Tell It to the Bees
Directed byAnnabel Jankel
Screenplay by
  • Henrietta Ashworth
  • Jessica Ashworth
Based onTell It to the Bees by Fiona Shaw
Produced by
  • Daisy Allsop
  • Nick Hill
  • Annabel Jankel
  • Nik Bower
  • Laure Vaysse
Starring
Narrated byBilly Boyd
CinematographyBartosz Nalazek
Edited by
Music byClaire M Singer
Production
companies
Distributed byVertigo Releasing
Release dates
  • 9 September 2018 (2018-09-09) (Toronto)
  • 26 July 2019 (2019-07-26) (United Kingdom)
Running time
106 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Tell It to the Bees is a 2018 British romantic drama film directed by Annabel Jankel and starring Anna Paquin and Holliday Grainger. The screenplay by Henrietta and Jessica Ashworth[1] is based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Fiona Shaw.[2]

The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival as a Special Presentation on 9 September 2018.[3][4][5] Tell It to the Bees opened in limited release in the United States on 3 May 2019.[6] It was released theatrically in the United Kingdom on 26 July 2019.[7]

Plot

With her failing marriage and young son, Lydia (Grainger) starts to connect with the town's new doctor Jean (Paquin), who bonds with Lydia's son Charlie after he takes an interest in her bee colonies. However, in 1950s rural Scotland, the women's relationship raises questions after the mother and son start to live with her after they get evicted.

Cast

Production

Development

In June 2012, the original screenplay written by Irena Brignull was presented to the British Film Institute (BFI).[8] Funding for the project was thereafter secured from the BFI Film Fund and Creative Scotland.[9][10][11] The initial production budget in 2015 was £5 million.[12]

In May 2017, the producers announced that Holliday Grainger was to star in the film.[13] In August 2017, Anna Paquin joined the cast as Doctor Jean Markham.[14][15][16] Unlike the novel, which is set in Yorkshire, the film takes place in northern Scotland.[9]

Tell It to the Bees is produced by Reliance Entertainment Productions 8, Archface Films, Taking A Line For A Walk, Riverstone Pictures, Cayenne Film Company, Motion Picture Capital; and co-produced by Filmgate Films, Twickenham Studios and Film i Väst.[17] Film Constellation handled international distribution rights.[13][10][18]

The North American rights were acquired from Film Constellation by Good Deed Entertainment on 30 October 2018.[19] Distribution rights for Germany, Spain, Korea, and Taiwan were sold on 4 November 2018,[20] followed by rights to Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, and Poland on 7 February 2019, as well as acquisition by Vertigo Releasing for the United Kingdom.[21]

Filming

Principal photography began on 10 August 2017 in Scotland,[10] with filming near Stirling.[22][23]

Soundtrack

The original score was written by Scottish composer Claire M Singer.[24] The soundtrack album was released on 3 May 2019.[25]

Release

Holliday Grainger during Gala premiere of Tell It to the Bees at the 2018 Zurich Film Festival.

Tell It to the Bees premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2018.[3][26][27] The first movie clip was released on 6 September in advance of the world premiere.[28]

It premiered in limited theatrical release in the U.S. on 3 May 2019.[6][29]

Home media

In the U.S., the film was made available as VOD on 3 May 2019.[6]

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 54% rating based on 56 reviews by professional critics, and an average rating of 5.4/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Tell It to the Bees is well-acted and well-intentioned — but often undermined by its frustratingly didactic storytelling."[30] On Metacritic, the film received a score of 50/100 based on 13 reviews from critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[31]

References

  1. ↑ "Henrietta & Jessica Ashworth". United Agents. 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  2. ↑ "Tell it to the Bees". Fiona Shaw. 9 August 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Tell It To The Bees". TIFF. 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  4. ↑ Berger, Laura (14 August 2018). "TIFF Adds More Galas and Special Presentations: Pics from Sam Taylor-Johnson, Veena Sud, & More". Women and Hollywood. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  5. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (14 August 2018). "TIFF Adds Sam Taylor-Johnson's 'A Million Little Pieces,' Paul Greengrass' '22 July', Joel Edgerton's 'Boy Erased' To Preem List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 Tell It to the Bees [@TITTBmovie] (3 May 2019). "#TellItToTheBees is now available for you to see at..." (Tweet). Retrieved 3 June 2019 – via Twitter.
  7. ↑ "Tell It To The Bees". Launching Films. Film Distributors' Association. 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  8. ↑ Shaw, Fiona (3 June 2012). "Tell it to the Bees screenplay off to the BFI". fiona-shaw.com. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  9. 1 2 Gant, Charles (14 June 2018). "'Super Mario Bros' director on her comeback 'Tell It To The Bees', starring Anna Paquin, Holliday Grainger". Screen Daily. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  10. 1 2 3 "Tell It To The Bees starts shooting as cast revealed". Creative Scotland. 10 August 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  11. ↑ Grater, Tom (9 August 2018). "BFI annual report unveils total production awards, staff costs, lottery income". Screen Daily. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  12. ↑ Geoghegan, Kev (14 May 2015). "The business of Cannes: Part 1 (Daisy Allsop)". BBC News. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  13. 1 2 Grater, Tom (20 May 2017). "Holliday Grainger boards 'Tell It To The Bees' with Film Constellation". Screen Daily. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  14. ↑ Ritman, Alex (10 August 2017). "Anna Paquin Joins Lesbian Romance 'Tell It to the Bees'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  15. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (10 August 2017). "Anna Paquin Will 'Tell It To The Bees' With Holliday Grainger In Period Romance". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  16. ↑ Clarke, Stewart (10 August 2017). "Anna Paquin Joins 'Tell It to the Bees' Movie Adaptation". Variety. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  17. ↑ Grater, Tom (10 August 2017). "Anna Paquin boards UK lesbian romance 'Tell It To The Bees'". Screen Daily. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  18. ↑ "Tell It to the Bees". European Film Promotion. 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  19. ↑ Barraclough, Leo (30 October 2018). "Anna Paquin's 'Tell It to the Bees' Flies to U.S. With Good Deed (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  20. ↑ Grater, Tom (4 November 2018). "UK romance 'Tell It To The Bees' racks up further deals (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  21. ↑ Grater, Tom (7 February 2019). "Annabel Jankel's 'Tell It To The Bees' sells to key territories for Film Constellation (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  22. ↑ Paterson, Kirsteen (10 August 2017). "Film crew's bee-line for Stirlingshire as Oscar winner Paquin joins cast". The National. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  23. ↑ Marzella, Chris (18 August 2017). "Game of Thrones star and Oscar winner featuring in movie filming near Stirling". Daily Record. Retrieved 15 September 2018. (originally published in Stirling Observer as "Deanston takes step back in time as 1950s film set".)
  24. ↑ "Claire M. Singer Scoring Annabel Jankel's 'Tell It to the Bees'". Film Music Reporter. 20 August 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  25. ↑ "'Tell It to the Bees' Soundtrack Details". Film Music Reporter. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  26. ↑ Hunter, Allan (9 September 2018). "'Tell It To The Bees': Toronto Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  27. ↑ Butler, Hillary (12 September 2018). "TIFF 2018: In Conversation with Director Annabel Jankel of Tell it To the Bees". Live for Films. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  28. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (6 September 2018). "'Tell It To The Bees': First Footage Of Anna Paquin & Holliday Grainger In TIFF Romance-Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  29. ↑ Billington, Alex (8 March 2019). "Anna Paquin & Holliday Grainger in First Trailer for 'Tell It to the Bees'". FirstShowing. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  30. ↑ "Tell It to the Bees". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  31. ↑ "Tell It to the Bees". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.

Further reading

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