Akeelah and the Bee Parent Guide

Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer) has an unusual gift. Despite skipping classes and neglecting homework, she has an incredible ability to spell words. Encouraged by her teacher (Dalia Phillips) and arm-twisted by her principal (Curtis Armstrong), the eleven-year-old enters and wins her East Los Angeles school’s first spelling bee. Not only does that qualify her for an opportunity to participate in a citywide competition and possibly earn a spot at the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee, it also attracts the attention of Dr. Joshua Larabee (Laurence Fishburne).

A former university professor well acquainted with the spelling bee circuit, Dr. Larabee agrees to coach the young protege on two conditions; she must stick to a strict schedule and adjust her attitude.

But Akeelah isn’t sure she wants to accept his offer. Already teased by her peers for being a “brainiac,” the African-American girl feels out of her league in an arena filled with wealthy and predominately white kids. As well, she has no support from home where her widowed mother (Angela Bassett) is overwhelmed by a fulltime job of making ends meet and dealing with wayward family members. However, when the choice comes down to training or attending summer school, Akeelah realizes she has been bitten by the competitive bug and decides to forge her mom’s signature on the required permission form.

While a heart-warming movie about an under-privileged character discovering her inner potential and going on to great achievements may sound cliched this script contains some original elements. These are especially evident in the way the film depicts the competitors. Instead being cast as ruthless enemies, the various participants develop friendship and empathy for one another. For instance, when Akeelah nervously attends her first real meet (her fears are creatively conveyed by clever camera work), her anxiety is set to rest by a kind gesture from a boy named Javier (J.R. Villarreal). And although the most promising candidate, Dylan Chiu (Sean Michael), seems determined to win at any cost, deeper motivations and ethics are revealed as the story unfolds.

As expected, Akeelah transforms from a shrinking violet into a cool-as-a-cucumber contestant under the tutelage of the professor. Yet she learns more than just memorization techniques from the brilliant educator who opens her eyes to the building blocks of language and how words can be used to shape the world. Along the way he helps her catch a vision of who she can become and teaches her that even those with talent still have to work hard if they want to succeed.

With the exception of a few content concerns (namely some mild to moderate profanities scattered throughout the dialogue, allusions to the harsher realities of life in a rough neighborhood and the struggles of a single parent family), Akeelah and the Bee overflows with positive messages. As this underdog acquires the confidence to become her best self, comes to terms with the things she doesn’t have, and gains an appreciation for the things she does have, she also discovers she has a lot to give to those around her. Her example may spell similar successes within young viewers who see this wonderful movie.

About author

Donna Gustafson

Donna Gustafson has been involved with her husband Rod's work since the beginning. Handling many of the behind-the-scenes tasks, she also creates preview pages for up-coming movies, acts as managing editor and occasionally writes reviews.