Becky and I took the kids to see the movie Akeelah and the Bee this past Weekend. The Fandango website at Akeelah and the Bee describes the movie as follows:
“An inspirational drama, Akeelah and the Bee is the story of Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer), a precocious eleven-year-old girl from south Los Angeles with a gift for words. Despite the objections of her mother Tanya (Angela Bassett), Akeelah enters various spelling contests, for which she is tutored by the forthright Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne); her principal Mr. Welch (Curtis Armstrong) and the proud residents of her neighborhood. Akeelah’s aptitude earns her an opportunity to compete for a spot in the Scripps National Spelling Bee and in turn unites her neighborhood who witness the courage and inspiration of one amazing little girl. A Lionsgate Films and 2929 Entertainment production, Akeelah and the Bee was written and directed by Doug Atchison. The film’s producers are Sid Ganis, Nancy Hult Ganis, Michael Romersa, Danny Llewelyn and Laurence Fishburne; executive producers are Todd Wagner, Mark Cuban, Marc Butan and Helen Sugland.”
The Review
This was a great movie on many levels. It may have been more suited for our 8 year old Conroy than Corban who is now 6 and Bianca who is turning 5, but all of our kids seemed to enjoy the movie.
There are a few language issues, which were unexpected for a PG movie, but it went over our kids heads as they focused on the story instead of the few instances of harsh language. The movie focused on the importance of having a solid education, the power of words in conversation and print to gain the respect of your audience and to avoiding “trash” talking.
On the way home, our kids were competing to spell words, which was a fun time for all of us. It was like getting to enter a bonus round for watching a good movie. We were all surprised, as we are sure most people seeing this movie will be, that so much hard work and dedication goes into competing in the National Spelling Bee. It was a real eye opener. It made me appreciate the power of the English language, especially in today’s heated political climate where the English language is so often under attack.
Akeelah and the Bee is a great movie for the entire family and a very inspirational film. It deals with the struggles of life, the challenges young people face regardless of where they live, class and prejudice issues in society, and how people can rise above stereotypes and obstacles to become the person they were meant to be. In one part of the film, the entire community comes together to support Akeelah on her quest and they realize they are a part of something much bigger than just themselves.
It’s also not just a kids film, but is a great movie for people of all ages with fantastic acting and a wonderful story.
We definitely thought it was a movie that you Don’t Want To Miss.
John – **** Don’t Miss It
Becky – **** Don’t Miss It
The Kids Review
Corban – *** Worth The Trip
Bianca – *** Worth The Trip
Conroy – **** Don’t Miss It
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