Literary Choices Leaping to Screen

The Secret Life of Bees.

Well this movie was kind of a snore. Now admittedly the actual novel by Sue Monk Kidd is on my eternally long list of things I need to read at some point in my life but has not been read yet. Generally I wouldn't watch something based on a literary work before I had read said work but this was an exception.

If this is the adaptation of the novel I'm a little less inclined to read it. The film itself was a little dry. I certainly appreciated the story points about women's, especially African American, rights and the whole coming of age while grappling with your identity. It was pretty well acted for the most part. They don't call her the Queen for nothing, Ms. Keys made a nice transition from music to movies and Ms. Fanning isn't as nauseating as she was in her younger years.

Overall it was a nice drama. I know other viewers have particularly enjoyed it. While I found it enjoyable to watch I also found it wanting at times, varying between too dry and too hokey for my own tastes. Not a bad one to try on though, see how it fits.

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