Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
83 %
Reviews Counted: 132 Fresh: 110 Rotten:22 Average Rating: 7/10
Consensus:
Although predictable in every way, a winning performance from its young star Keke Palmer and the rest of the cast makes it difficult not to cheer for the little heroine of Akeelah and the Bee. Sort of like Rocky for the middle school nerd set, Akeelah is a warm, family-friendly underdog story, featuring terrific supporting performances from Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett.
Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins
Theatrical Release: Apr 28, 2006 Wide
Box Office: $18,811,135
Synopsis: Following in the fine tradition of inspiring inner-city underdog tales like STAND AND DELIVER, and TAKE THE LEAD, Doug Atchison's AKEELAH AND THE BEE is a story of overcoming odds that never descends into empty formula. The narrative centers around the character of Akeelah (Keke Palmer, in a... [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, Curtis Armstrong, Sean Michael, Lee Thompson Young
Director: Doug Atchison
Screenwriter: Doug Atchison
Producer: Laurence Fishburne, Sidney Ganis, Michael Paseornek, Dalia Phillips, Nancy Hult, Daniel Llewellyn, Michael Romersa
Composer: Aaron Zigman
Screenwriter: Doug Atchison
Producer: Laurence Fishburne, Sidney Ganis, Michael Paseornek, Dalia Phillips, Nancy Hult, Daniel Llewellyn, Michael Romersa
Composer: Aaron Zigman
Buy It On DVD
Reviews
Akeelah and the Bee is the kind of movie you want to recommend to every 11-year-old you know.
Comment
06/08/08
The best thing ... is that, unlike the majority of sports films, the film doesn't suggest that spelling has some kind of transcendental importance.
09/18/07
Fine performances all around and smart pacing that rivets us to the story.
03/01/07
Any parents wondering why they don't make wholesome family flicks anymore can stop wondering.
01/22/07
This is a film that couldn't be more predictable or more joyful. I just hope I haven't misspelled anything.
12/09/06
If there's ever any evidence that originality and predictability aren't necessarily absolute elements by which to judge a movie, Akeelah and the Bee is it.
09/21/06
It's every bit as clichéd and predictable as you'd expect, but thanks to some fine performances, especially from the young leads, it is quite watchable.
09/08/06
While there's a temptation to dismiss Akeelah and the Bee as Good Will Spelling, there aren't enough (good) heartwarming films like this for either younger or older audiences.
08/31/06
The film has an important, uplifting message; shame it couldn't be encased in a less faked-up story.
08/19/06
There's charm in this simple underdog tale, but clunky plotting and characterisation mean it has 'telemovie' written all over it. You’d be better off renting Spellbound instead.
08/18/06
The young star is such a little cutey-pie and the plot so cleverly manipulative that, whatever its faults, you’ll still have a lump in your throat throughout.
08/18/06
Its clichés seem bigger and its characterisations broader than they would on the more forgiving telly.
08/17/06
This isn't a patch on Spellbound ... but its strong performances and its skilful deployment of the finest, hand-picked cliches ensures that it remains enjoyable throughout.
08/17/06
However eager to entertain and even to model some ways of living life, the film doesn't wheedle us for our love or our devotion, and perhaps for that reason, it earns both.
07/28/06
Director Atchison succinctly separates the film's emotional core from a surfeit of cornball classism.
06/03/06
Related Forums
AKEELAH & THE BEE gets a pre-opening preem in the Tribeca Film Fest SHOWCASE section!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/2/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/2/06
AKEELAH & THE BEE gets a pre-opening preem in the Tribeca Film Fest SHOWCASE section!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/2/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/2/06
AKEELAH & THE BEE gets a pre-opening preem in the Tribeca Film Fest SHOWCASE section!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/2/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/2/06
AKEELAH & THE BEE gets a pre-opening preem in the Tribeca Film Fest SHOWCASE section!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/2/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/2/06
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Around the Network
• Akeelah and the Bee at Rotten Tomatoes
• Akeelah and the Bee at IGN
• Akeelah and the Bee at AskMen
• Akeelah and the Bee at IGN
• Akeelah and the Bee at AskMen
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