Details on "AKEELAH AND THE BEE"

The inspirational story of Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer), an eleven-year-old girl from south Los Angeles with a gift for words. Despite the objections of her mother Tanya (Angela Bassett), Akeelah enters various spelling contests, for which she is tutored by the forthright Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne); her principal Mr. Welch (Curtis 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, unites her neighborhood who witness the courage and inspiration of one amazing little girl.

Great family film with great values, story, great acting and a fantastic script. Keke Palmer's performance is fabulous as is Mr. Fishburne's. Though the storyline is somewhat predictable and some of the characters a bit shady, the "underdog comes through" message is a heart-warmer. Winner of KIDS FIRST! Best Feature and Best of Fest for 2006. Contains some mild profanity, intense family scenes, local gangs, an unwed mother and a joke about sexual harassment.