Akeelah and the Bee

Infobox Film
name = Akeelah and the Bee


caption = Promotional poster For "Akeelah and the Bee".
director = Doug Atchison
producer = Laurence Fishburne
Sid Ganis
Nancy Hult
Daniel Llewelyn
Michael Romersa
writer = Doug Atchison
starring = Keke Palmer
Laurence Fishburne
Angela Bassett
Curtis Armstrong
J. R. Villareal
Eddie Steeples
music = Aaron Zigman
cinematography = M. David Mullen
editing = Glenn Farr
distributor = Lions Gate Films
released = April 28 2006
runtime = 112 minutes (approx.)
country = United States
awards = Shut up, dog.
language = English
budget =
gross = $18,948,425
amg_id = 1:321726
imdb_id = 0437800

"Akeelah and the Bee" is a 2006 film written and directed by Doug Atchison. It tells the story of Akeelah Anderson, portrayed by Keke Palmer, an 11-year-old girl who participates in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, her mother portrayed by Angela Bassett, schoolmates, and also her coach, portrayed by Laurence Fishburne. It also explores issues of education in the black community. It has been given a PG rating from the MPAA for some language.

The film was developed over a period of 10 years by Doug Atchison, the germ of the idea having started after his watching the Scripps National Spelling Bee of 1994 and combined with his experiences spent tutoring disadvantaged students in the area around the University of Southern California, where he attended film school. After four years of trying to secure funding for the film, the documentary film "Spellbound" came out in 2002 and perhaps, according to one producer, Sid Ganis, facilitated funding. "Spellbound" features a black girl, Ashley White, from Washington, D.C., in rough parallel to the independent idea developed in "Akeelah and the Bee".

The film has been heavily promoted by Starbucks as a result of a partnership between Lions Gate Films, 2929 Entertainment, and Starbucks Entertainment. It became the first DVD offered for sale at Starbucks. [ [http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6340569.html http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6340569.html] "Videobusiness.com" ]

The film earned positive reviews from most critics, getting an 83% from 132 critics at "Rotten Tomatoes". [ [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/akeelah_and_the_bee http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/akeelah_and_the_bee] "Rottentomatoes.com" ]

Plot

Akeelah Anderson attends Crenshaw Middle School, a predominantly black school in South Los Angeles. Akeelah is especially talented at spelling, and never makes errors on her spelling tests. She lives with her widowed mother (Angela Bassett), her two siblings and her infant niece. Her oldest brother (Lee Thompson Young) is in the Air Force and her other brother is a dope boy for the local drug dealer (Eddie Steeples). Her teacher recommends that she sign up for the Crenshaw Schoolwide Spelling Bee which she wins easily. After that, Dr. Joshua Larabee (Laurence Fishburne) (a visiting English professor) tests her with some difficult words, and finds that she has the potential to reach the National Spelling Bee. But after failing to correctly spell the word "pulchritude", she is upset because she doesn't meet her own expectations of being a "brainiac."

When Akeelah asks Dr. Larabee to coach her, he rejects her for being rude. Instead, she studies on her own for the district spelling bee. During the bee her sister Kiana catches one of the contestants cheating, which allows Akeelah to take the tenth and final qualifying spot for the regional/state bee. She also meets Javier, a twelve-year-old Mexican-American boy and fellow speller. Javier invites her to join the spelling club at Woodland Hills.

In Woodland Hills, Akeelah meets Dylan Chiu (played by Sean Michael), a Chinese-American boy who had won second place for the past two national spelling bees. He tests her word knowledge and tells her she needs a coach. After the spelling club, Javier invites her to his birthday party.

During the party, Javier impulsively kisses her on the cheek. Dylan plays Scrabble with Akeelah and several other guests. Akeelah almost defeats Dylan, but loses by just two points. She later overhears Dylan's father reprimanding him for nearly losing to "a little black girl" and harshly telling him he must win first place.

Akeelah's mother, Tanya, is depressed at her husband's death, and does not want Akeelah to participate in the state bee because it would be too much on top of her homework. The bee is so important to Akeelah that she forges her father's signature on the consent form. Her father was killed by being shot on his way home from work when she was only six years old.

As the state bee draws near, Akeelah memorizes all the winning words from past spelling bees and works with Dr. Larabee, learning not only words, but also life lessons.

During the state bee, Akeelah's mother interrupts to try to stop Akeelah from competing, but she relents when she comes to realize how serious the people trying to help her daughter are, giving the condition that Akeelah has to do double chores for the next three months. (But, by the way she acts for the remainder of the film, she might have repealed it.) Javier walks slowly to the microphone uses the word "ratatouille" to stall for time while Akeelah talks to her mother so that Akeelah can come by back her turn and avoid being disqualified. Javier asks the judge to repeat the word, define it, and use it in a sentence, over and over -- and even to use it in a song. Just in time, Akeelah returns. Dylan finishes first, Javier second, and Akeelah third; they all advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

As Christmas approaches, Akeelah goes out to buy Dr. Larabee a present, not knowing that he plans to give up coaching her because she reminds him too much of his deceased daughter, Denise (to the point that he accidentally addresses Akeelah as Denise). Instead, he gives Akeelah four boxes of 5,000 flashcards to study. Without her coach, Akeelah loses her motivation. She is rejected by best friend, Georgia, and feels the pressure from her neighborhood to do them proud. After a pep talk from her mother, Akeelah begins to recruit neighborhood coaches and prepare in earnest.

Dr. Larabee comes through with tickets for four people to the national bee, so that Akeelah's family and friends can go with her. Her performance is solid and steady thanks to her "jump rope" strategy from Dr. Larabee. With only a few stumbles, she is smiled on as a crowd favorite. Javier and Dylan also appear; Javier is finally eliminated on "Merovingian", finishing 5th, and begins rooting for Akeelah.

But when Akeelah goes to wish Dylan good luck, she overhears his father's intense, pressured expectations of Dylan: win first place this year, win first place every year. When Dr. Larabee tells her how proud he is of her Akeelah asks him whether she can come back if she loses; he replies "Of course you can!"

Akeelah attempts to throw away the competition by deliberately misspelling “xanthosis" as "zanthosis". Dylan wonders what he should do, knowing she must have done this on purpose -- he taught her how to spell the word way back in Woodland Hills. Dylan then misspells on purpose as well, choosing "xanthoses". Dylan tells her he only wants to win fair and square, with her doing her best. The spellers go word for word up to number 24, “logorrhea”, which Dylan spells correctly to earn first place. Akeelah, looking to earn co-champion status, spells “pulchritude” (the word she couldn't spell from Dr. Larabee at the Crenshaw Bee) correctly to lock up the win and set off cheers from California to D.C. (Note: There have been three instances of co-champions, but none since 1962.)

Controversy

Reviewers praised the positive image of African Americans presented, but note usage of prominent stereotypes of Asian Americans in the portrayal of Akeelah's rival Dylan Chiu and his father. Dylan is portrayed as being brainy and condescending.

Variety.com called the film “conventionally uplifting,” but pointed out that “Dylan's authoritarian dad (Tzi Ma) is arguably the film's most questionable creation, a stiff Asian stereotype who [] . . . calls Akeelah a 'little black girl.'” [ [http://mobile.variety.com/review/VE1117929981.html?categoryid=31&cs=1 http://mobile.variety.com/review/VE1117929981.html?categoryid=31&cs=1] “Variety” ] A review from KPBS, San Diego’s public radio station, also noted that “the Asian speller and his strict, uptight dad are painful clichés.” [ [http://www.kpbs.org/blogs/movies/2006/05/04/akeelah-and-the-bee-2/ http://www.kpbs.org/blogs/movies/2006/05/04/akeelah-and-the-bee-2/] “KPBS” ] Richard von Busack of "Metroactive" observed that, “ [S] uspicious is the one-dimensional Asian-kid villainy. Stepping around black stereotypes, the film squishes its two left feet right in the mire of Asian stereotyping.” [ [http://www.metroactive.com/metro/04.26.06/akeelah-0617.html http://www.metroactive.com/metro/04.26.06/akeelah-0617.html] “Metroactive” ] A contributing blogger to Filmjerk wrote that although Akeelah was “a well-intentioned and likable picture,” the film’s “the parents of Akeelah’s Asian rival . . . provid [e] the obligatory moment of racism toward Akeelah.” [ [http://www.filmjerk.com/reviews/article.php?id_rev=817 http://www.filmjerk.com/reviews/article.php?id_rev=817] “Filmjerk”] Finally, ‘’Internet Reviews’s’’ Steve Rhodes wrote on ‘’Rotten Tomatoes’’ that “ [i] n one of the most blatant incidents, the father of Dylan (Sean Michael) sternly lectures his son about not letting himself be beaten by some inner city black kid. Dylan and his father are Asian Americans who have a strict all-work-and-no-play agenda. Dylan's father always sits stoically with his hands crossed during spelling meets and, while never applauding, gives dagger eyes to Dylan, which suggests death comes to those who fail.” [ [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/akeelah_and_the_bee/articles/1501367/1.php ROTTEN TOMATOES: An uplifting film about a ghetto child who makes good, but the script is marred by several extremely contrived and needlessly schmaltzy moments. ... Spellbound is so much better ] ]

Awards/nominations

*BET Awards
**Best Actress: Angela Bassett Nominated

*Black Movie Awards
**Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Keke Palmer Winner
**Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Laurence Fishburne Winner
**Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Angela Bassett Winner
**Outstanding Motion Picture: Winner

*Black Reel Awards
**Best Actress: Keke Palmer Winner
**Best Supporting Actress: Angela Bassett Nominated
**Best Supporting Actor: Laurence Fishburne Nominated
**Best Original Score: Aaron Zigman Nominated
**Best Film: Nominated
**Best Breakthrough Performance: Keke Palmer Nominated

*Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
**Best Younger Actress: Keke Palmer Nominated
**Best Family Film (Live Action): Nominated

*Chicago Film Critics
**Most Promising Newcomer: Keke Palmer Nominated

*Image Awards
**Outstanding Motion Picture: Nominated
**Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Keke Palmer Winner, {Became the Youngest person to win in this category}
**Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Angela Bassett Nominated
**Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Laurence Fishburne Nominated
**Outstanding Writing in a Feature Film/Television Movie or Comedy: Doug Atchison Winner

Cast

*Keke Palmer as Akeelah Anderson
*Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Joshua Larrybee
*Angela Bassett as Tanya Anderson
*Curtis Armstrong as Mr. Welch
*Eddie Steeples as Derrick T.
*Erica Hubbard as Kiana Anderson
*Lee Thompson Young as Devon Anderson
*Tzi Ma as Mr. Chiu
*J.R. Villareal as Javier Mendez
*Sean Michael Afable as Dylan Chui

Words spelled in the film

References

External links

* [http://www.akeelahandthebee.com/ Official website]
*
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0040328/ Doug Atchison Details]
* [http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/akeelahandthebee/ Movie trailer at Apple.com]
* [http://www.csrwire.com/article.cgi/5334.html Starbucks Promotional Details]
* [http://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/akeelahandthebee Reviews & Scores] at Metacritic.com