The Secret Life of Bees - Emery O

Synopsis: Set in the summer of 1964, right after the passing of the Civil Rights Act, The Secret Life of Bees follows Lily Owens as she runs away from her abusive father in hopes of finding out something about her late mother's life, leading her down a long road of self realization and discovery of the world. Through her journey she is forced to expand her point of view, address the issues of racism in her time and the importance of understanding lives other than your own. Lily spends time growing, bonding and healing with the Boatwright sisters, later finding out that her mother had also lived there many years in the past.

Trailer: 

Screenshot #1:

The pink house where Lily goes to seek out information about her late mother's life, and where she meets the Boatwright sisters. The house is revealed to be pink as part of a lesson to Lily. August tells her that she thought it was the "tackiest" color she had ever seen, but "if it'll lift May's heart, then I guess she ought to live in it." Lily responds saying that it was mighty nice of her to sacrifice the color she wanted, to which August replies: "Well, some things don't after that much, Lily. Like the color of a house and whatnot. But liftin' someone's heart- now that matters."

Screenshot #2: 

In this screencap from the trailer, June shown to be arguing with the officers who came to speak with them after Zach's abduction from the movie theater. Zach was abducted for being black and sitting with Lily during the movie. June argues that they know who took him but aren't doing anything about it.

Analysis:

The Secret Life of Bees taking place at the time of the civil rights movement put the racial issues the film discusses into the spotlight, since it was a time where racial tensions were arguable at their peak with many white people being adverse to the Civil Rights Act and being highly prejudiced against black people. The film explores these concepts through Lily's eyes as a young white girl eager to learn and understand more about the world around her and the people she cares about. While it doesn't exactly have a call to action, being set around almost 60 years ago, "The Secret Life of Bees" does emphasize the importance of activism— fighting for your rights as well as the participation in utilizing them once you get them, even in the face of adversity.

Discussion Questions:

 1) How do you think this movie being a coming of age story influences it's overall message?

 2) Although the Civil Rights Act was passed at the very beginning of the film, almost all of the white people that Lily, Rosaleen (her and her father's hoursekeeper, who also ran away with her) and the Boatwrights encounter treat them with hostility. What are a few reasons you think that the Civil Rights Act had little to no effect on the way black people were being treated?