Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer) and Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne, background) 'Akeelah and The Bee'. - CONTRIBUTED
AKEELAH AND the Bee is an absolutely delightful movie. The Spelling Bee competition, especially when one reaches the level of the national finals in the United States, uses words that most people have never heard of, words that are likely to scar the tongues of mere mortals as they were seemingly created simply to make normal people feel inferior.
The science of spelling, however, is not the core thing at the heart of Akeelah and the Bee. This film is beautiful because it is about the things that are easy to spell, but are essential to a good life. Akeelah and the Bee is about love, friendship, community, and triumph.
THE SCRIPT
The film is the story of a young girl from South Los Angeles who attempts to make it to the National Finals of the Scripps Howard Spelling Bee competition. Young Akeelah (Keke Palmer) is attempting to avoid attention and not be labelled a freak when she is singled out as her school's chance to redeem itself by representing them in the Spelling Bee competition.
Though she has the natural skill for spelling, Akeelah is at a clear disadvantage from many of the other competitors who come from the middle-class where they have the luxury of good schools and/or private tutoring. Her chances rise phenomenally when she teams up with Dr. Larabee (Lawrence Fishburne).
Akeelah and the Bee bears a strong resemblance to Finding Forrester as it explores the dynamics between a wise grumpy old man and his young prodigy. Interestingly, Larabee's teaching methods are particularly impressive as he does not merely believe in learning by rote but instead encourages Akeelah to understand the power of language.
Along with the interesting, engagingly written story, Akeelah and the Bee also has a very good cast. Keke Palmer (Madea's Family Reunion, The Wool Cap) has a natural vibrant energy that leaps from the screen and makes her the perfect heroine. Akeelah is endearing because she has a little sass, she is intelligent, and her fear of losing makes her feel even more human, and so we can easily identify with her.
AKEELAH'S MOTHER
Fishburne has played this role numerous times and handles it with ease and dignity. He once again plays opposite Angela Bassett, Akeelah's mother - Tanya. Tanya is not a bad mother, but she is an over-worked woman who is so busy trying to make ends meet and keep her family afloat, especially as one son drifts toward gangstadom, that she is about to let her youngest child fall through the cracks.
In many ways Akeelah and the Bee seems to be your standard rise to victory flick and it works well along that path, quickly sweeping one up in a strong emotional story from the beginning. However, toward the end, it veers away from the formula and becomes an even better film.
It highlights how successes can bind communities together. Though the film is not explicitly about issues of race or class those factors are also slipped in and serve to make the film textured as it explores the ideas of overcoming difference.
It's a fabulous, heartwarming movie. It's got p-u-l-c-h-r-i-t-u-d-e!
