BEE MOVIE

Thinking Bee
If one had to provide an overall message for "Bee Movie” (other than the clever brainchild of one of the writers: "Black and Yellow — Hello!”) it would have to be "Thinking Bee.” While it could be taken as a cautionary reminder to stay in line and put the interests of the group before the interests of the self, it has actually come to signify something much more heartfelt and globally appealing.

"I actually think that there are several messages,” says producer Steinberg. "Something that is very important for Jerry — and something he wanted to get across — is the idea that every job you do, if done well, matters, and that everybody has value. The whole concept of "thinking bee” is working together and doing your job well. That matters — and it can pave the way for changes for the better. Jerry often equates how we all work here at DreamWorks with the way a hive works — everybody's working hard and functioning very well together to produce something that, hopefully, a lot of people will like.”

Hickner adds, "‘Thinking bee' is the mantra of the bees. It has been in the script from the start, and was important, because one of the things that Adam says to Barry is that he has to start thinking bee, because Barry is questioning whether or not he wants to work in the honey field, doing one job for the rest of his life. And during the course of the movie, Barry actually learns how important thinking bee and being a bee really is.”

"It has been incredible to begin ‘Thinking Bee,'” Smith comments. "I'll tell you what was really amazing is that we started making the movie, and about six months in we started feeling guilty eating honey, because we learned how much it costs the bees to make it. They work really, really hard. And then you start thinking about it as you go into the supermarket, and later, when you put a little honey out for tea. And then you don't have it. That's pretty odd. Your behavior starts changing. You start seeing stripes everywhere. You start seeing hexagons everywhere. It's very, very strange.”

Creating "Bee Movie” from the ground up proved to be a learning experience for Jerry Seinfeld — and not just about the intricacies of producing, scripting and performing in an animated feature. He ended up taking an invaluable life lesson from the black and yellow guys, he says. "One of the things that you have to know about in the movie is that we talk about the fact that all bees, once they sting, that's it for them. You sting, your life is over. So it's a big step. You really have to control your temper. You don't just sting somebody because you get upset. You have to control yourself. Makes you really think about anger management, doesn't it?”

In conclusion, Seinfeld observes: "For me, this has been a four-year process. It's just now hitting me that this is a wonderful gift to children — and I have kids — and I honestly never thought about that aspect of it along the way. I initially thought that this is a very interesting medium in which to work. It's so different and creative and unique — that was what attracted me to it. I wasn't thinking about kids at all, but now that's what I'm thinking about. I'm thinking I'm about to wrap up a present for kids with a big bow, kids all over the world, and that's what I'm excited about now.”

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