Inspirational Akeelah & The Bee A "Happy Movie"

     It is possible for one to stumble into a movie theatre showing Akeelah & The Bee, eavesdrop on the audience and vocalize their conclusion that "this is a happy movie." Their assessment couldn’t be more correct. It is, without a doubt, the most inspirational motion picture of the year. Who could have predicted that that label would be applied to a fictional flick about the Scripps National Spelling Bee?

     Akeelah & The Bee is about much more than just a spelling bee, though. It features values that are the primary focus of many of our lives. Themes of the importance of friends and the impact of mentors blended with the story of an underdog overcoming the odds make for a moving piece of cinema. It mixes all of these very significant elements without ever once sounding preachy or cheesy.

     The movie tells it to us straight. Akeelah , a young woman played by Keke Palmer, lives in a neighborhood stricken by poverty and goes to a school suffering from decreased funding. Despite many of her classmates’ lack of enthusiasm for learning and her own absence from classes, Akeelah has a talent for spelling.

     Without studying her vocabulary lists, Akeelah always earns perfect grades on her spelling tests. This gift gets the attention of her teacher and the school’s principal who both believe Akeelah has a decent chance at the school spelling bee. After much convincing, Akeelah participates in the school spelling bee and wins. However, her classmates make fun of her and Akeelah runs from the room.

     UCLA professor Dr. Larabee, played by Lawrence Fishburne, agrees to coach the girl, noting that she has a lot of potential but also has a few areas to work on if she wants to succeed at the higher level spelling bees. Akeelah & The Bee follows Akeelah’s journey from insecurity to confidence and how the right people in her life make all the difference in the world.

     Palmer is absolutely great as Akeelah. She has what it takes to that central connection to the audience, causing everyone to cheer for her. Fishburne is fantastic as well, revealing a not-too-often-seen side of himself as Akeelah’s mentor. Even the minor characters play essential roles, though, as we watch the entire community root for the underdog.

     At times, Akeelah & The Bee has an acute tendency to dip in and out of boredom. The flick never becomes uninteresting but these short scenes of tedium make the movie feel a little lengthy. Of course, this is an inexpensive price to pay to get to certain uplifting moments that depend on these moderately dull scenes to work efficiently.

     A second minor flaw is the movie’s predictable ending. Eventually, the suspense is pretty much eliminated as a result of what some of the characters say about the spelling bee. However, the themes are injected into the finale in a manner that is purely astonishing. It is the perfect way to bring audiences to their feet.

     Which is exactly what this feature film will make you do. I recommend that moviegoers of all ages buy a ticket to Akeelah & The Bee. It is a Popcorn Guarantee that nobody will be able to leave the theatre without wet eyes (the good kind) and an enormous smile. My reasoning is simple – Akeelah & The Bee is a happy movie.