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Akeelah and the Bee (2006)

PG  112 min  -  Drama   -  28 April 2006 (USA)
7.5
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Ratings: 7.5/10 from 9,437 users   Metascore: 72/100 
Reviews: 165 user | 88 critic | 30 from Metacritic.com

A young girl from South Los Angeles tries to make it to the National Spelling Bee.

Director:

Doug Atchison

Writer:

Doug Atchison
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11 wins & 13 nominations See more awards »

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Akeelah and the Bee -- A young girl from South Los Angeles tries to make it to the National Spelling Bee. Akeelah and the Bee -- A young girl from South Los Angeles tries to make it to the National Spelling Bee. Akeelah and the Bee -- A young girl from South Los Angeles tries to make it to the National Spelling Bee.
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Keke Palmer ...
Laurence Fishburne ...
Angela Bassett ...
Curtis Armstrong ...
J.R. Villarreal ...
Javier (as JR Villarreal)
Sean Michael Afable ...
Sahara Garey ...
Lee Thompson Young ...
Julito McCullum ...
Erica Hubbard ...
Eddie Steeples ...
Dalia Phillips ...
Tzi Ma ...
Jeris Poindexter ...
Steve (as Jeris Lee Poindexter)
Sara Niemietz ...
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Storyline

Eleven year-old Akeelah Anderson's life is not easy: her father is dead, her mom ignores her, her brother runs with the local gangbangers. She's smart, but her environment threatens to strangle her aspirations. Responding to a threat by her school's principal, Akeelah participates in a spelling bee to avoid detention for her many absences. Much to her surprise and embarrassment, she wins. Her principal asks her to seek coaching from an English professor named Dr. Larabee for the more prestigious regional bee. As the possibility of making it all the way to the Scripps National Spelling Bee looms, Akeelah could provide her community with someone to rally around and be proud of -- but only if she can overcome her insecurities and her distracting home life. She also must get past Dr. Larabee's demons, and a field of more experienced and privileged fellow spellers. Written by Shannon Patrick Sullivan <shannon@mun.ca>  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Changing the world... one word at a time.

Genres:

Drama

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some language See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

A som i Akeelah See more »

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA See more »

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$6,011,585 (USA) (30 April 2006) (2195 Screens)

Gross:

$18,811,135 (USA) (16 July 2006)
See more »

Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

USA:  | Argentina:

Sound Mix:

DTS  | Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Among the spelling words in the film are: prestidigitation, ambidextrous, pterodactyl, pulchritude, pastiche, xanthosis, cabalistic, soliterraneous, grandiloquent, catastasis, endentulous, quinquevir, bioluminescent, objugatory, kookaburra, effervescible, quiddity, pyrophanous, mountebank, numismatics, arboriculture, argillaceous, serpiginous, and logorrhea. See more »

Goofs

Factual errors: The plaque on the wall in Dr. Larabee's office, which he makes Akeelah read, wrongly attributes the quote to Nelson Mandela's 1994 inaugural speech. This is a common mistake, but Nelson Mandela has never used that quote in any of his published speeches. The quote is from Marianne Williamson an American spiritual activist. See more »

Quotes

Akeelah: [quoting Marianne Williamson] Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
Dr. Larabee: Does that mean anything to you?
Akeelah: I don't know.
Dr. Larabee: It's written in plain English. What does it mean?
Akeelah: That I'm not supposed to be afraid?
[...]
See more »

Connections

Referenced in 2007 Camie Awards (2007) See more »

Soundtracks

"Day by Day"
Written by Stephanie Jones (as S. Jones)
Performed by Stephanie Jones
Courtesy of Stephanie Jones See more »