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Akeelah and the Bee ( 2006)

		Directed by Doug Atchison Writing credits ( WGA) Doug Atchison (written by)	Brand New Authentic U.S. Region 1 U.S. Factory Sealed Free Shipping

Genre: Drama
Tagline: Changing the world... one word at a time.
Plot Outline: A young girl from South Los Angeles tries to make it to the National Spelling Bee. Eleven year-old Akeelah Anderson's life is not easy: her father is dead, her mom ignores her, her brother runs with the local gangbangers. She's smart, but her environment threatens to strangle her aspirations. Responding to a threat by her school's principal, Akeelah participates in a spelling bee to avoid detention for her many absences. Much to her surprise and embarrassment, she wins. Her principal asks her to seek coaching from an English professor named Dr. Larabee for the more prestigious regional bee. As the possibility of making it all the way to the Scripps National Spelling Bee looms, Akeelah could provide her community with someone to rally around and be proud of -- but only if she can overcome her insecurities and her distracting home life. She also must get past Dr. Larabee's demons, and a field of more experienced and privileged fellow spellers.
User Comments: I would compare it to 'The Karate Kid' meets 'Finding Forrester'.
User Rating: 7.8/10 (1,927 votes)

Cast overview, first billed only:
	Keke Palmer	Akeelah Anderson
	Laurence Fishburne	Dr. Larabee
	Angela Bassett	Tanya Anderson
	Curtis Armstrong	Mr. Welch
	J.R. Villarreal	Javier Mendez
	Sean Michael	Dylan Chiu
	Sahara Garey	Georgia
	Lee Thompson Young	Devon Anderson
	Julito McCullum	Terrence Anderson
	Erica Hubbard	Kiana Anderson
	Eddie Steeples	Derrick-T
	Dalia Phillips	Ms. Cross
	Tzi Ma	Mr. Chiu
	Jeris Poindexter	Steve
	Sara Niemietz	Polly

MPAA: Rated PG for some language.
Runtime: USA:112 min
Country: USA
Language: English
Color: Color 1.33 Pan & Scan
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Certification: Ireland:PG / UK:12A / USA:PG / Singapore:PG
Trivia: The first film to be produced by Starbucks Coffee.
Goofs: Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Javier is giving the play-by-play for the Scrabble game at his birthday party, after the word "funnel" is played, he says "Akeelah is in the lead by 12 points." The "12" is noticeably overdubbed; Javier's lips appear to be saying "seven."
Quotes:
Akeelah: I'm naturally inquisitive.
Dr. Larabee: Yes, which is also sometimes confused with being naturally obnoxious.
Awards: 4 nominations

User Comments:
I would compare it to 'The Karate Kid' meets 'Finding Forrester'., 10 March 2006
Author: Movieguy_blogs_com from United States

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'.

UPC 031398200017