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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Akeelah and the Bee
Lions Gate Films


8.2

based on 30 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 53 votes
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MPAA RATING: PG for some language

Starring Angela Bassett, Keke Palmer, Laurence Fishburne, J.R. Villarreal, and Curtis Armstrong

An inspirational drama, Akeelah and the Bee is the story of Akeelah Anderson (Palmer), a precocious eleven-year old girl from south Los Angeles with a gift for words. Despite the objections of her mother (Bassett), Akeelah enters various spelling contest, for which she is tutored by the forthright Dr. Larabee (Fishburne), her principal Mr. Welch (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 united her neighborhood who witness the courage and inspiration of one amazing little girl. (Lionsgate)

GENRE(S):	Drama
WRITTEN BY:	Doug Atchison
DIRECTED BY:	Doug Atchison
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: August 29, 2006 Theatrical: April 28, 2006
RUNNING TIME:	112 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Keke Palmer, a young Chicago actress whose first role was as Queen Latifah's niece in "Barbershop 2," becomes an important young star with this movie. It puts her in Dakota Fanning and Thora Cross territory, and there's something about her poise and self-possession that hints she will grow up to be a considerable actress.

Newsweek Devin Gordon

Splendiferous.

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

All the gears, in fact, are shamelessly visible, yet they lock smoothly and resonantly into place. If Akeelah and the Bee is a generic, well-oiled commercial contraption, it is the first to credibly dramatize the plight of a truly gifted, poor black child.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

A movie like this could easy slide into Shirley Temple territory, showcasing a child actor so full of sweetness and light and good, old-fashioned spunk that audiences wince. But Palmer, whose enthusiasm and energy never seem forced, avoids all those traps; her Akeelah is never less than believable.

Entertainment Weekly Scott Brown

Blessed with excellent turns by Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne, this feel-gooder revels in its hip-to-be-square hyperliteracy, and neatly exceeds its own PSA-ness, practically amounting to a black, preteen "Good Will Hunting."

Dallas Observer Jim Ridley

A sweet-natured, immensely likable family film.

The New York Times Lawrence Van Gelder

The innate suspense and charm of the spelling bee, along with a trio of crack performances, turn what is in essence a formulaic sports picture into something more satisfying: an underdog tale that manages to inspire without being sappy.

Chicago Reader Andrea Gronvall

This small gem about a South Central LA girl with a gift for spelling restores luster to the family genre.

Film Threat Felix Vasques Jr.

A film like this has to be seen. It's beautiful, it's encouraging, and it really inspires its audience to commit to something positive.

San Francisco Chronicle Ruthe Stein

Akeelah and the Bee connects where it counts most, on an emotional level. Only a curmudgeon could watch this feisty but vulnerable youngster rack up victories against all odds without tearing up.

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

In its final act, Akeelah is as exciting as any Final Four matchup. What it may lack in cinematic art it compensates for in abecedarian adrenaline guaranteed to pump the pulse and the spirits of viewers from 10 to 90.

Premiere Sara Brady

The climactic spelling bee sequence is as tautly written and edited as any gridiron drama, and Palmer's performance here is truly gripping.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

I'm not sure how tolerable this would be without Palmer's charm, because this is a formulated script where everything is tied up in perfect bows, just like life isn't.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

Sentimental, manipulative, predictable and utterly charming.

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

A slight but winning heart-tugger.

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

A genuinely sweet and determinedly inspirational family film that features a charming young actress in the title role. It's a successful feel-good movie, but it would make you feel even better if it didn't push quite so hard for its desired effects.

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

By turns funny, affecting tale.

LA Weekly Chuck Wilson

While it can't have been easy to find action points for a drama about vocabulary drills, Atchison comes up with a steady stream of plot-propelling business, including Akeelah's flair for jump rope, a skill that serves her beautifully in a clinch moment.

The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen

Effectively anchoring the picture is Keke Palmer's lovely lead performance as Akeelah Anderson.

Variety Justin Chang

This earnest weepie plays like "The Karate Kid" with a pro-literacy agenda, pushing all the right emotional buttons yet hitting quite a few wrong ones in the process.

Village Voice Benjamin Strong

It helps that newcomer Keke Palmer nails it as the 11-year-old prodigy, avoiding cuteness and conveying more angst than all the pasty freaks in "Spellbound" combined.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

As the conceptually similar documentary "Spellbound" proved, spelling bees are innately dramatic. But that doesn't keep Atchison from constantly pushing the film toward theatrical moments instead of letting the drama arise organically from the story.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

You can't help but root for Akeelah as she reclaims the pride in her talents and her achievements. That's an idea worth spelling out to a young audience.

USA Today Claudia Puig

You could be cynical about the first movie produced by the coffee colossus Starbucks. But there's nothing cynical about Akeelah's story of courage and determination.

New York Post Kyle Smith

So warm and well-meaning that you may find yourself wanting to like it more than you really do.

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

Predictable, corny and formulaic...Yet this latest triumph of the spelling-bee spirit, like last year's earnest, flawed film version of "Bee Season," features a film-saving performance where it counts most: from the kid playing the kid with big brain and even bigger heart.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

Normally, such saccharine inspiration only manages to clog the heart, not warm it. But there's a true original in this den of clichés and her name is Keke Palmer.

Empire Anna Smith

There's charm in this simple underdog tale, but clunky plotting and characterisation mean it has 'telemovie' written all over it.

Portland Oregonian Marc Mohan

It's unfortunate that the lack of originality in plot and character keeps Akeelah and the Bee stuck firmly in "After-School Special" territory.

Austin Chronicle Marrit Ingman

It is a rewarding tale for public educators, parents, and kids with big dreams.

The average user rating for this movie is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 53 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Paul D. gave it a6:
Appealing, but just too formulaic, unbelievable and predictable to rise above a run-of-the-mill Karate Kid type story.

Claudia B. gave it a10:
Excellent movie that portrayed an African AMerican female in a positive manner. Kudos to the producers and the acting cast. KeKe Palmer, Angela Bassett, and Laurence Fishburne- you are a complete unit. The whole Kenwood High School viewed your movie and discussed various character traits that were associated with the movie. Our school is reflective of some of the same demographics associated with the movie- many students were inspired to learn new words.

Kwai D. gave it a9:
A rather uplifting movie with a thoughtful purpose and meaning that resonates with the viewer. A definite must see.

Tye N. gave it an8:
Although it has a few too many clichéd montages towards the end, and a couple of far fetched moments, the emotion is absolutely real. Keke Palmer is astounding and fierce as Akeelah, a very intelligent and lovable eleven-year-old who is unfortunately born in a poor neighborhood and attends a poor school. It rang especially true for me as I grew up in a similar situation. Even if you can't relate (and there are many relatable levels here), you should still enjoy 'Akeelah and the Bee' as a film that the whole family can watch and be inspired by.

Phyllis G. gave it a10:
This movie was very educational and touching.

Jake G. gave it a10:
A great movie. Lovable characters. Really pulled on the 2 strongest emotions theatre can pull, laughter and tears. A wonderful production.

Paul F. gave it a9:
This movie took me by suprise. i had crocidile tears in my eyes for about half of the movie. I suspect this was manipulatively done but isn't that what a movie is suppose to do, draw you in? At any rate this movie not only was very entertaining but had all the right messages, of hard work, striving toward excellence, believing in yourself, teamwork, family, friendship, connection, healing compassion, and love. Akeelah and the Bee is a tremendous movie with a spirited heart.

Akeelah and the Bee Lions Gate Films

Akeelah and the Bee
Lions Gate Films