Queen Bees

My Review - Queen Bees

My Rating 7/10

You wouldn't expect an Academy Award winning 6 time nominated actress like Ellen Burstyn who also has a Tony and two Primetime Emmys making her one of the few performers to achieve the "Triple Crown of Acting " to accept a dud film script and Queen Bees is certainly no dud .

It's a funny sensitive story about 4 mature age women negotiating the trials and tribulations of the many changes of longevity that if we're lucky enough to get there we may all experience.

Todays Cinema rom com movies are mostly aimed at younger audiences so it's great to see a quality mature age romance comedy.

Set mostly at The Pinegrove Retirement Complex Ellen Burstyn as Helen Wilson a very independent widow is experiencing some problems living alone.

Helen and her daughter Laura have a strained relationship but eventually Helen and her family decide through upsetting circumstances that their spirited and strong willed mother and much loved Grandmother to Peter played delightfully by Matthew Barnes can no longer live alone .

Helen reluctantly agrees move temporarily into Pinegrove until her precious home is repaired.

Ellen Burstyn steals this film she is such an accomplished and authentic actress you believe her experiences and emotions.

Of course there are some hokey perhaps corny gags in Queen Bees this movie has heart and certainly is entertaining and worth seeing.

There's some wonderful Hollywood veterans in Queen Bees Ann Margaret as Margo still on the hunt for romance, James Caan gives a lovely performance as Dan Simpson the would be suitor of Helen. The three other Queen Bees Jane Curtain as Janet Poindexter the bitchy cranky self proclaimed leader of the bridge club , Loretta Devine as Helen's friendly Bridge partner and Marianne Muellererie as Anne make a great team.

Donald Martin has written a good script based on a story by Harrison Powell and the film is well directed by Michael Lembeck.

I thoroughly enjoyed Queen Bees and definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys good acting with no gimmicks or thrills that reflects the everyday issues that confront our precious elder generation.

Queen Bees is a new one starring Ellen Burstyn (pushing 90) as a woman who's forced to move into a snazzy retirement facility after she burns down her kitchen. She does not want to go but she has no options. Once there, she runs into a clique of "mean girls" as though no one ever left high school. There's also a tepid romance that's not what it seems.

Enjoyable but rather pale. Story takes place in a world where no one worries about money and although health issues are mentioned, they don't stop anyone from doing anything. Maybe minus the romance this might have been more effective and more humorous. Burstyn is good (as always) as the no-nonsense ex-teacher who succumbs to romance. James Caan is startlingly decrepit looking as the swain. The mean girls are played by Ann-Marget, Loretta Devine, and Jane Curtin. There's also Eric Mapa as a physical therapist and French Stewart as the snarky administrator. Curtin comes off best among the co-stars as the ultra-mean "leader of the pack." Everyone has issues but they're all easily cleared up (or forgotten) by the end of the show.

With a powerhouse cast, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It fills all the criteria for a light romantic comedy. It's a heartwarming ride. Favourite leads Ellen Burstyn, Ann Margaret, Jane Curtin, James Caan and Loretta Devine all have their moments. While reality for many seniors homes may not be portrayed, this is a movie about the possibilities of life in those senior years. The supporting cast is fabulous! Christopher Lloyd, Alex Mapa and French Stewart offer much of the comedy and fun. If you want a light romp with strong performances and a group of seniors that range from independent to frisky to nasty, then Queen Bees will fill that need.

This film takes you into the realm of senior living. It's a feel-good film and it's a lot of fun. We all hope to grow old comfortably, in pleasant surroundings, with great food. We also hope that if we're afflicted with cervical cancer, Alzheimers, or a stroke, that they're just minor inconveniences as portrayed in this film. In other words, this film is a light way to spend a couple of pleasant hours watching our futures as we hope they'll unfold.

This is not a "great film" in the filmic sense, but I loved it all the same.

First, it is great to see films like this getting made at all! The last time I saw something comparable with a mature cast was "The Leisure Seeker" and that was a few years ago. This gets extra marks because it is so good to see!

Second, what a cast! Seeing Burstyn performing at such an incredible level at almost 90 is so inspiring. The cast is uniformly excellent, imbuing the characters with so much more than what is merely delivered thru dialogue. There is a great scene of conflict between Burstyn and Curtin that doesn't even include any dialogue - it is all in their body language and expressions, so wonderfully unstated.

It's fairly light fare compared to Burstyn and Caan's body of work, but it is very well crafted, and is a joy to watch as a result. So nice to see a character driven film featuring older characters, reminding us that character development doesn't end!

I would recommend this to all but the most cynical.