Movie Review

Akeelah and the Bee

Akeelah and the Bee is one of those feel-good films in which you know the basic outline of events based on previous versions of ?inspirational? movies. I tend to be a snob with this sub-genre, finding most pieces manipulative and preachy regardless of whether the stories are based on actual events. And when critics claim that you will stand up and cheer, I?m usually convinced I won?t; I thought Cinderella Man (B-) was the most overrated film of 2005 (a few performances making up for a very generic and predictable true-life recount). Akeelah and the Bee is another one of those ?stand up and cheer? movies, but it surprisingly works despite its faults. Preachy, cheesy, and predictable (to a certain extent) yes, the film is a bit of all three, but it is handled with the right touch and with enough context to keep it from being exhaustingly so.

The film follows a black girl in a South Central, Los Angeles elementary school who?s leagues ahead of her class?and perhaps even her own teachers; that is, at spelling. Trapped in a society where intelligence isn?t valued and where many people trudge around accepting mediocrity and poor work habits, Akeelah ? the girl in the film?s title ? doesn?t fit in to her surroundings; she even says this in the opening voiceover, a very risky storytelling move. For as long as she can remember, Akeelah has had an abnormal gift for spelling just about anything ? words that would probably stump even the biggest intellectuals. After years of not knowing what to do with this gift, Akeelah?s eyes are opened when she sees a national spelling bee broadcasted on TV; her mother even yells at her to turn off the television at dinner one night when she has made the discovery. No, I don?t sense formula filmmaking at all, either.

Akeelah and the Bee is without a doubt formula filmmaking, but the movie is upped a notch thanks to a few strong performances and a perspective not often chosen by filmmakers. Writer/director Doug Atchinson depicts the culture and the school life and mentality believably; regardless of how many careless kids and parents are found in a community, there?s always someone like Akeelah somewhere ? as well as other kids who ridicule that someone for their intelligence out of personal insecurity. Akeelah as a film nails issues like this, as well as the financial divide between the lower and middle class; minorities and non-minorities. It?s issues like these that keep this film from being painfully by-the-book; it seems his main character has allowed Atchinson to inject some actual sophistication and ?difference? in his version of the genre.

Most of the film follows Akeelah seeking help from a psychiatrist who used to be a highly-regarded English professor, played by Laurence Fishburne. Together they work through spelling and decoding language techniques in hopes of winning the national spelling bee. Passion for this project seeps through every single word that Fishburne utters in scenes; you can really tell that this role meant a lot to him (after seeing his performance, it?s not a big surprise to see that he is one of the producers responsible for distribution). This is the kind of performance that the Golden Globes were made for; Fishburne deserves at least a nomination for his commanding presence.

Keke Palmer plays Akeelah, and her work here just might do for her what Whale Rider did for Keisha Castle-Hughes; come awards time, I wouldn?t be surprised if she upsets with a nod. Her role is not totally star-making material, but Palmer injects more than enough energy to allow Akeelah to be more than just a formula figure; Akeelah?s sophistication shows through just with Palmer?s demeanor. This is an actress who knows her role inside and out.

As with most formulaic stories, there are elements that will be scoffed at by some. Certain characters are absolutely clich? in their actions, and a few plot transitions are rather contrived, and there is a little bit of manipulation involved as well. But regardless, Akeelah does do numerous things right. For those looking for a family-friendly outing, Akeelah and the Bee will provide exactly what is expected; and for skeptics, this may be a minor though delightful surprise.

Lee's Grade: B-
Ranked #25 of 177 between Snakes on a Plane (#24) and Film Geek (#26) for 2006 movies.

A	0.4%
B	30.0%
C	61.7%
D	8.0%
F	0.0%