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Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett, Keke Palmer, Curtis Armstrong, Tzi Ma ... see more see more... , Lee Thompson Young , J.R. Villareal , Sahara Garey , Sean Michael Afable , Erica Hubbard , Julito McCullum , Dalia Phillips , Wolfgang Bodison , Craig Wasson , Lee Garlington , Fay Hauser , Jack Ong , Jeris Poindexter , Marjorie Harris , Sid Ganis , Krysten Leigh Jones , Todd Wagner , Lauren Sanchez , Bonita Friedericy , Zachary Gardner , Eddie Steeples , Sara Niemietz , George Hornedo , Katie Kerwin McCrimmon , Jacques Bailly , Amirah Hawkins , Jeff Marlow , Chloé Conroy , Austin Herrera Davis , Janet Borrus , Marcus Hawkins Dungey , Caroline J. Smith , Neil Soni , Keshell Lucas , Corina Boettger , Shyann Chatman , Brittany Elizabeth Curran , Alexandra Rieger , Eric Don , Julia Kelleher , John A. Ausick , Maddy Kloss , Lynda Mason Green , Jessy J. Hwang , Biplab Panda , Alexander Christian Stephans , Katie L. Brown , John Oxenreiter , Katie Olson , Jason Ortenberg , Lance Norling , Jmeka Cherrel , Kahlil Ashanti

A young girl learns to believe in herself and value her intelligence in this critically-acclaimed, family-friendly drama. Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer) is an 11-year-old being raised by her mother, T... read more read more...anya (Angela Bassett), who was left on her own after the death of her husband. While Akeelah is a very bright girl, she's hardly a star student and seems afraid of acting like a bookworm around her friends and classmates. However, Akeelah's teacher sees genuine potential in her student and encourages her to enter the school's spelling bee, convinced Akeelah has the brains and the talent to win. Akeelah applies herself and emerges victorious in the local competition, but discovers the going gets tougher when she goes to a statewide bee, studying for the regionals under the aegis of strict English teacher Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne), who consents to act as her coach A college professor who was a spelling-bee champ as a child, Larabee is a stubborn taskmaster who questions Akeelah's ability and commitment, but in time he develops a respect for his pupil and helps her prove her talent as she climbs the ladder to the National Spelling Bee. Meanwhile, Tanya feels intimidated when she finds the contests are dominated by children from wealthy families and privileged backgrounds, and argues that the competition may not be in Akeelah's best interest, believing instead that homework should be the one and only priority in Akeelah's life. It soon becomes apparent that if Akeelah has any intention of entering the national spelling bee championships in Washington, D.C., she will not do so with Tanya's permission or blessing. This marks the first onscreen reunion of Bassett and Fishburne since their Academy Award-nommed performances as Ike Turner and Tina Turner in Brian Gibson's 1993 biopic, What's Love Got to Do with It. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

74% liked it

82,385 ratings

Critics

84% liked it

134 critics

PG, 1 hr. 47 min.

Directed by: Doug Atchison

Release Date: April 28, 2006

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DVD Release Date: August 29, 2006

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Stats: 4,028 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (4,028)

  • jonnyjason
    February 3, 2011
    jonnyjason
    Almost every spelling bee movie ever made is cheesy and totally predictable. Akeelah and the Bee, though, is a very clever, well crafted, beautiful movie. It's young but talented cast are admirable, and will have you cheering them on all the way.
  • EightThirty
    August 2, 2010
    EightThirty
    31/07/2010 (TELEVISION)

    This is something different in topic but still uses a plot and story-structure that is very familiar, but otherwise it's still a worthy film to see.

    Another "Rags to Riches" theme but with a very interesting topic which had my eyes glued because the inte... read morerest was very stimulated,

    "Akeelah and the Bee" is a great movie that squeezed hope out of me and made my experience a real journey. A decent choice for all.
  • erika250
    June 3, 2010
    erika250
    This film was an eye opener to what its like for someone who wants to be in a spelling bee.
  • MovieGeek13
    March 19, 2009
    MovieGeek13
    It follows a formulaic plot structure, but I really liked how it explored the cultural and social divisions amongst classes in Los Angeles.
  • ceWEBrity
    October 15, 2007
    ceWEBrity
    Akeelah and the Bee is predictable, but honest enough for you to not care. It's also an interesting study on the competition itself - as a former spelling bee brat, I can assure you that the elements you see like the overbearing Asian parents and the ceaseless studying are all pa... read morert of the rigmarole.

    As a straight-up competition movie, Akeelah and the Bee would have been dull as dirt, but it has enough unique elements to protect it from being completely generic. There's an interesting cultural emphasis, putting African-American children in a positive light (something you rarely see in Hollywood, sadly) and reinforcing the values of family and togetherness.

    It's not an instant classic, but it's a feel-good movie to be seen at least once.
  • deano
    June 23, 2007
    deano
    Absolutely emotional and heart-warming drama story of an 11-year-old girl hoping to represent her community at the National Spelling Bee. Laurence Fishburne makes fantastic performance as 11-year-old girl's coach.
  • jennifxu
    May 27, 2007
    jennifxu
    what a CUTE movie. i'm a sucker for all spelling bee movies, but this one takes the cake.
  • purplemegan
    March 26, 2007
    purplemegan
    Such a perfect "feel-good" movie. I think this movie is very underrated and underappreciated. Such a great story that sucks you in.
  • mrbungle7821
    November 28, 2006
    mrbungle7821
    [center][img]http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/2344/photo09cb4.jpg[/img]
    [/center]

    [color=DarkRed][font=Arial]Lucky Number Slevin ? Probably too clever by half, this Tarantino knockoff is gloriously twisty and far more twisted than you may have thought from the surf... read moreace. It?s a puzzle piece that winds up being vastly entertaining. Josh Hartnett does the best work of his career in an effervescent comedic performance, playing Slevin, a nobody mistaken for a somebody who owes different mobsters large sums of money. There are a lot of balls to keep juggling, but [i]Lucky Number Slevin[/i] finds a way to keep the headstrong momentum constantly going. The neo-noir art direction is fabulous and eye-catching. Things get really dark in the last act, perhaps too dark for some, but for me, this was a crime caper that left me captivated by clever storytelling and flashy camerawork. Definitely for fans of the noir genre and for those with hard stomachs for violence.

    Nate?s Grade: B

    Akeelah and the Bee ? It?s a familiar story and it may be predictable at every turn, but this movie shines when it comes to performances. Young Keke Parker plays the title super speller with equal parts fire, heartbreak, shyness, and pure glee. You easily fall in love with her and it makes her rise among the spelling ranks worth watching. Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett give stirring performances to compliment a strong cast. The new angle Akeelah has going for it is its urban education perspective, seeing Akeelah have to hide her smarts out of fear of her peers. The movie is fun, and Akeelah?s budding relationship with a fellow speller is cute as can be. [i]Akeelah and the Bee[/i] is a smartly written and uplifting family film with a lot of heart and a dash of schmaltz. Look for Booger as the inner city school principal that pins his hopes on Akeelah.

    Nate?s Grade: B+

    Grandma?s Boy ? This Adam Sandler crony comedy came out within the first weeks of 2006. Many predicted it could very well remain one of the worst films of the year. Let me verify that belief. This is an incredibly lazy stoner sex comedy that can?t even get gratuitous nudity right. Its premise (video game tester moves in with three old women) never takes off, and much of the movie just feels like one giant drunken party. The story doesn?t even kick in until an hour in; you?re not [i]Brokeback Mountain[/i], [i]Grandma?s Boy[/i], you cannot afford to take your time and sit on your ass. This stuff just isn?t funny. You want to know how unfunny? A character thinks he?s in [i]The Matrix[/i]. Hi-larious and oh so timely. The movie trots out a nerd's dream girl (Linda Cardalini) for a rediculous romantic subplot that will just continue to give people who play Xbox 20 hours a day false hope. Sandler needs to stop bankrolling his buddies' tired pet projects (Do we really need more Rob Schneider movies?). This one is written by and stars Allen Covert and is directed by a guy whose only other credit to his name is, honestly, as an assistant to Covert on another movie. You can see how interested in quality Sandler and Covert are. This is rather insultingly unfunny for a raunchy sex comedy. It even plays it all too safe. There's strong potential for a grand gross-out comedy involving horny old women, but this isn't it. You mostly just feel sorry for the actors. This is a movie that doesn?t work on any level, except to keep Sandler?s buddies busy so they won?t crash on his couch.

    Nate?s Grade: D-[/font][/color]
  • flickfever
    July 3, 2006
    flickfever
    A very uplifting movie about the power of self-belief. It was make you tear-up a bit-- but not because it's sad.

View All Akeelah and the Bee Reviews

Critic Reviews

Claudia Puig
April 28, 2006
Claudia Puig, USA Today

... it's easy to overlook that contrivance, because the movie's heart is so clearly in the right place. Full Review

Susan Walker
April 28, 2006
Susan Walker, Toronto Star

The latest spelling bee movie is a Starbucks Entertainment product, and it has a made-to-order feel about it, kind of like a compilation album. Full Review

Ruthe Stein
April 28, 2006
Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle

It's the kind of movie parents will want their kids to see as opposed to much of what's playing at the multiplex. Full Review

Roger Moore
April 28, 2006
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

... a delight to sit through ... Full Review

Stephen Whitty
April 28, 2006
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

Akeelah and the Bee won a screenplay contest a few years ago, and it reads as if its writer studied too many screenplays first. Full Review

Dana Stevens
April 28, 2006
Dana Stevens, New York Times

... an underdog tale that manages to inspire without being sappy.

Kyle Smith
April 28, 2006
Kyle Smith, New York Post

Akeelah and the Bee is so warm and well-meaning that you may find yourself wanting to like it more than you really do.

Jack Mathews
April 28, 2006
Jack Mathews, New York Daily News

... Palmer -- and J.J. Villarreal, as her unflappable fellow contestant and first-blush romantic interest -- makes it all go down very easily. Full Review

Rick Groen
April 28, 2006
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

Akeelah is derivatively entertaining in a feel-good sort of way. Full Review

Terry Lawson
April 28, 2006
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

Akeelah and the Bee is not short on inspiration, emotion and uplift, but would go down better without all the refined sugar. Full Review

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Akeelah and the Bee Trivia

  • Which movie has this tagline : " Changing the world... one word at a time "  Answer »
  • What moie did a 11 year old girl make it to a National Speeling Bee??  Answer »
  • In the movie "Akeelah and the Bee", did Akeelah win the National Spelling Bee?  Answer »
  • Who was Corbin Bleu's co-star in The Movie "Jump In"?  Answer »
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