile. Even the most important lines in the film, regarding the secret life of bees, was nearly thrown away, the way she played it - it just didn't come through right. I don't know how else to say it other than there was a depth to Miss August in the book that was completely missing in this movie, and that depth would have made this an outstanding, all-around Oscar winning movie that I'd buy and watch over and over again. Without that depth in her performance, it was just a good movie