A young girl from South Los Angeles tries to make it to the National Spelling Bee.
Director:
Doug AtchisonWriter:
Doug Atchison
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Title: Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
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12 wins & 14 nominations.
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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 Afable | ... | Dylan | |
 |
Sahara Ware | ... | Georgia (as Sahara Garey) |
| 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 | |
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Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
See All (57) »
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 Keywords:
spelling | spelling bee | national spelling bee | school principal | middle school |Taglines:
Changing the world... one word at a time.Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
28 April 2006 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
A som i Akeelah See more »Edit
Box Office
Opening Weekend USA:
$6,011,585, 30 April 2006Gross USA:
$18,811,135Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
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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:
Dr. Larabee:
Akeelah:
See more »
Written by Stephanie Jones (as S. Jones)
Performed by Stephanie Jones
Courtesy of Stephanie Jones
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
This is one of 4 projects that Laurence Fisburne and Angela Bassett have been in together. See more »Goofs
During Akeelah's flight to Washington DC for the national competition, Javier is feeling airsick and Akeelah pins a pair of airman's wings to his vest so that he feels better, but she does does not pin it horizontally. After a few seconds, the wings are pinned perfectly straight. 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:
Dr. Larabee:
Akeelah:
See more »
Soundtracks
Day by DayWritten by Stephanie Jones (as S. Jones)
Performed by Stephanie Jones
Courtesy of Stephanie Jones
See more »
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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'.