Akeelah and the Bee
Changing the world... one word at a time.
Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer) is a precocious eleven-year-old girl from south Los Angeles with a gift for words. Despite the objections of her mother Tanya (Angela Bassett), Akeelah enters various spelling contests, for which she is tutored by the forthright Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne); her principal Mr. Welch (Curtis Armstrong) and the proud residents of her neighborhood. Akeelah's aptitude earns her an opportunity to compete for a spot in the Scripps National Spelling Bee and in turn unites her neighborhood who witness the courage and inspiration of one amazing little girl.
This DVD has only an English language soundtrack. To receive an edition of this title with a French language soundtrack, please ZipList Akeelah and the Bee (v.f.)
Member Reviews
Great Film - MVELVR
When my son heard we were watching a movie about a Spelling Bee, he was very negative- but we all ended up loving it! Heartwarming, the plots had a few twists, and the suspense built to the finale. I liked the ending, but won't say why, cause it'd be a spoiler! See it.A Superb Movie - revsdd
My first reaction to this movie was that it was just another of the now typical underdog overcomes the odds type of movie that's all too common today. I expected it, therefore, to be a decent movie (most of them are) but not great. I was surprised. This really was superbly put together. It has an air of authenticity about it even though it's not based on reality, and I was absolutely blown away by young Keke Palmer, who played Akeelah. Akkelah is an 11 year old girl and spelling phenom who attends a rundown inner city school in South Los Angeles. Her principal recognizes her spelling prowess and convinces her to enter the competition leading to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Palmer truly was Akeelah. She was likable and drew me into the movie the way many experienced actresses would never be able to do. Lawrence Fishburne was also quite good as Dr. Larabee, a former UCLA English professor who becomes Akeelah's coach. He wasn't as dominating as Palmer, but that was in keeping with the nature of his character - Larabee being a troubled man dealing with demons of his own. Kudos also to Angela Bassett for a good performance as Akeelah's mom.
I did assume that this was loosely based on a true story, and found out afterward that it wasn't. That was a bit of a letdown, but since the movie never claimed the contrary I have nothing to complain about, although I am now free to mention a couple of plot points that otherwise (had they been true) would have been acceptable. The first revolved around the character of Dylan. It seemed to me that the portrayal of his family (and especially his dad) was an overly stereotypical portrayal of the Chinese family insisting on perfection from their children, whether it made their children happy or not. The other (since this never happened) is the overly happy ending to the whole thing. The ending was just too perfect - life generally isn't. Overall, though, this really was a superb movie.Fantastic!!! - Vickie
This movie just grabs your attention and draws you into the competitive world of the spelling bee. You get insight into the significant effort that these children have to put into studying to prepare for the bee. It tells a story about a young eleven year old girl who has to struggle more than most - growing up in a poor part of town, with little family support. What is most amazing is that this film does not give the appearance of being made cheaply, and yet they filmed it in only a month with very little money. A true credit to all involved with the project!!!
Member Reviews
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Great Film - MVELVR
When my son heard we were watching a movie about a Spelling Bee, he was very negative- but we all ended up loving it! Heartwarming, the plots had a few twists, and the suspense built to the finale. I liked the ending, but won't say why, cause it'd be a spoiler! ...A Superb Movie - revsdd
My first reaction to this movie was that it was just another of the now typical underdog overcomes the odds type of movie that's all too common today. I expected it, therefore, to be a decent movie (most of them are) but not great. I was surprised. This really ...Fantastic!!! - Vickie
This movie just grabs your attention and draws you into the competitive world of the spelling bee. You get insight into the significant effort that these children have to put into studying to prepare for the bee. It tells a story about a young eleven year ...