Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
Netflix Synopsis: With an aptitude for words, 11-year-old Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer) is determined to spell her way out of South Los Angeles, entering scores of local contests and eventually landing a chance to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. Despite discouragement from her mother (Angela Bassett), Akeelah gets support from her bookish tutor (Laurence Fishburne), her principal (Curtis Armstrong) and proud members of her community.
Review: Forget the latest CGI cutsie woodland animal movie that happens to beout this (or any) week. Yeah, I know, those can be a lot of fun. But for those with kids who might like to see something a little different, a bit educational and much more constructive, I can highly recommend the excellently done Akeelah and the Bee. Although slightly similar to some of the feel-good sports dramas out there, AatB is actually more about life and the ability to be a good person than it is about winning some sort of medal or token accomplishment. Superbly acted, especially by Fishburne (the jaded mentor) and semi-newcomer Kiki Palmer (the child), this movie feels real. Even the supporting cast, from the mother to the other Bee contestents are done very well. Grounded in reality, it’s amazing what the kids and their parents go through to be competitive in national spelling bees. Sometimes…well, too much so. But it can be fun too and ultimately there is a light-hearted overtone that never drags the movie into something too “deep” to really enjoy. AatB has a full spectrum of human emotion: funny and challenging, stressful and heart-breaking, jaded and rewarding. And it’s all done very well.
The Good -
Excellent acting, deeper than expected story,
unexpected ending,
light overtone keeps the movie uplifting,
some funny moments.
The Bad -
Well, it’s about preparing for a spelling bee…
The Ugly -
Nothing.
Rating: 
Submitted by: Brian 2/7/07
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