User reviews

In 'Akeelah and the Bee' Keke Palmer plays Akeelah Anderson, a bright 11 year old who just wants to fit in. Despite her intelligence, she is not a good student. She is unmotivated and often misses class. Since the death of her father five years ago, she only seems content when she imagines playing Scrabble with him. Nevertheless, her talent for spelling gives her an opportunity to shine.

This is on of the better movies I have seen this year. This heart-warming and inspirational story is about a girl who, despite all the hardships at home, finds a way to utilize her skill at Scrabble. With a little help from her coach (Laurence Fishburne) she not only learns a lot about language, but she learns how to appreciate the environment around her. She finds out that she is rich in ways she did not realize.

It is very difficult to find fault with this movie, there is something in it for everyone (even a few surprises). Both Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne are awesome. I was particularly impressed with Keke Palmer. I would compare it to 'The Karate Kid' meets 'Finding Forrester'.

...for two reasons: one, it features a lovely, nuanced performance from a young actor, Keke "The Wool Cap" Palmer, who will most definitely be a performer to watch over the next several decades, and two, it reunites Lawrence "The Matrix" Fishburne and Angela "The Score" Bassett in roles decidedly different from those they played in "What's Love Got to Do With It?" Beyond that, I'm sorry to say, "Akeelah and the Bee" is pretty much Movie-of-the-Week manipulative and as formulaic as a WWF match. Clichés and stereotypes abound, and even the ending is straight out of the feel-good "everyone's a winner!" playbook (and don't get me started on the absurdly easy word that pops up for Akeelah to wrap everything up in glorious, pseudo-ironic fashion). Nonetheless, I still give the film props for its positive message, if not its overtly rose-colored glasses. I still prefer "Spellbound" as a spelling bee drama; there's just as much tension rooting for the success of the contestants, and best of all, they're real people.

I'm not black and don't care this was a great movie. To me it was not a movie about a black kid but a kid who just happened to be black. A kid in a bad neighborhood and school compliments of my generation. I hope that the movie can overcome being in the shadow of MI3. Because it deserves it. This movie has heart. It had great acting, a real plot and it has a point. People were cheering and laughing applauding and crying in the theater. Way to go keep it up. Give us some more please. There are some fresh new faces in this move and I hope to see more of them. If you knew me you would know I don't get excited very easily. When I see a movie like this I feel that maybe there is hope for the movie industry. GO SEE IT. You'll feel better for it. Take the kids. Call your friends.

Akeelah and the Bee

Akeelah Anderson is is a talented 11 yr girl who can memorize truckloads of spellings in an instant, spell words like prostedigitization or something like that correctly even though she might be hearing it for the first time, and regularly max out scores on scrabble.A natural for the spelling bee contest, u had say. But before u spell out w-i-n-n-e-r, wait!For starters, she does not know that there is a thing like a spelling contest.Added to that, she is a reluctant person who does not like being under the spotlight for she is afraid of failure.And just to make things more interesting, she is parented by a single mother who is having her own difficulties adjusting the work life balance after her husband dies. A recipe perfect for an ugly-duckling-turns-swan kinda movie. Oh but there is one thing missing.What Dumbledore was to Harry, Morrpheus to Neo,Yoda to Luke.Yes!a teacher, a motivator,a guide!Though nowhere as exotic as these guys, what we have here is a UCLA professor who himself was a Bee contest winner but has now retired from the taxing job of managing pesky kids to the more serene hobby of gardening.He sees the potential in Akeelah, and agrees to train her.Our setting is almost complete.Throw in a bunch of other kids (ur typical 'best friend' ur helpful co-competitor' , ur 'i am not here to make friends, i m here to win' smartass kid) and there! its done!lights camera action!

OK! OK, enough of the sarcasm. the movie is quite good actually.Keke Palmer is cute and likable as Akeelah.Laurence Fishburne plays the subdued, grumpy professor with a past to perfection.The screenplay is also smartly crafted out to tug at ur heart strings, and u end up getting involved into the movie, cheering Akeelah and holding ur breath every time she's called on to spell some wickedly difficult word. The movie neither promises nor delivers anything new.It is just one of those movies to watch with ur family, have a good time ,and then forget all about it.

I went to an advance screening and found "Akeelah" to be so much more than I expected. I sat in the theater dabbing tears from eyes throughout the showing. The emotional weight, story-telling approach and female perspective in "Akeelah" is much like that of POETIC JUSTICE (also set in South Central, LA).

"Akeelah" has GREAT cast performances. As a mentor to Akeelah, Laurence Fishburne continuously reminded me of his nurturing position in BOYZ N THE HOOD - I thought of FINDING FORRESTER and THE MAN WITHOUT A FACE as well. Fishburne looks spectacular with Angela Bassett who knows all the right expressions and vocal tones to have the powerful realism she does in her role as a fearful parent in South Central. Keke Palmer, she is definitely on the rise... pretty girl too. Several strong subplots come about in the first half of "Akeelah." They deal with the painful past of Dr. Larabee (Fishburne), lack of time and attention from Akeelah's overworked mother (Bassett), a teetering relationship between Akeelah and her best friend Georgia (Sahara Garey), and the problems of one of Akeelah's brothers who spends his time out late on the streets of South Central.

Apart from the dramatic mood of "Akeelah," there's an excellent amount of comedy. Many of the jokes are in the things that aren't said but seen (watch the father of Akeelah's major opponent). The most hilarious part of the film, IMO, involves the loyalty of Akeelah's friend Javier (J.R. Villarreal) - you'll know the scene when you see it.

From a more objective standpoint, I felt that many of the scene cuts/transitions in "Akeelah" weren't too clean. I forget all about it though when I reflect on the emotional montages that center around Akeelah, her family and the people of her community. If you remember the standout poem ("our deepest fear...") recited in COACH CARTER, you might feel that "Akeelah" twice makes trite use of it. However, different lines of the poem are read this time around. The pacing of "Akeelah" is good, especially when it comes to how Akeelah learns and advances in the National Spelling Bee. "Akeelah" makes the competition look and feel suspenseful at times, but more importantly, it focuses on the rewards found by those who believe in themselves. Kids in the theater I went to were spelling aloud from the very first scene.

The ending -- I won't spoil it -- combines the pieces of humor, triumph and sadness in "Akeelah" in one of the most beautiful finishes I've ever seen, felt and heard from a movie. You MUST go see AKEELAH AND THE BEE!! You'll leave the theater highly inspired by the best word given in the film ("L-O-V-E").

Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I went to this movie because it was the opener for the Cleveland International Film Festival; I was prepared to dislike it. But the film surprises.

The acting is good enough to transcend a pretty predictable plot. Angela Bassett looks strong physically and acts strong emotionally. Laurence Fishburne plays a man who is at once stern and no nonsense yet still uncomfortable with himself; his story arc unwinding as the movie progresses and providing a little bit of tension. Young Keke Palmer is definitely someone to watch and Curtis Armstrong does a nice turn.

It's definitely a good family film, showing the positive effects of community, how caring for your neighbors can make a difference.

I even got a little sniffley.

Akeelah and the Bee is an excellent movie, and it deserves universal recognition for the unbelievably powerful message, storyline, and theme evident throughout. First of all, Starbucks's co-operation with Laurence Fishburne to produce the movie was a great move on everybody's part. And though many critics may say that Akeelah and the Bee was just another "inspirational film," lacking the originality and pungency necessary for good cinema, the people with such a belief just don't get it. Like Rudy (1993), Akeelah and the Bee is most certainly original in that the story is plausible, meaningful, and very emotional. The only real difference between the two films is that whereas Rudy is based on a true story, Akeelah and the Bee is completely fictional. Also, the fact that all of the real protagonists in the film are minorities brings an incredible new level to the silver screen. Very few recently released movies feature an African-American female--a youth, no less--in the role of the main character. And for viewers to see Akeelah--as well as her mother, her siblings, her best friend, her coach, and her other two spelling-bee companions: all of whom are minorities--achieve such great heights is most definitely "inspirational," and in the right sense. Even for the movie-viewer whose favorites are full of action, violence, and gore, Akeelah and the Bee strikes the heart directly. And for those who like the tear-jerkers, no better movie exists than this one. Without question, this film is one of the best I have seen in a long time, and many will agree that it is an exceptional piece of work. I would honestly be shocked if someone really believed in his or her mind that Akeelah and the Bee "was a waste of time."

Greetings again from the darkness. Three spelling bee movies in the past couple of years and "Akeelah" is the most entertaining, though not as mesmerizing as "Spellbound", nor as slick as "Spelling Bee". Written and directed by relative newcomer Doug Atchison, this is a feel good movie with a bit of "Whale Rider" and "Hoosiers".

What makes the film work is the excellent performance of young Keke Palmer as Akeelah. Her luminescent smile and awkward junior high "freak" movements lend a touch of realism and pure charm. Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett add a bit of class, even if neither are in prime form. Young J.R. Villareal is a scene stealer as Akeelah's other side of the tracks friend, Javier.

Sadly, there are enough clichés in the script to fill the city bus that Akeelah rides from her Crenshaw neighborhood to yuppie haven, Woodland Hills. Screen veteran Tzi Ma plays the overbearing and isolating Asian father of spelling sensation Dylan, played by Sean Michael. Of course, Akeelah is raised by single mom Bassett, whose husband was shot dead on the street (bad neighborhood). Society drop out Fishburne is inspired by Akeelah to resume his teaching career after she helps him come to grips with his own personal tragedy. Bassett deals with her good son/military vs. bad son/gang-banger. And don't forget that it takes a community to raise a spelling champ!

Luckily these issues don't affect the upbeat inspirational message of the film. For a couple of fun notes, check out Craig Wasson as a contest announcer (he is best known for his role in 1984's "Body Double") and Eddie Steeple (Darnell in "My Name is Earl"). What makes Steeple's appearance a bit strange is the inclusion of the song "Rubberband Man" in the film, since he was the office supply delivery boy in the infamous Staples TV ad. Todd Wagner (he has a cameo as a contest judge) and Mark Cuban have struck gold again with a low budget family film that will surely create dinner time conversation. Yes, there are some out of focus moments and garbled sound editing, but I dare you to not smile and be touched by Akeelah.

Akeelah and the Bee is a great movie for the family. It's long overdue to see a movie about the African-American community that does not center around pimps, rapping or drugs in any way. I don't say this without reservation. As a African American aspiring actor, I realize that those are the parts that are written about and for us. That what makes this movie special, it shows that we as a people can rally behind a good cause. I can only hope that I will one day have the opportunity to showcase my talent in a feature such as this. The young actress portraying the title character is a great find. I can see she will be around for quite a while. Lawrence Fishborne did a wonderful job with this film. He became more than just a talent, but a wonderful producer as well. Be sure to catch this on DVD!!!

A Must see for all!!!!!

None of the major reviewers will say it but this movie just isn't realistic. I thought it was a good story and a feel good movie that was entertaining. However if you look back in the history of the spelling bees there has never been someone with little discipline and structure of very low economic environment and a broken home winning. And the child winners always have the support of their parents from the beginning. Don't bother calling me racist because I am not. All winners of the spelling bee like most child prodigies come from distinct background of discipline and structure. Words are not like math where someone can have it all figured out in there heads, however someone can be more inclined to excel at spelling words than the average person. But it takes practice. Akeelah did not have that structure and a child cannot do this without a mom or dad (usually both) providing the right environment from the beginning. Tiger Woods had such structure and discipline. So did all the recent spelling bee winners.

"The old saying . . . that style is the man himself is as near the truth as we can get—but then most men mistake grammar for style, as they mistake correct spelling for words or schooling for education." Samuel Butler

Orthography is the new pornography of the tear-jerking, get-off-your butt-by-your-boot-straps film that, regardless of whether or not it is fiction, is meant to uplift. Akeelah and the Bee is one of the best and most sentimental of the spelling bee genre (recently Spellbound and Bee Season), a fiction about Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer), an underachieving eleven year old in largely black South Los Angeles' Crenshaw district.

Enter a kindly white principal who wants her to join the spelling bee contest and crusty professor Larabee (Laurence Fishburne), who was a champ and now will coach her for the national bee. Need I say more, or will you just fill in the plot points without disappointment because all the strings and stops are pulled from her initial resistance to a slight twist on a tired formulaic ending?

But what, you may ask, is the saving feature of this feel-gooder? It's the big issues it touches on ever so lightly such as cooperation and love, dreams and hard work. Along the way witness the importance of studying etymology and even using mnemonic devices. Learn to love community as the little celebrity unifies otherwise fractious urban enclaves. Learn to despise a silly subplot involving the professor's family, a distraction meant to parallel the main plot but ending up sapping vital dignity from the professor and trivializing the real issues.

Feeling good about children who achieve through the help of adults is not a bad thing; it's just that originality should prevail for a genre that needs to show the sports film genre what intellectual competition can do to spark community and maybe change lives. The audience loved Akeelah and the Bee at our screening; that's winning in anyone's lexicon.

Akeelah and the Bee was a film in which not only inspired me as an individual, but specifically a young Black male individual. Finally, a film in which Black males running around shooting guns and sexing/ mistreating women. A film in which shows a young Black girl coming from an urban neighborhood, raised by a single mother, but still motivated and inspired to use her gift of spelling to the highest degree. During my time watching this film: my emotions were overwhelmed with a sense of positive energy in which inspired me to be motivated to continue doing my best in life: not settling for excuses for where I grew up, the failures I encountered and taking every bit of my negative past to strengthen my positive future. Finally a film where an African American student is demonstrated as brilliant and intelligent!

This morning a saw a screening of "Akeelah and the Bee". I am 55 years of age and will be sending movie tickets to both my daughters age 24 and 26 so they can cry as did. What a wonderful family movie....... I thought they stopped making movies like this many years ago. This movie instilled the fact their is hope in the movie industry. Take your friends and definitely your family. It will bring you all together and even show adults that we can still all learn lessons in life!! This movie will definitely be added to my DVD collection once it is released. I recommend this movie to everyone!!

Murray David Collins

According to Webster's dictionary the second definition of syrup is: (n.) "cloying sweetness or sentimentality". In a bevy of ways this defines the family film "Akeelah and the Bee" wholeheartedly with its highly predictable plot line and conveniently placed tissue moments. However, to the dismay of dentists (and film watchers) everywhere syrup also happens to have wide appeal, is pretty addictive, and quite tasty.

This film, which attracted attention from the wide-reaching but predictable Starbucks Corporation, tells the story of eleven-year-old Akeelah, a precocious young lady whose amazing gift for spelling is uncovered, exploited, prodded, and ignored by several adults around her, leading her to compete in the Spelling Bee. It bridges the intellectual intensity of the spectacular documentary "Spellbound" with Joseph Conrad's myth structure, and creates something like a brainiac's "Karate Kid".

However, none of this expresses what the film's true intentions seem to be. There is a noticeable, if occasionally thinly veiled, running commentary about inner city public education and the lack of social acceptance for smart kids in this context. This is a family film that wears its generic tag with confidence and pride, and leads the audience through all of the requisite good feelings, but the characters and story take so many missteps that the end result is hard to believe.

The commercial made me smile. It made me think 'That looks like a good kids movie', but at the same time it made me think 'It kind of looks stupid...' Boy, I was wrong. Akeelah and the Bee is an inspirational movie, and is definitely great for those who share an interest in spelling bees.

I went to the movies with my friends for her birthday, expecting little about the bee at all and more about a love relationship between Akeelah and her newfound friend, Javier. Surprisingly enough, very little of the content was anything to do with romance, and thank goodness.

The acting, oh my goodness. It was wonderful. Especially Keke Palmer's performance. Her face told the story, really. Facial acting was wonderful, no doubt. Keke's performance perfectly matches up to her being as good as young Dakota Fanning, without her having to bawl out crying in any scenes. And the rest of the cast was great, too. The ending is very sweet, but I certainly won't spoil it for anyone.

Overall, a very inspirational movie. 10/10

I truly enjoyed this film from beginning to end. Somewhat predictable, just enough twist to keep it fresh. Keke Palmer as Akeelah was brilliant, hopefully we'll see her grow up in future films. Laurence Fishburn did an excellent job as well, although I thought his character was a little too rigid, or "clenched" at first. As the story develops we find out why, it wasn't just over the top acting but a result of the character's past. A relief.

My biggest complaint, the clichés and stereotypes were overwhelming. The Asian father, emotionless and only focused on the honor of winning... All of Akeelah's family... The good son in the military, and the son running with the wrong crowd. The late Father who rose above his surroundings to be a better person, the workaholic single Mom... etc, etc. While all of these things are facts of real life, they seemed over done a bit. I was grateful that the well to do friend (Javier) she made was Hispanic, not white. One movie cliché they skipped, to a point.

The story was good enough to overcome my complaints, but I think it could have been better if it was just brought down a notch. As another reviewer wrote, the Karate Kid came to mind for me as well.

Anyway, a great film of all audiences, would be a great family or date movie. Hope you enjoy it as I did.

Just saw a packed screening at the Pan African Film Festival. There were so many people there that some had to be turned away. The best parts were the interactions between the characters of Akeelah and Javier, a young Mexican boy who comes from an affluent family. Their friendship and team work in helping each other do their best in the Spelling Bee is a great example for young black and browns here in Los Angeles, especially with all the racial fighting in the schools and prisons.

It's a good movie for everyone to see, especially if you're a word freak like me.

I watched this movie with my 10 and 13 year old kids. By the final scene, they were jumping around like it was the Karate Kid. It may be pretty predictable, but I am so glad they still tell stories like this one.

This movie tries to portray a touching moment every 10 minutes, and it becomes very corny by the end. Often times I found my self looking away for I felt embarrassed about the dialog between the two people on the screen. The movies constant strive to become touching at every moment causes it to be boring, and loose interest. Its not the worst of movies, the story line is decent and it still provides a little heart warming feeling at the end. This movie is met for a younger age group however the swearing that takes place makes it inappropriate for younger children to view causing it to be trapped between two age groups not very good for either. As a whole this movie was just a little to corny for me, if you are looking for a heart warming movie try for a different one like remember the titans