Akeelah must overcome a distracting home life to compete in the national spelling bee which in turn helps unite her South Los Angeles neighborhood to rally behind her. - (Baker & Taylor)
AKEELAH AND THE BEE is the inspirational story of Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer), an 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. - (Lions Gate)
Video Librarian Reviews
The growing popularity of spelling bees as a spectator sport spills over into the fictional arena with this earnest, well-meaning tale of a talented black girl from a poor section of Los Angeles who pursues a national championship. Offering a variant on the Searching for Bobby Fischer formula, writer-director Doug Atchison's Akeelah and the Bee stars perky Keke Palmer as Akeelah, a bright middle-schooler whose uncanny spelling ability leads her principal to enlist an old friend—a professor and former bee champion himself (Laurence Fishburne)—to help her train. Initially, Akeelah's overworked mother (Angela Bassett) doesn't provide much support, but she comes around, and eventually the whole neighborhood rallies behind the girl's march toward the gold. Most of what happens is reasonably predictable, from making the ultimate competitor a machine-perfect Asian kid pushed to win by his merciless (and prejudiced) father, to the big finale that draws out the suspense to almost ridiculous lengths. Although awfully anxious to please (while studiously avoiding offense), this is still solid family entertainment with a positive message. Recommended. (F. Swietek) Copyright Video Librarian Reviews 2006.