July 2 - The Secret Life of Bees

Today’s movie is a period drama with a scene set on July 2. Watch it tonight and enjoy.  

THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES      

In a flashback, we see that four year old Lily acidentaly kills her mother when her mother returns to get her things and Lilly, prior to leaving her husband, Ten years later on July 2, 1964 [3:49 to 10:27] it is Lily’s birthday. Lily, who is white and their maid Rosaleen, who is African-American walk to town, where Rosaleen is beaten up and arrested. Lilly and Rosaleen run away and end up at the home of the African-American August Boatwright and her sisters May and June. They raise honey and August agres to let Lilly and Rosaleen stay and work for them. Lilly becomes friends with Zach, a boy who also works with the bees. When he and Lilly go to the movies, Lilly sits in the “colored” section. Zach is kidnapped by a racist mob. News of this causes the emotionally unstable May to commit suicide. August tells Lilly she did know her mother. Zach returns, having been just beaten. Her abusive father comes looking for Lilly, but in the end lets her stay with the Boatwrights. 
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The date is given in the film at 6:45 and in Bearing the Cross by David J. Garrow (William Norton & Co., NY, 1986) at page 338

                  

Producer - Lauren Shuler Donner, James Lassiter, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and Joe Pichirallo

Director - Gina Prince-Bythewood

Screenwriter - Gina Prince-Bythewood

Runtime – 1 hour 50 minutes

Released – October 17, 2008

Starring –

Queen Latifah as August Boatwright

Jennifer Hudson as Rosaleen "July" Daise

Alicia Keys as June Boatwright

Dakota Fanning as Lily Owens

Sophie Okonedo as May Boatwright

Paul Bettany as T-Ray Owens

Hilarie Burton as Deborah Owens

Tristan Wilds as Zach Taylor

Nate Parker as Neil

Shondrella Avery as Greta

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.