Some Juicy Tidbits About
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES
These days all you have to do to learn little-known facts about upcoming movies is a quick Google search and -- presto! -- the Internet can spew forth such little gems as those below -- read on to see what I mean!
From USA Today's June 26th article, "Coming Attractions: Honey, let Hudson tell you about 'Secret Life of Bees'" Jennifer Hudson said the following:
"It's very raw, very raw. It affected each of us in some kind of way," says Hudson. "Like with me, I had to do research like crazy on the civil rights movement. That messed with my mind. And then I had to fight three white men because I was my own stunt double...Dakota, Queen and Tristan (Wilds) had to go to bee school and learn how to deal with bees. Alicia had to learn how to play the cello," says Hudson. "I've never had to be this involved in anything in my life! I had to touch a bug. I had a fit, honey. I nearly lost my mind! It was a beetle, but luckily, it was beautiful."
***
At the end of E! Online's July 10th article "The Skinny on Jennifer Hudson's New Album":
"And there may be a new musical collaboration in the works, too. There's talk, Hudson says, of recording a song for the soundtrack of her upcoming movie, The Secret Life of Bees, with costars Queen Latifah and Alicia Keys. "It would be an honor for me to do a song with them," Hudson cooed. (No word if their fourth costar, Dakota Fanning, will sing backup.)"
***
Variety listed BEES in this July 2nd article as "awards fodder" in their "blueprint for the next 6 months."
"October: Lionsgate's Oliver Stone bio-politico-comedy-drama "W." starring Josh Brolin; WB's Ridley Scott film "Body of Lies," written by William Monahan ("The Departed") and starring Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio; Fox Searchlight's "The Secret Life of Bees" (Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah); Universal-Spyglass' Greg Kinnear film "Flash of Genius," with Marc Abraham making his directing debut; and Sony Pictures Classics' "I've Loved You So Long," with Kristin Scott Thomas, and Jonathan Demme's "Rachel Getting Married," with Anne Hathaway."
***
On June 30th The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel published a Q&A they conducted with Alicia Key:
"I did my first film, which was 'Smokin' Aces,' and the next one was 'Nanny Diaries.' The one that's coming out now happens in October. I'm really excited about it. It's called 'The Secret Life of Bees.' It was a major, major book, a bestseller by Sue Monk Kidd, and they turned it into a movie. It's just an incredible, incredible story. It's kind of a coming-of-age story but it's also finding your happiness. It just transcends color and religion and race, and it even transcends time because it's set in the '60s but you can still relate to it now. It's a beautiful story. I'm really excited about everybody seeing it.
Q. I understand that you're going to portray biracial pianist Philippa Schuyler in a movie. Given your own biracial background, do you feel you have insights or experiences that people who are either black or white, do not?
A. Umm. No. I just feel like it's just opened me up to a more varied understanding of the world, to be more empathetic and open."
