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Movies / On DVD / Akeelah and the Bee
Akeelah and the Bee

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Akeelah and the Bee (2006)

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Reviews Counted:131

Fresh:109

Rotten:22

Average Rating:7/10

Consensus: Although predictable in every way, a winning performance from its young star Keke Palmer and the rest of the cast makes it difficult not to cheer for the little heroine of Akeelah and the Bee. Sort of like Rocky for the middle school nerd set, Akeelah is a warm, family-friendly underdog story, featuring terrific supporting performances from Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett.

Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for some language

Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:18-08-2006

Synopsis: Following in the fine tradition of inspiring inner-city underdog tales like STAND AND DELIVER, and TAKE THE LEAD, Doug Atchison's AKEELAH AND THE BEE is a story of overcoming odds that never... Following in the fine tradition of inspiring inner-city underdog tales like STAND AND DELIVER, and TAKE THE LEAD, Doug Atchison's AKEELAH AND THE BEE is a story of overcoming odds that never descends into empty formula. The narrative centers around the character of Akeelah (Keke Palmer, in a star-making performance), a charming yet insecure 11 year old girl from Los Angeles' gang-ridden South Central district. Upon flipping channels after school one day, she lands on ESPN's coverage of the National Spelling Bee. Having recently become aware of her innate talent in this area, Akeelah cannot help but fantasize about the prospect of being a star of the bee circuit. The tragic problem -- intelligence of this kind is not valued in her community, where skills of athleticism and rapping are coveted far more than school smarts. Though Akeelah attempts to hide her academic acuity behind a rebellious attitude, she cannot resist the temptation to enter her school's spelling bee, at which her stellar performance attracts the attention of her idealistic principal, who pairs her with a mentor, a former professor named Joshua Larabee (the always riveting Laurence Fishburne, who re-embodies the wise iconoclast character he played so well in the chess movie SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER). Meanwhile, Akeelah's strong, practical mother, (played by Angela Bassett, who worked with Fishburne on the Tina Turner biopic WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?) while always supportive of her talented daughter, does not necessarily see the point of spending such time and energy on what will likely amount to a fleeting hobby. Perhaps taking its cue from the surprising popularity of Jeffrey Blitz's quirky documentary SPELLBOUND (2002), which explored spelling prodigies from diverse classes, races, and geographic locations, this drama makes what could be a narrow niche into a universal tale of triumph over adversity. [More]

Starring: Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, Curtis Armstrong, Sean Michael

Starring: Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, Curtis Armstrong, Sean Michael, Lee Thompson Young, Keke Palmer, Jumper Lark, Sahara Garey, J.R. Villareal, Tzi Ma, Eddie Steeples, Erica Hubbard, Julito McCullum

Director: Doug Atchison

Director: Doug Atchison
Screenwriter: Doug Atchison
Producer: Laurence Fishburne, Sidney Ganis, Michael Paseornek, Dalia Phillips, Nancy Hult, Daniel Llewellyn, Michael Romersa
Composer: Aaron Zigman
Studio: Lions Gate Films

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Reviews for Akeelah and the Bee

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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It's hard not to fall in love with the film

Full Review Source: FilmFocus | comment Comment
08/26/06
Joe Utichi
Joe Utichi
FilmFocus

Give it an m, i, s, s.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
08/19/06
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film has an important, uplifting message; shame it couldn't be encased in a less faked-up story.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
08/19/06
Robert Hanks
Robert Hanks
Independent

There's charm in this simple underdog tale, but clunky plotting and characterisation mean it has 'telemovie' written all over it. You’d be better off renting Spellbound instead.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
08/18/06
Anna Smith
Anna Smith
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The young star is such a little cutey-pie and the plot so cleverly manipulative that, whatever its faults, you’ll still have a lump in your throat throughout.

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
08/18/06
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]

Its clichés seem bigger and its characterisations broader than they would on the more forgiving telly.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
08/17/06
Jessica Winter
Jessica Winter
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This isn't a patch on Spellbound ... but its strong performances and its skilful deployment of the finest, hand-picked cliches ensures that it remains enjoyable throughout.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
08/17/06
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

As much a fantasy as Lord of the Rings.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment 1 Comment
08/15/06
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Undermined by an over-scripted plot and gooey sentiment.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
06/01/06
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Akeelah and the Bee is the kind of movie you want to recommend to every 11-year-old you know.

Full Review Source: Paste Magazine | comment Comment
06/08/08
Robert Davis
Robert Davis
Paste Magazine

The best thing ... is that, unlike the majority of sports films, the film doesn't suggest that spelling has some kind of transcendental importance.

Full Review Source: Cinematical | comment Comment
09/18/07
Christopher Campbell
Christopher Campbell
Cinematical

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound

Fine performances all around and smart pacing that rivets us to the story.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
03/01/07
Doris Toumarkine
Doris Toumarkine
Film Journal International

Any parents wondering why they don't make wholesome family flicks anymore can stop wondering.

Full Review Source: AALBC.com | comment Comment
01/22/07
Kam Williams
Kam Williams
AALBC.com

This is a film that couldn't be more predictable or more joyful. I just hope I haven't misspelled anything.

Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment Comment
12/09/06
Jules Brenner
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

...a sporadically engaging drama.

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
11/22/06
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

If there's ever any evidence that originality and predictability aren't necessarily absolute elements by which to judge a movie, Akeelah and the Bee is it.

Full Review Source: Window to the Movies | comment Comment
09/21/06
Jeffrey Chen
Jeffrey Chen
Window to the Movies

It's every bit as clichéd and predictable as you'd expect, but thanks to some fine performances, especially from the young leads, it is quite watchable.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
09/08/06
Peter T. Chattaway
Peter T. Chattaway
Christianity Today

While there's a temptation to dismiss Akeelah and the Bee as Good Will Spelling, there aren't enough (good) heartwarming films like this for either younger or older audiences.

Full Review Source: RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland) | comment Comment
08/31/06
Harry Guerin
Harry Guerin
RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)

However eager to entertain and even to model some ways of living life, the film doesn't wheedle us for our love or our devotion, and perhaps for that reason, it earns both.

Full Review Source: Nick's Flick Picks | comment Comment
07/28/06
Nick Davis
Nick Davis
Nick's Flick Picks
 
 
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