THE BEE MOVIE
US, 2007, 90 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Jerry Seinfeld, Renee Zellweger, Matthew Broderick, Patrick Warburton, John Goodman, Chris Rock, Kathy Bates, Barry Levinson, Larry King, Ray Liotta, Sting, Oprah Winfrey, Larry Miller, Megan Mullaly, Rip Torn, Michael Richards.
Directed by Steve Hickner and Simon J. Smith.
This is a likable animated story, genial rather than great.
About ten years ago, Woody Allen as Z in Antz did the unexpected and the undesirable thing. He questioned the long tradition of work and conformism in the ant colony. He went out and saw the world. Perhaps Jerry Seinfeld went out and saw Antz and was inspired to write The Bee Movie.
Seinfeld voices the hero, Barry Beston, who, along with his friend and stickler for the rules, Adam (voice of Matthew Broderick), graduates, is taken on a tour of the honey production plant where they are all to work – and to choose a job which they will have all their lives. That doesn’t seem right to Barry who is also a disappointment to his parents (Kathy Bates and Barry Levinson). Barry goes out with the nectar collecting squad and has a succession of unfortunate accidents (pratfall laughs for the audience) and ends up almost killed by a vain tennis player (Patrick Warburton) but is saved by a nice florist Vanessa (Renee Zellwegger). Despite the bees’ rule not to talk to humans, Barry does and becomes firm friends with Vanessa. Surprised by the fact that a bee could talk, she soon gets used to it and they chatter along amiably.
A key event is the discovery of mass produced honey which deprives the bees of their livelihood and income – under the brand name of Ray Liotta. A court case ensues presided over by the judge (Oprah Winfrey) and defended by an outlandish Southern drawl lawyer (an amusing turn by John Goodman). Barry is interviewed on TV by a Larry King bee lookalike. Ray Liotta comes into court and loses his cool. Sting is called as a witness to be unmasked as Gordon Sumner exploiting a serious bee characteristic for his commercial name and gain.
We understand these bees because they are just like us – and we too would be sympathetic if we could have conversations with them! In the meantime, this is pleasant bee social-minded propaganda.
1.Popular film? Animation and stars? The human parallels for bees? Adventure, slapstick, stand-up comic jokes, the moral of the story?
2.The animation style, the hive, the world, the human world, parallel worlds? Characters and the comic score?
3.The wide range of voices, actors, stand-up comedians?
4.Audiences and their reaction to bees? Sympathy or not? To insects? Honey? Activities?
5.Jerry Seinfeld’s voice as Barry B. Benson? His graduation, his friendship with Adam (Matthew Broderick’s voice), the bonds between them, growing up, education, their parents and the talk? (Kathy Bates and Barry Levinson as the parents?) The talk in the family, with friends? The tour of the production factory? The lecture? Barry and his conformism, not wanting to do the one job, asking questions? The contrast with Adam? His parents’ attitudes?
6.Barry and the squad, training, the nectar, the illustration, the accident, the car, discovering people, stranded, Ken (Patrick Warburton) and Vanessa (Renee Zellweger) and their relationship, Ken wanting to get rid of him, Vanessa saving him? The effect? In love? At home with Vanessa?
7.The visits, Vanessa and the chats, eating, Ken and his anger?
8.The colony and its life, the adults, the rules, not talking, Adam and his fears, accompanying Barry, Barry and change?
9.The jokes about Ray Liotta, advertising the honey? Ray Liotta using his own voice? The crisis for the colony?
10.Vanessa and her support, Barry and his wanting to sue the humans? The court case? Layton T. Montgomery (John Goodman) and his style? The judge (Oprah Winfrey), the court style, the jokes about Sting, the verdict?
11.Chris Rock as Moose Blood, the mosquito jokes, the ambulance?
12.The resolution, Barry and his assertiveness, discovery of a wider world, righting wrongs, change and progress?
