Akeelah and the Bee
Encyclopedia
Akeelah and the Bee is a 2006 American drama 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 a low socioeconomic African American community.
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 also touched off a brief national interest in spelling bees—2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee was broadcast live on television.
The film has been heavily promoted by Starbucks
as a result of a partnership between Lions Gate Entertainment
, 2929 Entertainment
, and Starbucks Entertainment
. It became the first DVD
offered for sale at Starbucks.
) attends Crenshaw Middle School, a predominantly black school
in South Los Angeles
. Akeelah is a bright 11-year-old and never makes errors on her spelling tests and doesn't really seem to fit in. She lives with her widow
ed mother, Tanya (Angela Bassett
), her three siblings Kiana, Devon, and Terrence (Erica Hubbard
, Lee Thompson Young
, and Julito McCullum
), and her infant niece. Her headmaster
, Mr. Welch and Mrs. Cross, her teacher, recommend her to sign up for the Crenshaw Schoolwide Spelling Bee, which she wins easily by spelling fanciful. 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, even though she misspells "pulchritude".
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 other contestants cheating, which saves Akeelah to take the tenth and final qualifying spot for the regional/state bee by spelling "pastiche
", although she spelled a word wrong. She also meets and befriends Javier Mendez (J.R. Villarreal), a 12-year-old Mexican-American boy and fellow speller who has a crush on her. Their friendship started when he helped Akeelah pin a brooch, saying that he won't "impale her". Javier invites her to join the spelling club at his Woodland Hills middle school.
In Woodland Hills, Akeelah meets Dylan Chiu (Sean Michael Afable), a Chinese American
boy who had won second place at the past two national spelling bees. He is contemptuous of her — as well as the other members of the spelling club — and asks her to spell "xanthosis
". When she starts with a "z", he tells her she needs a coach.
At the conclusion of the spelling club meeting, Javier invites Akeelah to his birthday party, where she has her first kiss with him; Javier plays it off by saying he only kissed her out of impulse, and jokingly asks if she plans to sue him for sexual harassment
. 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 (Tzi Ma
) reprimanding him for nearly losing to "a little black girl" and insisting he must win first place.
Tanya, still depressed at her husband's death and concerned for her daughter's grades and frequent truancy
, forbids Akeelah from participating in the state bee. Akeelah responds by forging her father's signature on the consent form. She memorizes all the winning words from past spelling bees and works with Dr. Larabee, learning not only words but life lessons as well.
During the state bee, Tanya interrupts and forces Akeelah off the stage at possible cost of disqualification if she does not return for her next word. After an intense discussion with Dr. Larabee and Mr. Welch, Tanya relents, asking Akeelah how she thinks she should be punished. Akeelah suggests not being allowed to continue in the bee, which her mother says would not be a punishment to Akeelah, but to the two men who worked hard to sponsor her. Akeelah then suggests double her amount of chores for a month, which her mother accepts, but instead makes three months. In the meantime, Javier has fought an inspired delaying action to prevent Akeelah's disqualification; he walks very slowly to the microphone, and asks for his word, "ratatouille
", to be repeated five times, defined and used in a sentence several times; he even asks for it to be used in a song. 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 he actually calls her by that name). Instead, he gives Akeelah 5,000 flashcards to study. Without her coach, Akeelah loses her motivation. She is rejected by her best friend, Georgia, and feels the pressure from her neighborhood to do them proud. But after her mom gives her the idea of "50,000 coaches", Akeelah recruits neighborhood coaches, including her family members, classmates, teacher, friends, and her neighbor Derrick T (Eddie Steeples
), and prepares in earnest.
After reuniting with Dr. Larabee, Akeelah goes to Washington, D.C. with her mother, oldest brother, best friend, principal, and Dr. Larabee, unaware that her coach has paid for four of their tickets. On the plane, Akeelah sits next to Javier, who has an aversion to heights, and kisses him on the cheek. Akeelah and Georgia rekindle their friendship after she invites Georgia to accompany her to Washington D.C.At the competition, her performance is solid and steady, much of it 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 compete; Javier is eliminated on "Merovingian" which he spells Marovingian, finishing 5th, and begins rooting for Akeelah. The other finalists, Mary Calveretti and Rajeeve Subramonian misspell "mithridatism
" and "vitrophyre
," respectively. Finally, it is down to Dylan and Akeelah, and the two finalists are allowed a brief break before continuing with the 25 championship words. During the break, Akeelah overhears Dylan's father warning him that if he gets second place this year, his last chance at becoming middle-school champion, he will be second place for life.
Akeelah attempts to throw the competition
by deliberately misspelling "xanthosis." Dylan, knowing that Akeelah deliberately misspelled the word, intentionally misspells it as well. While the judging board discusses this unlikely occurrence, Dylan tells Akeelah that he only wants to win fair and square, scoffing his father's do-or-die attitude. They both go word for word up to number 24. Dylan correctly spells "logorrhea", earning him at least a share of first place, and Akeelah spells "pulchritude" correctly to become co-champion. As she does so, Akeelah has a vision of relatives, neighbors, and Mr. Welch each contributing one letter to the word. Her victory raises cheers from Washington, D.C. to California.
, Argillaceous, Serpiginous
, Xanthosis
, Effleurage
, Sumpsimus, Tralatitious, Parrhesia
, Zarzuela
, Craquelure
, Ecdysis
, Puerpera, Palynological, Pulchritude
Dylan Chiu (1st place tie)- Oersted
, Rescipience, Filiopietistic, Xanthosis
, Lagniappe
, Sophrosyne
, Lyophilize, Vibrissae
, Vinegarroon, Concitato, Scherazadian, Logorrhea
Rajeeve Subramonian (2nd place tie)- Madrigal
, Vitrophyre
Mary Calveretti (2rd place tie)- Aboriginally, Mithridatism
Javier Mendez (4th place)- Xylem
, Merovingian
s, earning an 83% "fresh" rating based on 131 reviews at Rotten Tomatoes
. Its critical consensus states: "Although predictable in every way, a winning performance from its young star Keke Palmer and the rest of the cast makes it difficult not to cheer for the little heroine of Akeelah and the Bee. Sort of like Rocky for the middle school nerd set, Akeelah is a warm, family-friendly underdog story, featuring terrific supporting performances from Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett."
Roger Ebert
of the Chicago Sun-Times
gave it a full four stars, writing, "In our winning-obsessed culture, it is inspiring to see a young woman like Akeelah Anderson instinctively understand, with empathy and generosity, that doing the right thing involves more than winning. That's what makes the film particularly valuable for young audiences. I don't care if they leave the theater wanting to spell better, but if they have learned from Akeelah, they will want to live better."
Doug Atchison
Doug Atchison is an American motion picture director and screenwriter. He received the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Nicholl Fellowship for Akeelah and the Bee in 2000....
. It tells the story of Akeelah Anderson, portrayed by Keke Palmer
Keke Palmer
Lauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer is an American actress and singer who rose to fame for her performance in the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee. She also starred as the title character in the Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson, VP...
, an 11-year-old girl who participates in the Scripps National Spelling Bee
Scripps National Spelling Bee
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is a highly competitive annual spelling bee in the United States, with participants from other countries as well. It is run on a not-for-profit basis by The E. W...
, her mother, portrayed by Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett
Angela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
, schoolmates, and also her coach, portrayed by Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
. It also explores issues of education in a low socioeconomic African American community.
The film was developed over a period of 10 years by Doug Atchison
Doug Atchison
Doug Atchison is an American motion picture director and screenwriter. He received the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Nicholl Fellowship for Akeelah and the Bee in 2000....
, the germ of the idea having started after his watching the Scripps National Spelling Bee
Scripps National Spelling Bee
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is a highly competitive annual spelling bee in the United States, with participants from other countries as well. It is run on a not-for-profit basis by The E. W...
of 1994 and combined with his experiences spent tutoring disadvantaged students in the area around the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, 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
Sid Ganis
Sidney Ganis is a Greek-American motion picture executive and producer who has produced such films as Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, Big Daddy, Mr. Deeds, The Master of Disguise and Akeelah and the Bee. On August 23, 2005 he was elected President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
, facilitated funding. Spellbound features a black girl, Ashley White, from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, in rough parallel to the independent idea developed in Akeelah and the Bee. The film also touched off a brief national interest in spelling bees—2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee was broadcast live on television.
The film has been heavily promoted by Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
as a result of a partnership between Lions Gate Entertainment
Lions Gate Entertainment
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation is a North American entertainment company. The company was formed in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1997, and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California...
, 2929 Entertainment
2929 Entertainment
2929 Entertainment is a media company with holdings in film and television production, film distribution, theatrical exhibition, home entertainment, television, and syndication. Billionaires Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban founded and currently own the privately held company...
, and Starbucks Entertainment
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
. It became the first DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
offered for sale at Starbucks.
Plot
Akeelah Anderson (Keke PalmerKeke Palmer
Lauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer is an American actress and singer who rose to fame for her performance in the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee. She also starred as the title character in the Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson, VP...
) attends Crenshaw Middle School, a predominantly black school
Black school
Black schools originated under legal segregation in the southern United States after the American Civil War and Reconstruction era, in southern states' public policy to keep races separated and maintain white supremacy. In the United States white opposition to African American success resulted in...
in South Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Akeelah is a bright 11-year-old and never makes errors on her spelling tests and doesn't really seem to fit in. She lives with her widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
ed mother, Tanya (Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett
Angela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
), her three siblings Kiana, Devon, and Terrence (Erica Hubbard
Erica Hubbard
Erica Hubbard is an American film and television actress and model.Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, Erica knew at the early age of nine that she wanted to be an actress after she performed in her first stage play...
, Lee Thompson Young
Lee Thompson Young
Lee Thompson Young is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his teenage role as the title character on the Disney Channel television series The Famous Jett Jackson...
, and Julito McCullum
Julito McCullum
Julito McCullum is an American actor of Afro-Colombian descent best known for his role as Namond Brice on the HBO series The Wire. Currently lives in Staten Island....
), and her infant niece. Her headmaster
Head teacher
A head teacher or school principal is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school....
, Mr. Welch and Mrs. Cross, her teacher, recommend her to sign up for the Crenshaw Schoolwide Spelling Bee, which she wins easily by spelling fanciful. After that, Dr. Joshua Larabee (Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
), a visiting English professor, tests her with some difficult words and finds that she has the potential to reach the National Spelling Bee, even though she misspells "pulchritude".
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 other contestants cheating, which saves Akeelah to take the tenth and final qualifying spot for the regional/state bee by spelling "pastiche
Pastiche
A pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is a "hodge-podge" or imitation. The word is also a linguistic term used to describe an early stage in the development of a pidgin language.-Hodge-podge:...
", although she spelled a word wrong. She also meets and befriends Javier Mendez (J.R. Villarreal), a 12-year-old Mexican-American boy and fellow speller who has a crush on her. Their friendship started when he helped Akeelah pin a brooch, saying that he won't "impale her". Javier invites her to join the spelling club at his Woodland Hills middle school.
In Woodland Hills, Akeelah meets Dylan Chiu (Sean Michael Afable), a Chinese American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
boy who had won second place at the past two national spelling bees. He is contemptuous of her — as well as the other members of the spelling club — and asks her to spell "xanthosis
Xanthosis
Xanthosis is a type of skin-related disease where one has an abnormal yellow discolouration of the skin, resulting from the accumulation of cholesterol within the skin cells. It can also have such affect that there may be a yellowish discoloration of degenerating tissues, especially seen in...
". When she starts with a "z", he tells her she needs a coach.
At the conclusion of the spelling club meeting, Javier invites Akeelah to his birthday party, where she has her first kiss with him; Javier plays it off by saying he only kissed her out of impulse, and jokingly asks if she plans to sue him for sexual harassment
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
. Dylan plays Scrabble
Scrabble
Scrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary. Official reference works provide a list...
with Akeelah and several other guests. Akeelah almost defeats Dylan, but loses by just two points. She later overhears Dylan's father (Tzi Ma
Tzi Ma
Tzi Ma is a Chinese American actor who has made numerous appearances in American films and TV series.-Life and career:Ma was born in Hong Kong...
) reprimanding him for nearly losing to "a little black girl" and insisting he must win first place.
Tanya, still depressed at her husband's death and concerned for her daughter's grades and frequent truancy
Truancy
Truancy is any intentional unauthorized absence from compulsory schooling. The term typically describes absences caused by students of their own free will, and usually does not refer to legitimate "excused" absences, such as ones related to medical conditions...
, forbids Akeelah from participating in the state bee. Akeelah responds by forging her father's signature on the consent form. She memorizes all the winning words from past spelling bees and works with Dr. Larabee, learning not only words but life lessons as well.
During the state bee, Tanya interrupts and forces Akeelah off the stage at possible cost of disqualification if she does not return for her next word. After an intense discussion with Dr. Larabee and Mr. Welch, Tanya relents, asking Akeelah how she thinks she should be punished. Akeelah suggests not being allowed to continue in the bee, which her mother says would not be a punishment to Akeelah, but to the two men who worked hard to sponsor her. Akeelah then suggests double her amount of chores for a month, which her mother accepts, but instead makes three months. In the meantime, Javier has fought an inspired delaying action to prevent Akeelah's disqualification; he walks very slowly to the microphone, and asks for his word, "ratatouille
Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish, originating in Nice. The full name of the dish is ratatouille niçoise.- Origin :...
", to be repeated five times, defined and used in a sentence several times; he even asks for it to be used in a song. 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 he actually calls her by that name). Instead, he gives Akeelah 5,000 flashcards to study. Without her coach, Akeelah loses her motivation. She is rejected by her best friend, Georgia, and feels the pressure from her neighborhood to do them proud. But after her mom gives her the idea of "50,000 coaches", Akeelah recruits neighborhood coaches, including her family members, classmates, teacher, friends, and her neighbor Derrick T (Eddie Steeples
Eddie Steeples
Eddie Steeples is an American actor known for his roles as the "Rubberband Man" in an advertising campaign for OfficeMax, and as Darnell "Crab Man" Turner on the NBC sitcom My Name Is Earl.-Overview:...
), and prepares in earnest.
After reuniting with Dr. Larabee, Akeelah goes to Washington, D.C. with her mother, oldest brother, best friend, principal, and Dr. Larabee, unaware that her coach has paid for four of their tickets. On the plane, Akeelah sits next to Javier, who has an aversion to heights, and kisses him on the cheek. Akeelah and Georgia rekindle their friendship after she invites Georgia to accompany her to Washington D.C.At the competition, her performance is solid and steady, much of it 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 compete; Javier is eliminated on "Merovingian" which he spells Marovingian, finishing 5th, and begins rooting for Akeelah. The other finalists, Mary Calveretti and Rajeeve Subramonian misspell "mithridatism
Mithridatism
Mithridatism is the practice of protecting oneself against a poison by gradually self-administering non-lethal amounts. The word derives from Mithridates VI, the King of Pontus, who so feared being poisoned that he regularly ingested small doses, aiming to develop immunity...
" and "vitrophyre
Vitrophyre
Vitrophyre is a volcanic rock with larger crystals embedded in a glassy groundmass.Volcanic rock is formed when molten rock , which is produced by a volcano, has cooled and solidified . Groundmass of rock is the fine-grained mass of material in which larger grains or crystals are embedded....
," respectively. Finally, it is down to Dylan and Akeelah, and the two finalists are allowed a brief break before continuing with the 25 championship words. During the break, Akeelah overhears Dylan's father warning him that if he gets second place this year, his last chance at becoming middle-school champion, he will be second place for life.
Akeelah attempts to throw the competition
Match fixing
In organised sports, match fixing, game fixing, race fixing, or sports fixing occurs as a match is played to a completely or partially pre-determined result, violating the rules of the game and often the law. Where the sporting competition in question is a race then the incident is referred to as...
by deliberately misspelling "xanthosis." Dylan, knowing that Akeelah deliberately misspelled the word, intentionally misspells it as well. While the judging board discusses this unlikely occurrence, Dylan tells Akeelah that he only wants to win fair and square, scoffing his father's do-or-die attitude. They both go word for word up to number 24. Dylan correctly spells "logorrhea", earning him at least a share of first place, and Akeelah spells "pulchritude" correctly to become co-champion. As she does so, Akeelah has a vision of relatives, neighbors, and Mr. Welch each contributing one letter to the word. Her victory raises cheers from Washington, D.C. to California.
Spelling Bee Words
Akeelah Anderson (1st place tie)- Ratiocinate, Miscible, OrthoepyOrthoepy
Orthoepy means the doctrine of correct pronunciation within a specific oral tradition. The term is from the Greek ὀρθοέπεια, from ὀρθός orthos "correct" and ἔπος epos "speech." The antonym is cacoepy "bad or wrong pronunciation"...
, Argillaceous, Serpiginous
Serpiginous
Serpiginous, often referring to some chronic medical affliction, signifies it as slowly progressive or "creeping", such as ringworm. Regarding skin ailments in particular, this means that such a disease leaves scar tissue below while continuing to affect the skin above.Serpiginous choroidopathy is...
, Xanthosis
Xanthosis
Xanthosis is a type of skin-related disease where one has an abnormal yellow discolouration of the skin, resulting from the accumulation of cholesterol within the skin cells. It can also have such affect that there may be a yellowish discoloration of degenerating tissues, especially seen in...
, Effleurage
Effleurage
Effleurage, a French word meaning "to skim" or "to touch lightly on", is a series of massage strokes used in Swedish massage to warm up the muscle before deep tissue work using petrissage....
, Sumpsimus, Tralatitious, Parrhesia
Parrhesia
In rhetoric, parrhesia is a figure of speech described as: to speak candidly or to ask forgiveness for so speaking. The term is borrowed from the Greek παρρησία meaning literally "to speak everything" and by extension "to speak freely," "to speak boldly," or "boldness." It implies not only...
, Zarzuela
Zarzuela
Zarzuela is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular song, as well as dance...
, Craquelure
Craquelure
In art, craquelure is the fine pattern of dense "cracking" formed on the surface of paintings, in particular due to the aging of paints. It is often used to determine the age of paintings and to detect art forgery, as craquelure is a hard-to-forge signature of authenticity.-Authentic:Authentic...
, Ecdysis
Ecdysis
Ecdysis is the moulting of the cuticula in many invertebrates. This process of moulting is the defining feature of the clade Ecdysozoa, comprising the arthropods, nematodes, velvet worms, horsehair worms, rotifers, tardigrades and Cephalorhyncha...
, Puerpera, Palynological, Pulchritude
Dylan Chiu (1st place tie)- Oersted
Oersted
Oersted is the unit of magnetizing field in the CGS system of units.-Difference between cgs and SI systems:...
, Rescipience, Filiopietistic, Xanthosis
Xanthosis
Xanthosis is a type of skin-related disease where one has an abnormal yellow discolouration of the skin, resulting from the accumulation of cholesterol within the skin cells. It can also have such affect that there may be a yellowish discoloration of degenerating tissues, especially seen in...
, Lagniappe
Lagniappe
A lagniappe is a small gift given to a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase , or more broadly, "something given or obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure." The word is chiefly used in the Gulf Coast of the United States, but the concept is practiced in many countries where...
, Sophrosyne
Sophrosyne
Sophrosyne is a Greek philosophical term etymologically meaning healthy-mindedness and from there self-control or moderation guided by knowledge and balance....
, Lyophilize, Vibrissae
Vibrissae
Vibrissae , or whiskers, are specialized hairs usually employed for tactile sensation. The term may also refer to the thick hairs found inside human nostrils, but these have no sensorial function and only operate as an airborne particulate barrier...
, Vinegarroon, Concitato, Scherazadian, Logorrhea
Rajeeve Subramonian (2nd place tie)- Madrigal
Madrigal
-Music:* Madrigal , a European musical form of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries** Madrigal dinner, a form of dinner theater incorporating comedy, madrigals, and a feast...
, Vitrophyre
Vitrophyre
Vitrophyre is a volcanic rock with larger crystals embedded in a glassy groundmass.Volcanic rock is formed when molten rock , which is produced by a volcano, has cooled and solidified . Groundmass of rock is the fine-grained mass of material in which larger grains or crystals are embedded....
Mary Calveretti (2rd place tie)- Aboriginally, Mithridatism
Mithridatism
Mithridatism is the practice of protecting oneself against a poison by gradually self-administering non-lethal amounts. The word derives from Mithridates VI, the King of Pontus, who so feared being poisoned that he regularly ingested small doses, aiming to develop immunity...
Javier Mendez (4th place)- Xylem
Xylem
Xylem is one of the two types of transport tissue in vascular plants. . The word xylem is derived from the Classical Greek word ξυλον , meaning "wood"; the best-known xylem tissue is wood, though it is found throughout the plant...
, Merovingian
Cast
- Keke PalmerKeke PalmerLauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer is an American actress and singer who rose to fame for her performance in the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee. She also starred as the title character in the Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson, VP...
as Akeelah Anderson - Laurence FishburneLaurence FishburneLaurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
as Dr. Joshua Larabee - Angela BassettAngela BassettAngela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
as Tanya Anderson - Curtis ArmstrongCurtis ArmstrongCurtis Armstrong is an American actor best known for his portrayal as Booger in the Revenge of the Nerds movies, as Herbert Viola on Moonlighting, and as famed record producer Ahmet Ertegün in the film Ray.-Early life:...
as Mr. Welch - J. R. Villareal as Javier Mendez
- Sean Michael AfableSean Michael (US actor)Sean Michael Afable is an American actor, best known for playing the role of Dylan Chiu in Akeelah and the Bee.- Biography :...
as Dylan Chiu - Erica HubbardErica HubbardErica Hubbard is an American film and television actress and model.Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, Erica knew at the early age of nine that she wanted to be an actress after she performed in her first stage play...
as Kiana Anderson - Lee Thompson YoungLee Thompson YoungLee Thompson Young is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his teenage role as the title character on the Disney Channel television series The Famous Jett Jackson...
as Devon Anderson - Julito McCullumJulito McCullumJulito McCullum is an American actor of Afro-Colombian descent best known for his role as Namond Brice on the HBO series The Wire. Currently lives in Staten Island....
as Terrence Anderson - Sahara GareySahara Garey-Career:She has appeared in films including Akeelah and the Bee .Garey has also appeared on television series Thats So Raven, The Shield and Everybody Hates Chris.-External links:...
as Georgia - Eddie SteeplesEddie SteeplesEddie Steeples is an American actor known for his roles as the "Rubberband Man" in an advertising campaign for OfficeMax, and as Darnell "Crab Man" Turner on the NBC sitcom My Name Is Earl.-Overview:...
as Derrick T - Tzi MaTzi MaTzi Ma is a Chinese American actor who has made numerous appearances in American films and TV series.-Life and career:Ma was born in Hong Kong...
as Mr. Chiu
Critical reception
The film received positive reviews from most criticFilm criticism
Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films, individually and collectively. In general, this can be divided into journalistic criticism that appears regularly in newspapers, and other popular, mass-media outlets and academic criticism by film scholars that is informed by film theory and...
s, earning an 83% "fresh" rating based on 131 reviews at Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Its critical consensus states: "Although predictable in every way, a winning performance from its young star Keke Palmer and the rest of the cast makes it difficult not to cheer for the little heroine of Akeelah and the Bee. Sort of like Rocky for the middle school nerd set, Akeelah is a warm, family-friendly underdog story, featuring terrific supporting performances from Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett."
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
gave it a full four stars, writing, "In our winning-obsessed culture, it is inspiring to see a young woman like Akeelah Anderson instinctively understand, with empathy and generosity, that doing the right thing involves more than winning. That's what makes the film particularly valuable for young audiences. I don't care if they leave the theater wanting to spell better, but if they have learned from Akeelah, they will want to live better."
Awards and honors
- BET AwardsBET AwardsThe BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
- Best Actress: Angela BassettAngela BassettAngela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
Nominated
- Best Actress: Angela Bassett
- Black Movie Awards
- Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Keke PalmerKeke PalmerLauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer is an American actress and singer who rose to fame for her performance in the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee. She also starred as the title character in the Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson, VP...
Winner - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Laurence FishburneLaurence FishburneLaurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
Winner - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Angela BassettAngela BassettAngela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
Winner - Outstanding Motion Picture: Winner
- Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Keke Palmer
- Black Reel AwardsBlack Reel AwardsThe Black Reel Awards began in 2000 and were designed to annually recognize and celebrate the achievements of black people in feature, independent and television films...
- Best Actress: Keke PalmerKeke PalmerLauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer is an American actress and singer who rose to fame for her performance in the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee. She also starred as the title character in the Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson, VP...
Winner - Best Supporting Actress: Angela BassettAngela BassettAngela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
Nominated - Best Supporting Actor: Laurence FishburneLaurence FishburneLaurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
Nominated - Best Original Score: Aaron Zigman Nominated
- Best Film: Nominated
- Best Breakthrough Performance: Keke PalmerKeke PalmerLauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer is an American actress and singer who rose to fame for her performance in the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee. She also starred as the title character in the Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson, VP...
Nominated
- Best Actress: Keke Palmer
- Broadcast Film Critics Association AwardsBroadcast Film Critics Association AwardsThe Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards, commonly called the Critics' Choice Awards, are bestowed annually by the Broadcast Film Critics Association to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. Nominees are selected by written ballots in a week-long voting period, and are announced in...
- Best Younger Actress: Keke PalmerKeke PalmerLauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer is an American actress and singer who rose to fame for her performance in the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee. She also starred as the title character in the Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson, VP...
Nominated - Best Family Film (Live Action): Nominated
- Best Younger Actress: Keke Palmer
- CAMIE AwardsCAMIE AwardsThe CAMIE Awards, sometimes known as the CAMIEs, are awards for outstanding, uplifting films emphasizing character and morality. They are awarded annually by CAMIE Awards, Inc.-Overview:...
- Character And Morality In Entertainment- For outstanding character, morality, and integrity in entertainment:
- CAMIE Award: Sean Michael Afable Winner
- Chicago Film Critics
- Most Promising Newcomer: Keke PalmerKeke PalmerLauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer is an American actress and singer who rose to fame for her performance in the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee. She also starred as the title character in the Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson, VP...
Nominated
- Most Promising Newcomer: Keke Palmer
- Image Awards
- Outstanding Motion Picture: Nominated
- Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Keke PalmerKeke PalmerLauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer is an American actress and singer who rose to fame for her performance in the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee. She also starred as the title character in the Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson, VP...
Winner, the youngest person to win in this category - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Angela BassettAngela BassettAngela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
Nominated - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Laurence FishburneLaurence FishburneLaurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
Nominated - Outstanding Writing in a Feature Film/Television film or Comedy: Doug AtchisonDoug AtchisonDoug Atchison is an American motion picture director and screenwriter. He received the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Nicholl Fellowship for Akeelah and the Bee in 2000....
Winner
External links
- Film trailer at Apple.com