AKEELAH
AND THE BEE
by Jane Louise
Boursaw
MPAA Rating:
PG for some language
Suggested Ages: 8+
Released in Theaters: April 28, 2006
Reel Rating: 4 out of 4 Reels
Should you bring the kids?
Yes! Thankfully, this movie has no car crashes, weapons, or
sexual innuendoes, yet still manages to portray life in a poor section
of Los Angeles. It's also a great lesson about overcoming obstacles and
fears to pursue your dreams. For more info, see "Bringing the Kids"
below.
THE STORY: "You know that feeling
when, no matter what you do or where you go, you just don't fit in?"
These are the words of Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer), an 11-year-old
girl from South Los Angeles, a place where people don't exactly dream
big dreams.
But maybe there IS a place where Akeelah fits in.
When it's discovered that she has a gift for spelling, she enters her
first spelling bee, against the wishes of her mother, Tanya (Angela
Bassett), who's busy trying to make ends meet. After connecting with
other champion spellers, Akeelah finally finds a place where she feels
at home. Her talent takes her all the way to the National Spelling Bee
in Washington, D.C., the most famous and fierce competition of its
kind in the world. But Akeelah will be going up against "rich, white
kids," and being able to spell is just half the battle.
Along the way, she's coached by an intense,
mysterious teacher, Dr. Joshua Larabee (Laurence Fishburne), a former
spelling champ himself, who helps her grow from a shrinking violet to a
cool-as-a-cucumber contestant. He also shows her how words and language
can be used to shape her life.
Akeelah is also helped by a cast of colorful
characters in the community, as well as her principal, Mr. Welch (Curtis
Armstrong), who's eager to get some publicity and funds for his
impoverished school.
THE WRAP-UP: This is a wonderful
movie with great acting, an exciting storyline, and soulful music by
Aretha Franklin, Al Green, The Spinners, and others. It also contains
very few objectionable scenes for kids. Akeelah faces lots of obstacles,
including grief from the loss of her dad,
living in a poor neighborhood, and dealing with bullies at school. The
storyline delves briefly into problems with gangs, violent crimes, and
unwed mothers. The sh** word is used once, as well as a few mild
profanities.
BRINGING THE KIDS:
PRESCHOOLERS (ages 2-5): While spelling is a
good thing for little ones to grasp early on, the racial and social
themes in this movie are too intense for preschoolers. Better to set
them up with preschool-friendly shows like "Sesame Street" and "Mr.
Rogers' Neighborhood".
GRADE-SCHOOLERS (ages 6 - 10): Thankfully,
this movie contains no car crashes, weapons, sexual innuendoes, and just
a hint that Akeelah's brother is falling in with the wrong crowd. Keke
Palmer is wonderful as Akeelah, who overcomes social and racial
pressures, as well as her own insecurities, to get to the spelling bee.
Sadly, most grade-schoolers will probably be bored with this movie,
unless they love words and spelling.
TWEEN / TEEN (ages 11+): The adults in this
movie Angela Bassett, Lawrence Fishburne, Curtis Armstrong have some
great acting chops, but little Keke Palmer is the one who really rocks
the house with her performance. This movie is a great reminder to tweens
and teens that good things really do happen in the world despite all
the bad news we're deluged with every day. It's also a good example of
how one far one person can go if they believe in their abilities.
Spellers rock!
SCORE: 4 out of 4
Reels
Jane's Reel Rating
System:
One Reel: Pathetic. Even The Force cant save it.
Two Reels: Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.
Three Reels: Thought-provoking. Something to talk about.
Four Reels: Wow! The stuff dreams are made of.
E-chat with me
at
jane@reellifewithjane.com - I
LOVE to talk about movies!
Read my other reviews
here.
