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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: Lionsgate
Salesrank: 3713
Released: August 29, 2006 |
| Our Price: $4.64 |
| Used Price: $3.49 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Akeelah & The Bee is the inspirational story of Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer) an 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. System Requirements:Running Time: 112 MinutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: PG UPC: 031398195962 Manufacturer No: 19596
Description of Akeelah and the Bee (Widescreen Edition):
There aren't enough superlatives in the dictionary to describe the excellence of Akeelah and the Bee. Superbly written and directed by Doug Atchison, this PG-rated family drama covers the same dramatic territory as the acclaimed 2002 documentary Spellbound and the 2005 drama Bee Season, but the fictional story of 11-year-old Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer) is, if anything, even more entertaining, inspiring, and full of hope for the potential of children everywhere. Although reluctant at first (and fearful of being labeled a "brainiac" by classmates at her under-funded middle school in South Central Los Angeles), Akeelah grows determined to win the district, regional, and ultimately the Scripps National Spelling Bee, aided by the able coaching of an English professor (Laurence Fishburne) who, like Akeelah's overworked single mother (Angela Bassett) is slowly recovering from a devastating personal loss. Structured like a conventional sports drama, Akeelah and the Bee rises above its generic trappings to become an uplifting and deeply moving study of friendship, pride, fair play, and above all, the value of self-confidence and realization that there's more to life than winning. As played by the young Palmer in an award-worthy performance, Akeelah is a winner in the best sense of the word, and so is this wonderfully positive movie. --Jeff Shannon
Akeelah and the Bee (Widescreen Edition) Reviews:
Beautiful Movie i love it very much 
2008-08-27 - Akeelah and the Bee a very beautiful movie, inspirational, moving, uplifting and positive. Show that one can achieve anything they work towards. With hard work success will come. Just believe in your dreams and work hard. I was motivated to get the movie and see it by Oprah Winfrey after watching her publicize this movie in one of her show. Oprah i must say this movie is best of all time.Oprah you are my inspiration and role model who always give me positive advice on your show. Thank Oprah for this wonderful endorsement of the the movie. It the best of all time beautiful played Lawrence Fishbourne, Angela Basset and Ake Palmer. Love it 10 stars. Every one please go out there and purchase this movie a must have and see. Magnificent every changing, fantastic, touching, positive.
Akeehal and the Bee
2008-07-08 - I just loved this movie when I saw it on Tv so I purchased it right away. It is amusing, down to earth, yet serious. All ages will enjoy it.
Lawrence Fishborne is outstanding in his role as tutor.
Perfect for adolescents
2008-06-23 - I bought two copies of Akeelah, one for my library and one for home. This is an excellent film for adults as well as adolescents, and the film to show any precocious preteen with an attitude that prevents achievement.
Find the Akeelah in yourself
2008-06-17 - I think there's a place in most everyone where we're afraid to admit our talents, afraid to put them on display....because - what if we fail? We make ourselves comfortable in our given situation, which is not all bad, but many, many times there is something so much better we could be enjoying if we would just reach a little bit for it.
Such is the life of Akeelah. Raised in a poor neighborhood by her overworked mother...still missing her father who has passed on...watching her siblings struggle with babies and gang influences. It's just too hard to believe that there is anything outside of the world as she knows it that would embrace her and shout "You are something special!" Until the bee came along...
I liked this movie not just because it was a "feel-good", but because I thought it really connected with feelings that a lot of people struggle with. When her mentor has her read the quote on his wall..."Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous. Actually, WHO ARE YOU NOT TO BE?" WOW! I actually stood up and replayed that part about 5 times before I went on...
There's also a realization here that even with talent, we need our loved ones to support and encourage us in life. Probably my favorite part of this movie is her last spelling word....brilliantly shot with each of her coaches and mentors speaking a letter. That's what it's all about...don't be afraid of what you can do, and don't be afraid to love and support one another. If we all could get a hold of that message, what a place this would be to live in.
This is a great film...you won't be disappointed!
Good Language? 
2008-04-07 - I rented this movie because it was billed as a great kid's story of triumph over adversity and that sort of thing. I thought my son (4-year-old) would like it, because he loves to read and thinks words are pretty cool.
The actual story of the movie was awesome and truly inspirational, but I was dismayed by the use of foul language in it. Now, I realize that in reality people often don't know better than to use cuss words every other word, but was it needed in a kid's movie? I wouldn't let him finish watching it, because I didn't want him cussing me out over dinner and thinking it was the normal way to speak.
Can you imagine, "Hey dad, pass the f____ing peas?"
"Don't use language like that at the table."
"But I learned it on the kid's movie."
So what was the moral of the movie for me? Teach your kid a few big words to make him smart, but teach him a few dozen cuss words to make him cool to the other kids? Not for my family.
