Tell It To The Bees (2018)

Holliday Grainger and Anna Paquin star in the romantic period-drama TELL IT TO THE BEES, Annabel Jankel’s 2018 adaptation of out author Fiona Shaw’s (not the actress) 2009 novel of the same name.

TELL IT TO THE BEES

2018. UK.

Director: Annabel Jankel

Screenplay: Henrietta Ashworth and Jessica Ashworth

Based on: “Tell It to the Bees” (2009) by Fiona Shaw

Starring: Anna Paquin, Holliday Grainger, Gregor Selkirk, Emun Elliott, Kate Dickie, Billy Boyd, and Lauren Lyle

TELL IT TO THE BEES, is set in a small town in rural Scotland in the 1950s. A young woman, Lydia (Grainger), is trying to figure out how to raise her son Charlie (Emun Elliot) and pay the rent after her husband’s sudden departure. Through a mishap with Charlie, and a lesson in beekeeping, Lydia meets the new neighbouring doctor, Jean (Paquin) – to her surprise, a woman. Lydia, Jean, and Charlie become close and after losing her job and receiving an eviction notice the young mother and son move in with the doctor. Feelings between Lydia and Jean grow and it’s not long before the gossipy small-town is talking about the couple.

The film stirred up some controversy in the queer community upon its release because it altered the ending of Shaw’s story. Film, television, and literature haven’t been kind in the depiction of lesbian relationships and, as a newly out queer woman, Shaw was determined to avoid the usual tropes in her novel.

**Spoilers Ahead**

Shaw unfortunately was not a part of the film adaptation process and, after it premiered, stated that:

“While I applaud the adaptation of my novel, and I was moved by the final kiss (two beautiful women together, proud and public, while people tut and stare), I am not in love with the ending. This bittersweetness is a straight person’s finale. I wanted my couple to have their cake and eat it together, for once: a fully romantic, fully happy, and therefore – in the context of lesbian fiction – a more radical ending.”

In Shaw’s novel, the couple moves to Italy and grow old together - In the film, they part ways at a train station.

TELL IT TO THE BEES is a good film, it’s well-acted, beautifully shot, and has a great score – but, I can’t help but wonder what the film could have been if it actually offered its protagonists the happy ending they deserved.

You can find the film streaming on Hoopla (Canada), Prime, Hulu & Kanopy (USA), Disney+ & Prime (UK) - & for rent/purchase through AppleTV, Amazon, and YouTube