Akeelah and the Bee

Directed by Doug Atchison

Lions Gate Films

4 stars

What does every kid dream about? Scoring the final goal in a soccer game? Getting an Xbox for Christmas? Well, after seeing “Akeelah and the Bee,” it will undoubtedly be winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

Akeelah (Keke Palmer, “Madea’s Family Reunion”), an underprivileged girl from the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles, takes on the prestigious spelling bee. Through her training, she learns more than just etymology—she receives an invaluable lesson about motivation, balancing proper English and slang, and even pre-pubescent love.

Director Doug Atchison certainly had to go to great lengths to get this inspirational drama released. Surprisingly, Starbucks Entertainment, a subsidiary of the well-known coffee chain, is a major driving force behind the movie. As a consequence, you’ve probably noticed that the movie title is blazoned in every shop, on each cup and coaster, and some cases even accompanied by special edition Scrabble sets.

Recent cinema set in Los Angeles has primarily focused on gangsta rap, crunk dancing, or racial tension. “Akeelah and the Bee” presents scholarly achievement as a viable alternative to the unfortunate stereotypes about black families.

However, peripheral characters, such as Akeelah’s father, who is deceased, her brother, who is the protégé of an aspiring rapper, and her mother (Angela Bassett), who works too many jobs to monitor her children, evoke these film cliches.

Akeelah aptly transcends her familial circumstances by preparing for the spelling bee with the assistance of the renowned, though reclusive, Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne) and the people living in her community. In fact, former bullies, neighborhood vagrants, and her once-neglectful family also help coach her for the bee. The support of her community is their redeeming attribute and an inspirational aspect of the movie.

Much of “Akeelah and the Bee” is based upon Akeelah’s inability to fit in anywhere. Although, she is far more intelligent than her peers in Crenshaw, she is noticeably less sophisticated than her cohorts at the bees. During her journey, she inadvertently befriends Javier (J.R. Villarreal), a lovable character who enthusiastically welcomes her into his world of wealth and privilege, respects her spelling prowess, and even develops a little crush on her.

The plot is fairly predictable, but refreshingly realistic. Unlike the documentary “Spellbound,” most of the characters are not flat and have a broad range of experiences apart from the spelling bee. All the characters seem like people that you could find in any city. Palmer poignantly portrays the youthful awkwardness and apprehension associated with participation in these spelling contests. However, Dr. Larabee’s initial aloofness and tough coaching—an uncharacteristic role for the hardboiled and theatrically-trained Fishburne—is replaced by tough love and eventually fatherly warmth. Unfortunately, the mother’s preoccupation with her multiple jobs left Bassett portraying a role with little depth; however, it was nice to see her chiseled arms showcased in yet another movie.

At times the movie appears to be a hybrid between “The Karate Kid” and “Finding Forrester” because of the similar themes of eccentric mentorship, the struggle to beat the odds, and the protracted suspense. However, its multicultural cast creates an entertaining mélange of perspectives, which are typically reserved for dinner table discussion.

The uplifting message of “Akeelah and the Bee,” hails from Nelson Mandela’s often repeated words, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” It can be applied to anyone—young or old, rich or poor, black or white—struggling to forge a new path.

Bottom Line: If you have ever been in a spelling bee, but had to walk away feeling dejected because you missed a letter in some obscure word, this movie is your deliverance. But don’t worry, if you’ve never even tried to spell ‘floccinaucinihilipilification,’ you’ll still enjoy it!