'The Secret Life of Bees' review

Jennifer Hudson and Alicia Keys (Credit: Sidney Baldwin/Fox Searchlight)

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Teenager Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning) lives in the racially segregated South of the 1960s with her abusive father (Paul Bettany) and strong-willed caretaker Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson). When Rosaleen gets beaten for standing up to local racists, she and Lily set off for the small town of Tiburon, South Carolina where they find shelter with the Boatwright sisters (Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys and Sophie Okonedo), three independent women with a connection to Lily's deceased mother (Hilarie Burton).

The buzz: Writer-director Gina Prince-Bythewood hasn't made a theatrical film since her 2000 debut "Love and Basketball," but she has some powerful allies in her bid for a comeback. Based on a massively popular best-seller by Sue Monk Kidd, this impressively cast film is produced by Will Smith and executive produced by his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

The verdict: Respectable but bland, the movie's gentle sentimentality could easily be forgiven if only its characters were granted a little more depth. None of their struggles are particularly compelling, or even all that dramatic, which leaves the charismatic cast with precious few moments to shine. At least they'll keep you interested while the story fails to satisfy. Especially Fanning, who proves her childhood success was no fluke—she's got the makings of a star. All she needs is a role worthy of her talents.

Did you know? The musically gifted Keys was required to learn how to play the cello for the film. Let's see if she can figure out how to use that on a future album.

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