Product Details

• Actors: Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, Keke Palmer, Curtis Armstrong, J.R. Villarreal
• Directors: Doug Atchison
• Writers: Doug Atchison
• Producers: Michael Burns, Marc Butan, Mark Cuban, Tom Ortenberg, Michael Paseornek
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Lionsgate
• DVD Release Date: August 29, 2006
• Run Time: 112 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (232 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000G1R394
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,139 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Akeelah and the Bee (Widescreen Edition)" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

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

Product Description

An inspirational drama, Akeelah and the Bee is the story of Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer), a precocious 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.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 69 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars You have nothing to fear but fear itself. May 1, 2006

By K A Goode

Having just returned from this movie at midnight, well after my normal bedtime, I am encouraged. This movie is not just about spelling bees, albieit interesting to me; as I love spelling.

It is more about finding out for yourself who you are and what you are capable of, there will always be issues associated with race, class and a laundry list of other things but what matters more than those things is H-E-A-R-T and where you choose to put yours.

This film is very much about realizing that in spite of all things we must find a cause and dig in deeply until we have satisfied our quest.

Life rewards action, make careful decisions and act!

The choices that we make today have a long reaching impact and recognizing that this film should remind people that life is not a spectator sport; It's meant to be interactive.

Whatever it takes, find out who you are and what you are made of in spite of your fears. You'll be surprised who and what you find on the other side of fear.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm a sucker for a good montage sequence July 13, 2007

By My Uncle Stu VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

There are too few good family films around these days. Some of the kid's movies peddled by the major studios are okay, but they mostly try to appeal to adults by being saturated with snarky in-jokes and cultural references that only adults would get. I guess we are suppose to giggle demurely when the writers throw us a little treat right over our children's heads. They then try to appeal to kids with flatulence humor (which I'm all for by the way), by completely overpowering their senses, and, of course, the melodramatically enhanced death of a parent, which I guess is suppose to hook the young viewers by setting up some sort of repetition compulsion.

Akeela and the Spelling Bee is a breath of fresh air. It is a beautiful story that focuses on a young girl gaining confidence and a sense of mastery through working hard, using her natural gifts, and an impressive display of resilience. There are good messages in the film. Every character set up to be a villain is ultimately redeemed by Akeela's unflappable grace and inability to be seduced by thoughts of retribution. You do have the death of a parent as part of the backstory, but it is not played up in that manipulative lets-traumatize-the-children Disney style. It is there as a necessary part of explaining Akeela's character and the complexities in her bond with her coach.

And, you get montage sequences of Akeela cramming for the spelling bee. Not just one, but three. I always love that in a movie, when the music starts and you just see brief clips of the character studying in various settings. Many is the time in my own life that I gutted through exam preparation by dissociating to my own little montage sequence.

Some critics have focused on clichés in the movie.... But they are not clichés to little kids who haven't spent the bulk of their time deconstructing cinema. And they aren't clichés to parents who can make a vicarious, playful connection with their kids and just take the movie at face value. In the end, your kids will love this movie and, if you let yourself get swept into it, you too will find yourself both inspired and entertained. Read more ›

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "I'll brook no nonsense!" August 31, 2006

By A Customer

Format:DVD

Akeelah And the Bee is so warm and heart-wrenching, so full of power and emotion that you can forgive the film for being formulaic and deliberately tugging at the heartstrings. Featuring a truly bravura performance by the young Keke Palmer is Akeelah, this film is one of the best feel-good family movies to come along in years and certainly one of the best films of 2006.

Akeelah (Palmer) is an 11-year-old sixth-grader at Crenshaw Middle School in South Los Angeles, she's bright - she even aces all the class spelling tests - but she has a bit of an attitude problem, partly caused by the unmotivated feeling of those around her, and the idea that to be intelligent is not considered "cool."

But deep down Akeelah loves words and it's something she shared with her late father. Avella's mom, Tanya (Angela Bassett), is too busy trying to keep her life and family together to pay much attention. She has one young son flirting with being a gangbanger and another son is doing well in the Air Force, so Tanya just doesn't want to be bothered with what she views as the foolishness of spelling competitions.

Spurred on by the school principal (Curtis Armstrong) Akeelah is encouraged to enter the Crenshaw school spelling bee, even though she doesn't really want to do it. She of course wins, and but she's going to need help if she wants to make it through other contests. She finds a mentor in the somber Dr. Larabee (Lawrence Fishburne) who is on sabbatical from his position as chairman of the UCLA English department and has a lot of time on his hands.

From the outset these two very different people are destined to clash. He views her as insolent; and she sees no reason to be interested in the broader cultural education he wants her to master in addition to spelling.... However, they soon warm to each other and Akeelah immerses herself in the world of spelling where she meets fellow contestants Javier (J.R. Villarreal) is a gregarious Latino with supportive parents and the mechanical Dylan (Sean Michael Afable) who is being pressured to win the Bee by his humorless and stern Asian American father.

Will Akeelah make it to the National Spelling Bee in Washington? And will Tanya eventually come around and support her daughter's efforts? The evolving relationship between Akeelah and her mentor forms the core of this movie, as Dr. Larabee tries to temper Akeelah's fears.

But the biggest surprise comes at the end where writer-director Doug Atchison surprisingly deviates from the tried and true formula. The outcome depends not on who will win the bee, necessarily - but on the moral and ethical choices that our young heroine makes.

Atchison occasionally piles on the melodrama a bit thick, but he gets away with it because his cast is so good, especially the young Keke Palmer, who should indeed get an Oscar nomination for this. You expect nothing but emotional truth and top-notch performances from Fishburne and Bassett, but it's the young Palmer who wins your heart with a feat of acting that's so completely honest and free of affectation. Mike Leonard August 06. Read more ›

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Maybe I Need to Watch More "Kid's Movies" July 2, 2006

By Tome Raider VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

I took my six-year-old to see this at the theater today. I thought it might inspire her to become more interested in word structure and spelling. Wow, I bet it did that and more! I would be willing to say that this movie has a good chance of being life-altering for any kid who goes into it with the slightest curiosity or interest. There are great performances by all, and important principles are illustrated without the slightest trace of preachiness.

This movie shows an extremely nice fatherless young girl overcome a variety of adverse circumstances and push herself to her limit. This is a great film about self-discipline and dedication and taking the risks necessary to achieve personal greatness. Be it spelling, bicycling, piano, ballet or soccer, this film spells out the formula for accomplishment. I think your kids will pick up on the lesson, it penetrates invitingly. It also shows kids being very nice to one another, before biases and social classes have hardened and divided us.

This film was not at all preachy, but it really highlights the tangible nature of some of the disadvantages facing our kids in poorer communities. There are kids in those areas with tremendous academic talent and a willingness to work to accomplish big things. America should be a country where every kid who desires to achieve, and is willing to work hard to do so, receives a fair shot at that on a level playing field. Akeelah got some help from her friends here--and a dedicated school pricipal--but I fear that in real life there may be some Akeelahs falling through the cracks.

An English professor played by Laurence Fishbourne was one of the breaks Akeelah got here. I liked it that he gave her no slack, no "affirmative action" for her hardships.... He held the bar very high and expected a lot ffrom her in every way, and she rose to the occasion. And, during his teaching of her, he healed a few of his old wounds as well. I was kind of hoping that he would hook up with Akeelah's mom, or at least a hint that that was going to happen, because that would have been perfect.

This was a very sweet and entertaining movie, and I have to tell you I left the theater a little teary-eyed. The friendly little Hispanic kid who goes out of his way to befriend Akeelah will obviously be a cult figure for decades. His playful good naturedness is an example for all of us. This movie struck the absolute right tone on several themes of social importance, and I think good ole Starbucks has to be congratulated on a great debut into the movie biz.

I saw the Disney movie "Eight Below" earlier this week and it also just blew me away, and so I'm now going to start paying a lot more attention to these movies intended for younger audiences!! These both were much better than the movies intended for my age bracket! Read more ›