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Akeelah and the Bee

  • 2006
  • PG
  • 1h 52m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
22K
YOUR RATING
Keke Palmer in Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
Home Video Trailer from Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Play trailer2:43
4 Videos
24 Photos
Coming-of-AgeDramaFamily

Akeelah, a young gifted girl, comes from a dysfunctional family and is on the verge of quitting school. She discovers that she has a high aptitude for spellings and enters a spelling bee con... Read allAkeelah, a young gifted girl, comes from a dysfunctional family and is on the verge of quitting school. She discovers that she has a high aptitude for spellings and enters a spelling bee contest.Akeelah, a young gifted girl, comes from a dysfunctional family and is on the verge of quitting school. She discovers that she has a high aptitude for spellings and enters a spelling bee contest.

  • Director
    • Doug Atchison
  • Writer
    • Doug Atchison
  • Stars
    • Angela Bassett
    • Laurence Fishburne
    • Keke Palmer
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    22K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Doug Atchison
    • Writer
      • Doug Atchison
    • Stars
      • Angela Bassett
      • Laurence Fishburne
      • Keke Palmer
    • 186User reviews
    • 92Critic reviews
    • 72Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 11 wins & 15 nominations total

    Videos4

    Akeelah and the Bee
    Trailer 2:43
    Akeelah and the Bee
    Akeelah and the Bee
    Trailer 2:36
    Akeelah and the Bee
    Akeelah and the Bee
    Trailer 2:36
    Akeelah and the Bee
    How Keke Palmer Learned to Cry From Angela Bassett
    Clip 3:46
    How Keke Palmer Learned to Cry From Angela Bassett
    Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon Share Their Films of Hope for Difficult Times
    Clip 8:09
    Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon Share Their Films of Hope for Difficult Times

    Photos24

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    Top cast86

    Edit
    Angela Bassett
    Angela Bassett
    • Tanya
    Laurence Fishburne
    Laurence Fishburne
    • Dr. Larabee
    Keke Palmer
    Keke Palmer
    • Akeelah
    Curtis Armstrong
    Curtis Armstrong
    • Mr. Welch
    J.R. Villarreal
    J.R. Villarreal
    • Javier
    • (as JR Villarreal)
    Sean Michael Afable
    Sean Michael Afable
    • Dylan
    Sahara Ware
    Sahara Ware
    • Georgia
    • (as Sahara Garey)
    Lee Thompson Young
    Lee Thompson Young
    • Devon
    Julito McCullum
    Julito McCullum
    • Terrence
    Erica Hubbard
    Erica Hubbard
    • Kiana
    Eddie Steeples
    Eddie Steeples
    • Derrick-T
    Dalia Phillips
    Dalia Phillips
    • Ms. Cross
    Tzi Ma
    Tzi Ma
    • Mr. Chiu
    Jeris Poindexter
    Jeris Poindexter
    • Steve
    • (as Jeris Lee Poindexter)
    Sara Niemietz
    Sara Niemietz
    • Polly
    George Hornedo
    George Hornedo
    • Roman
    Craig Wasson
    Craig Wasson
    • Ted Saunders
    Katie Kerwin McCrimmon
    • Self
    • Director
      • Doug Atchison
    • Writer
      • Doug Atchison
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews186

    7.422.4K
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    Featured reviews

    10murraydavidcollins

    A Lesson in Life for all Ages !!

    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
    10keit06

    A true work of art!!!!!!

    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!!!!!
    9planktonrules

    Not exactly "formulaic"--this is a nice and far from sappy inspirational film

    Akeelah is a very bright girl living in South Los Angeles. When the film begins, she has little to motivate her and her great mind is going to waste. When the school spelling bee approaches, she is reticent to participate because there is a climate in the school that encourages "not buying into the system"--in other words, accepting failure as the only alternative.

    Not surprisingly, Akeelah eventually enters the bee and does well, though she isn't exactly motivated to go further--especially because most of the people around her don't recognize her wonderful gift. Again, not surprisingly, she eventually goes forward and gains instant fame for going as far as she has. Will she make it to the nationals and if so, will she win? You'll just have to see. However, I will say that although some of the film is formulaic (after all, they wouldn't make a film with this title if she didn't win at some level!), it does offer some nice twists and ends very well.

    The movie features wonderful performances all around, a very good script and it is truly inspiring. I am sure than there are some reviews out there that talk about this movie using terms like "formulaic" or "sappy", but I truly found this film inspirational AND different. I especially liked the movie because I am a school teacher and it's nice to have a film that minority students can be inspired by that's NOT a sports film! In many ways, I see this movie as a public service since it encourages kids from the less privileged neighborhoods to aspire to intellectual heights.

    This film is a must-see for kids and families, but ANYONE will enjoy this film if they give it a chance--it's not just some feel good movie with no substance.
    10delanos53

    God I wish Hollywood made more movies like this

    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.
    8Movieguy_blogs_com

    I would compare it to 'The Karate Kid' meets 'Finding Forrester'.

    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'.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The final word spelled by Dylan is logorrhea. This is the winning word from the documentary Spellbound (2002) which tracks several participants in the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in 1999.
    • Goofs
      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.
    • 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?

      Dr. Larabee: Afraid of what?

      Akeelah: Afraid of... me?

    • Connections
      Featured in The Colbert Report: Frank Rich (2006)
    • Soundtracks
      El indio y el vaquero
      Written by Xocoyotzin Herrera

      Performed by Francisco Javier González & José Zuñiga

      Courtesy of LMS Records/Latin Music Specialists

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    FAQ21

    • How long is Akeelah and the Bee?Powered by Alexa
    • How did this movie do at the box office, revenue-wise?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 28, 2006 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • A som i Akeelah
    • Filming locations
      • Berkeley, California, USA(Crenshaw Middle School)
    • Production companies
      • Out of the Blue... Entertainment
      • Reactor Films
      • Cinema Gypsy Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $8,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $18,848,430
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $6,011,585
      • Apr 30, 2006
    • Gross worldwide
      • $18,948,425
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 52 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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