"Bee Season" is a beautifully
filmed, well-acted, contemporary family drama, which, while not
always completely faithful, strives to maintain the spirit of
the best-selling novel of the same name, penned by Kensington
author Myla Goldberg.
Set in a sunny California suburb, "Bee Season" focuses
on how a seemingly ideal family implodes just as its youngest
member (newcomer Flora Cross) achieves great success in the competitive
world of spelling bees.
In the film, Richard Gere ("Chicago," "Pretty
Woman") plays Saul Naumann, a religious studies professor
fascinated by the teachings of the Kabbalah, a branch of Jewish
mysticism. A good provider and devoted to his family, Saul never
shows as much interest in his 11-year-old daughter, Eliza, as
he does when she proves to be a champion speller.
More comfortable with the academic and religious implications
of the little girl’s talent than with exuding a typical daddy’s
pride, Saul tries to show Eliza the spiritual link to her triumphs
by teaching her all about the Kabbalah. Gere is terrific in the
role of a middle-aged man thrilled to help his daughter find
a path to God.
Unfortunately, Saul’s new obsession all but excludes his wife,
Miriam, played by Juliette Binoche, the stunning star of "The
English Patient" and "Chocolat," as well as his
teen-age son, Aaron, played by actor Max Minghella, the son of
celebrated filmmaker Anthony Minghella, in his first major film
role.
Although Saul speaks often about the power of words, it soon
becomes clear that he should use them to communicate more with
his wife and son. If he did so earlier in the film, he might
have noticed everyone in the family was looking for some sort
of enlightenment and they might have been able to help each other.
While Saul is off training Eliza for her competitions, Miriam,
missing his attention and haunted by the tragic deaths of her
parents, starts behaving in bizarre ways. Binoche offers another
great performance here, but more time is needed to explore her
complex problems and personality.
Aaron, meanwhile, opts to rebel against his father and his spiritual
beliefs by exploring the Hare Krishna religion after meeting
one of its prettier members, played by "Beyond the Sea"
star Kate Bosworth.
Watching her family disintegrate as she succeeds, Eliza realizes
it is up to her to bring them back together again. Her desire
to make what is shattered whole again makes for compelling drama,
even if the movie does tend to drag a bit at one-hour and 44-minutes.
The third feature film from directing team Scott McGehee and
David Siegel ("The Deep End," "Suture") is,
nevertheless, an absorbing look at two interesting worlds – that
of the spelling bee competitor and that of the seemingly idyllic
American family.
Although fans of Goldberg’s beloved novel will likely swarm to
the film when it opens this month, they will just as likely buzz
about how much the movie departs from the book.
In the film, Saul is a professor instead of a cantor, and the
family lives in California instead of in a town near Philadelphia.
But the filmmakers, particularly screenwriter Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal
("Running on Empty," "Losing Isaiah") do
seem to respect the author’s material even if they sometimes
allow the mystical aspects of the story to eclipse what could
have been an even more gripping family drama.
"Bee Season," directed by Scott McGehee and David
Siegel, will be released in Brooklyn movie theaters on Nov. 18.
