Friday, October 17, 2008

Movie Review: The Secret Life of Bees

http://www.screenhead.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/secret_life_of_bees.jpg

The bees came the summer of 1964, the summer I turned fourteen and my life went spinning off into a whole new orbit, and I mean whole new orbit. Looking back on it now, I want to say the bees were sent to me. I want to say they showed up like the angle Gabriel appearing to the Virgin Mary, setting events in motion I could never have guessed. I know it is presumptuous to compare my small life to hers, but I have reason to believe she wouldn't mind; I will get to that. Right now it's enough to say that despite everything that happened that summer, I remain tender toward the bees. An excerpt from the book, The Secret Life of Bees


I read The Secret Life of Bees six years ago. I remember it well, because Selah was two years old and I was in a wheelchair, on an oxygen tank and couldn't feed myself. I couldn't mother Selah like I had imagined I would. I was heartbroken. My family knew it and did everything to make me feel better, including picking up books from the public library for me. Reading was my first love and at the time all I could do--wanted to-- back then was read and escape from my sad reality.

I read that book, and not only did it make me fall in love with writing again, it made me stronger somehow. As you know my health and my maternity has spun onto a whole new orbit.

So when I received an opportunity to prescreen "The Secret Life of Bees" The Movie i missed the first two opportunities. Not because I chose to, of course, but because (1) I had promised to Selah to the Rockdale County Fair and then the second time because I was so under the weather. My health is better, but limiting sometimes.

But I have some good friends, closer than sisters, Rhonda McKnight and Pam Perry as well as Felicia Tanner of Liquid Soul Media(a new sister) who knew where my heart was. They reserved the last two tickets for me and a guest.




My eight-year-old daughter, Selah was my guest. If I told you she was one of Dakota Fanning's biggest fans I would not come close to what she says she feels about the actress.

After watching the movie I am in competition to be her biggest fan.

This movie was beyond sweet, heartwarming, charming, heartheavy, bittersweet, romantic. It was heart opening. Queen Latifah stuck her foot in August Boatwright. Alicia Keys...she personified June's sizzle, spirit and spite so well. Oh my goodness.
Sophie Okonedo wore the world's emotion on that screen. Wow. Brilliant. Angelic. And Jennifer Hudson. When I read the novel I imagined someone else, but boy do I thank Director/Screenwriter Gina Prince-Bythewood for casting her. She was a humbled sister/mother so symbolic of The Black Madonna.

I am so grateful to have lived to have read the novel and thankful to God to have seen it as a movie.

I hope my writer-or-die chicks/Sisters in Christ continue to write compelling, centered stories and believe in the power of the bees.

Advisory: This movie has strong themes that if you bring your child(ren) to see, then prepare to talk with them about those themes and how you as a family have decided to honor your family. Selah and I had a long talk about those issues and we will continue to come back to this conversation as she starts puberty.

My rating: 5 Hallelujah Handclaps

Here an Queen Latifah and Tristan Wilds Talk Secret Life of Bees Here




Revolve: Rockin’ The Road Premiers Tonight

ATLANTA, GA (October 15, 2008) – Gospel Music Channel (GMC) television network will take viewers on a unique, behind-the-scenes journey in its first-ever unscripted reality drama series called Revolve: Rockin’ The Road. The five-episode series -- set to premiere Friday night, October 17 -- is GMC’s first foray into dramatic reality programming as well as its first original series targeting teens.

Revolve: Rockin’ The Road follows four advance team members of The Revolve Tour, the popular new travelling tour for teen girls produced by North America’s largest women’s conference, Women of Faith.

The show will be seen through the eyes of four young professionals working with The Revolve Tour this summer: Chad Eastham, Jenna Lucado, Sean Kelly and Courtney Clark Cleveland. Crammed inside a tour bus and armed only with their faith, the four friends trek across America with an agenda to connect with teen girls and spark interest in The Revolve Tour: All Access that kicked off September 12, 2008.

Revolve: Rockin’ The Road will give viewers an all-access pass as the foursome travel to nine different Christian music festivals across the country. The series will capture their collective quest to maintain spiritual peace and discipline amidst logistical challenges, self goals, and inevitable relationship struggles. While some of the cast finds resolution to those struggles at the season’s end, others remain searching.

Christian music artists Natalie Grant, Hawk Nelson, Group 1 Crew, Krystal Meyers and Ayiesha Woods are featured in the series, performing at the festivals and connecting with the Revolve team. A preview of the new show can be seen at http://www.gospelmusicchannel.com/revolve.

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