IMDb > Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
Akeelah and the Bee
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Akeelah and the Bee (2006) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 23 | slideshow) Videos (see all 8 NEW)
Akeelah and the Bee (2006) -- A young girl from South Los Angeles tries to make it to the National Spelling Bee.
Akeelah and the Bee (2006) -- A young girl from South Los Angeles tries to make it to the National Spelling Bee.
Akeelah and the Bee (2006) -- A young girl from South Los Angeles tries to make it to the National Spelling Bee.
Akeelah and the Bee (2006) -- A young girl from South Los Angeles tries to make it to the National Spelling Bee.
Akeelah and the Bee (2006) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   7,524 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 11% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Doug Atchison
Writer (WGA):
Doug Atchison (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Akeelah and the Bee on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
28 April 2006 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Family more
Tagline:
Changing the world... one word at a time.
Plot:
A young girl from South Los Angeles tries to make it to the National Spelling Bee. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
8 wins & 12 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(17 articles)
Armond White At It Again: Hates on Multiple Award Winner Precious
 (From FilmJunk. 5 November 2009, 9:44 AM, PST)

Exclusive Celebrity Interviews
 (From PopStar. 2 July 2009, 10:22 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Among the best, without a doubt more (162 total)
US TV Schedule:
Sun. Nov. 812:00 PMDISN   

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Keke Palmer ... Akeelah

Laurence Fishburne ... Dr. Larabee

Angela Bassett ... Tanya

Curtis Armstrong ... Mr. Welch

J.R. Villarreal ... Javier (as JR Villarreal)

Sean Michael ... Dylan (as Sean Michael Afable)

Sahara Garey ... Georgia

Lee Thompson Young ... Devon

Julito McCullum ... Terrence

Erica Hubbard ... Kiana

Eddie Steeples ... Derrick-T

Dalia Phillips ... Ms. Cross

Tzi Ma ... Mr. Chiu

Jeris Poindexter ... Steve (as Jeris Lee Poindexter)

Sara Niemietz ... Polly
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated PG for some language.
Runtime:
USA:112 min | Argentina:112 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital
Certification:
USA:PG (PCA #42313) | UK:12A | Singapore:PG | Ireland:PG | Canada:G (Ontario) | Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-3 | Australia:PG | UK:PG (re-rating) (2007)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Laurence Fishburne's character, Mr Larabee, is based on director Doug Atchison's teacher, Mr. Larabell. 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. more
Quotes:
[last lines]
Akeelah: You know that feeling where everything feels right? Where you don't have to worry about tomorrow or yesterday, where you feel safe and know you're doing the best you can? There's a word for that, it's called love. L-O-V-E.
more
Movie Connections:
References "Shazam!" (1974) more
Soundtrack:
Wake Up Everybody more

FAQ

How did this movie do at the box office, revenue-wise?
more
43 out of 53 people found the following comment useful.
Among the best, without a doubt, 29 April 2006
9/10
Author: sushiichiro (sushiichiro@cs.com) from Dallas, TX

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."

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
just noticed something princess_drea2617
Mr. Chiu's wife? Or the lady sitting by him in the audience? sseale
I may be the only one.., tyshimah3
The movie was......... mmb1998
Mr. Larabee + mom mjcjnthomas
Based off a true story greenemerald10
more

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