Akeelah

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'.

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.

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

Akeelah and the Bee was a film in which not only inspired me as an individual, but specifically a young Black male individual. Finally, a film in which Black males running around shooting guns and sexing/ mistreating women. A film in which shows a young Black girl coming from an urban neighborhood, raised by a single mother, but still motivated and inspired to use her gift of spelling to the highest degree. During my time watching this film: my emotions were overwhelmed with a sense of positive energy in which inspired me to be motivated to continue doing my best in life: not settling for excuses for where I grew up, the failures I encountered and taking every bit of my negative past to strengthen my positive future. Finally a film where an African American student is demonstrated as brilliant and intelligent!

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.