Film Bites

"Bee Season" -- This family saga has plenty of honey for the brain but little for the heart. Adapted from Myla Goldberg's novel, it's strangled by its literary roots, the characters coming off as facades whose dark, strange actions often feel pointless because we have no true glimpse of their inner lives. The film has sturdy performances from Richard Gere, Juliette Binoche, Max Minghella and newcomer Flora Cross as a sixth-grader whose phenomenal success at spelling bees proves a catalyst for friction in her family. Yet under the direction of filmmakers Scott McGehee and David Siegel, the story is so dour and low-key, it's difficult to care about the characters or their crises. PG-13 for thematic elements, a scene of sensuality and brief strong language. 104 min. Two stars out of four.