Movie Review

Akeelah and the Bee (2006)

Reviewed by Scott Brown | Apr 19, 2006

Scott Brown

Scott Brown writes the Hit List for EW and is a frequent contributor to National Public Radio -- he has the tote bag to prove it

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EW's GRADE

B+

Details Release Date: Apr 28, 2006; Rated: PG; Length: 112 Minutes; Genre: Drama; With: Laurence Fishburne and Keke Palmer

$NO \'BOYZ\' ALLOWED Fishburne helps a South Central L.A. girl achieve spelling bee glory$

NO 'BOYZ' ALLOWED Fishburne helps a South Central L.A. girl achieve spelling bee glory

An inspirational spelling bee movie, with a buoyant up-from-the-hood agenda? Akeelah and the Bee may spell it out for you, but it pulls few punches in its depiction of the hurdles a verbally gifted South Central L.A. 11-year-old (Keke Palmer) must clear to compete in a field dominated by wealthier white and Asian superachievers. Blessed with excellent turns by Angela Bassett (as Akeelah's wary mother) and Laurence Fishburne (her flinty mentor), 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.

Originally posted Apr 19, 2006 Published in issue #874-875 Apr 28, 2006 Order article reprints

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