Akeelah and the Bee (2006)

Akeelah and the [spelling] Bee a fictional story that will have you believing it is true!

In Akeelah and the Bee, a 11 year old girl (Keke Palmer) is encouraged to compete in the school spelling bee. She's observed by the principal and his old college roommate, a professor at UCLA (Laurence Fishburne) with his own demons. She wins, and the UCLA professor, himself a previous finalist for the National Spelling Bee crown, sees something in Akeelah. He'll coach her if she follows all of his rules. She agrees. But she's not completely honest with her mother (Angela Bassett), who really doesn't want a contest to interfere with Akeelah's education (Akeelah's frequent absences at school require her to attend summer school, and her mother isn't too happy with her efforts at school).

As you might suspect, Akeelah ends up, with two other students, representing California in the National Spelling Bee (televised by ESPN!). And what happens there is... well, this is why you have to watch the movie!

The national spelling bee is real, so the plot has the feeling of a true story. And that's part of the magic of this movie. Akeelah and the Bee is a fictional story that will have you believing it is true!

Fun to watch for all ages. December 29, 2008

A Great Movie

This movie is one of the best I've seen in a long time. Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett deliver memorable performances. Keke Palmer is unforgettable as the title character. The script is uplifting. I use this movie in class to teach my reluctant readers. December 24, 2008

How do you spell Pollyannaish?

There are two ways to look at this movie. It's better as a Disneyesque sugar-coated inspirational family movie, as long as the parents and kids watching it don't get too serious or go too deep analyzing it. There is one worthwhile lesson that can be gleaned: it takes hard work and dedicated study, even for the talented, to become a "champion."

But even that lesson is tainted by the focus on super champion status, as all of the main characters finish in the top 5 nationally. Wow! How many of us can hope to be in the top 5 of anything, even in our own city, county, or state, let alone at the national level? How realistic is that, and ultimately, how inspirational? I wonder why so many so-called inspirational movies seem to imply that "winners" are those who finish at or near the very top?

Another failing of these inspirational movies is that the winners often have a special (almost magical) gift or huge amount of talent. Akeelah apparently possesses a photographic memory for words, which enables her, in the span of a couple of months, to learn enough words to beat hundreds of talented nationally-ranked contestants who have studied for years. I might marvel at such abilities and talents, but how can I feel inspired by them? Shall I feel inspired that Mozart began writing piano pieces at age five?

This movie takes place in an almost Pollyannaish ghetto in notorious South Central LA. Even the gangbangers and drug dealers are decent people (they write poetry and help Akeelah practice spelling!). Akeelah's mom and dad are smart, loving, married parents (again, not typical in a ghetto), but when Akeelah was six her Scrabble-loving dad was shot dead by a gangbanger and so mom has been raising the kids alone for five years. The mom works as a nurse at a hospital and no, we don't know why she hasn't moved her family out of the ghetto. Neither do we know why she hasn't remarried in five years, after all, she is a beautiful, smart woman (Angela Bassett).

The role of the mom is a little confusing. Does she work nights and weekends or does she have more than one job? It doesn't make sense that the neighborhood Akeelah lives in can turn out to be so supportive over one girl in a spelling bee and not supportive in other ways. Akeelah's mom gets more upset about Akeelah taking a bus to the rich kids' neighborhood to practice spelling than about her not doing half of her school homework. And Akeelah's dad was killed by a gangbanger, but it's okay for Akeelah to practice her spelling with the gangbangers? Really?!

The principal of Akeelah's school is a white man who seems more concerned about Akeelah winning the spelling bee than with problems with drugs and gangs. Of course, since this is a Pollyannaish movie we don't hear about the drugs, gangs, and violence at the school. Akeelah's only complaint about the school is that it is boring and there are no doors on the bathroom stalls. The principal tells Akeelah that if she wins the spelling bee the school might get the money it needs for doors. So that's how it works? If one kid at an inner-city school wins the national spelling bee, or the national math competition, or the national science test, it will get money? But the school gets nothing if the kid places 5th, or 10th, nationally? How inspirational!

The value of devoting so much time and effort to learning how to spell so many thousands of strange words is never questioned. Do national spelling champions do better in life, and are they happier? We are told that Akeelah spells words partly because she used to play Scrabble with her dad and partly because the distraction of rote memorization helps her cope with the loss of her dad. So Akeelah has an "excuse" for what may seem to be a weird hobby. But I wonder what all those kids could accomplish if they devoted those thousands of hours to something else besides memorizing word spellings? How many books could they read or how many languages could they learn to speak?

One other point: Akeelah seems to be the only black child in all of the spelling bee competitions. Is that supposed to be a reflection of reality, or is it for dramatic effect?

Crenshaw High School is a real school and is better known for its basketball than for its spelling bees. It is the scene for several movies and TV shows, including Boyz N The Hood.

October 13, 2008

Surprisingly well done!

I had avoided this movie! Particularly because Starbucks had it all over the place and they talked up how it was such a family film, etc. Usually, I find such films pretty smarmy when the advertising makes a great effort to get that point across.

I finally saw it and have to say I am impressed with the film. It actually drew me in and I found myself hoping for Akeelah to win.

Overall, the story is pretty well crafted. Akeelah has a talent for words and yet she is ashamed to use it. Her environment frowns on success and as she states she will get picked on. Eventually, she decides to try the spelling contests after the Principle and her friend talk her into it.

One thing she will need is a tutor. Enter Laurence Fishburne. I have liked him for awhile and he does not disappoint as the Professor of English who came up from the ghetto. He is hard on her as he impress' on her that he will not take anything but a serious effort to learn. In time their relationship grows as they end help helping each other. Some would argue a cliche but I found it done well as I didn't feel the need to "roll my eyes."

There are references to life's issues such the dead father and the brother trying to join a gang. However, they don't distract from the movie as they are to add to the story rather then create sub stories to fill movie time. Through all this Akeelah seems to keep the desire and rises above it all. Some would argue Cliches and they do exist but as I mentioned; I did not find them over blown as it happens so many times these days.

The final bee was well done as I never thought I would find myself getting slightly tense over as the words were offered. There is even a creative way for the films villain to find redemption.

Even though I find the phrase trite, I will say the film is indeed a "feel good" film. September 8, 2008

Beautiful Movie i love it very much

Akeelah and the Bee a very beautiful movie, inspirational, moving, uplifting and positive. Show that one can achieve anything they work towards. With hard work success will come. Just believe in your dreams and work hard. I was motivated to get the movie and see it by Oprah Winfrey after watching her publicize this movie in one of her show. Oprah i must say this movie is best of all time.Oprah you are my inspiration and role model who always give me positive advice on your show. Thank Oprah for this wonderful endorsement of the the movie. It the best of all time beautiful played Lawrence Fishbourne, Angela Basset and Ake Palmer. Love it 10 stars. Every one please go out there and purchase this movie a must have and see. Magnificent every changing, fantastic, touching, positive. August 27, 2008

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