If you haven’t seen The Secret Life of Bees yet, you probably should not read this post. (I am not giving away any big spoilers but I am talking a bit about the characters). According to box office stats a decent amount of folks did go to the theater in hopes of seeing Latifah, Alicia and Jennifer. The film took in approximately $11 million and came in a respectable third at the box office. But to me that most surprising performance comes from the most unassuming member of the cast, Sophie Okonedo.
Sophie played the decidedly different Boatwright sister, May, using her face and body to convey a myriad of emotions. At times the theater broke out in nervous laughter at how it was expressed but ultimately she is the character that will break your heart. Okonedo is very beautiful in real life, but she doesn’t get to be glamourous (like Alicia Keys) or wise (Queen Latifah) in this outing. Instead, she is the one who struggles with the emotional burdens she carries.
Okonedo has had a handful of roles, most notable is Hotel Rwanda for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. But she was also in that bizarre Charlize Theron movie Aeon Flux. But I am wondering why we don’t see more of her? Sure, we have Thandie Newton, as the Black Brit they call when they want to check those boxes off the list. But come on, isn’t there room for one more? This actress has a lot to offer she just needs the roles to showcase her stuff. So Hollywood if you’re listening, don’t sleep on Sophie.
October 21st, 2008 at 11:06 am
Hi Corynne,
Happy Autumn. I love reading your blog posts about movies and other That Black Girl topics.
This weekend I went to Houston to attend my cousin Chester’s wedding. I stayed with my sorority sister Pam and her husband Vinson. When Pam picked me up from the airport on Friday night, we talked about how excited we were to see such a strong female cast in The Secret Life of Bees. We also decided to carve out some movie time on Saturday morning to see the movie.
When we arrived at the movie theater the next morning, I was blown away by the cost of the matinee show. Five dollars! Yes only five dollars. You gotta love Houston for the cheap movie ticket!
My connection to the movie began with the year I was born. 1964. Although I have no real memory of the year, my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and family friends gave me their memories of what it was like to live in America as African Americans. Their memories centered around the Civil Rights movement and the violence, discrimination, and suffering of people who look like me.
When I saw the scene with Jennifer Hudson’s character Rosalie getting beat up by an angry crowd of White men, all of their memories flashed in front of my eyes. It made me wonder how could folks endure such pain and suffering yet find the courage to move forward and fight for their rights. Faith in Spirit to transform humanity through the power of love, prayer, action, healing, compassion, strategic organizing, service to others, community-building, resource sharing, patience, courage, persistence, and nonviolence were the answers that came to mind.
After the characters Rosalie and Lily met the Boatwright sisters, I developed a fondness for May Boatwright played by Sophie Okonedo. May’s spirit and heart were overflowing with love and compassion. She made me smile with her creative breakfasts and desserts … dancing… braiding hair… honoring the Black Madonna… crying… singing… praying… and placing her concerns at her very own wailing wall. She was so authentic in the way she lived and expressed herself. When she decided to take her life, I was shocked. She did it peacefully and in the water. Water is such a powerful force. It reminds me of baptism, purification, healing, and cleansing. Maybe May decided to leave her burdens behind in the water as a form of cleansing her soul before her spirit moved from this life to the next. Who knows?
I thought The Secret Life of Bees movie was a beautiful story. It affirmed how powerful women can be when they gather and honor feminine energy in the sacred and themselves. Now I am ready to read the book because I wanna feel the life of each character that author Sue Monk created.
Peace, Ananda
October 21st, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Ananda, You should definitely read the book, it is beautifully written and gives great details to things that have to be condensed in a film version. Sue Monk Kidd knows how to suck you into a story.