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Akeelah and the Bee

Akeelah and the Bee

Drama · 2006

11-year-old Akeelah Anderson has a way with words. After winning her schoolwide spelling bee, she decides to enter the competition, despite her classmates' derision and the antipathy of her mother Tanya. Thanks to the efforts of her teacher Dr. Larabee, she reaches the finals. As she gets to know her fellow competitors, Akeelah realizes that coming first isn't everything in life.

Movie details

Akeelah and the Bee

“Changing the world... one word at a time.”

2006 Drama 1h 53m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.0 / 10

Community rating

11-year-old Akeelah Anderson has a way with words. After winning her schoolwide spelling bee, she decides to enter the competition, despite her classmates' derision and the antipathy of her mother Tanya. Thanks to the efforts of her teacher Dr. Larabee, she reaches the finals. As she gets to know her fellow competitors, Akeelah realizes that coming first isn't everything in life.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Akeelah and the Bee?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Doug Atchison

Written by

Doug Atchison

Keke Palmer

Keke Palmer

Akeelah Anderson

Laurence Fishburne

Laurence Fishburne

Dr. Larabee

Angela Bassett

Angela Bassett

Tanya Anderson

Curtis Armstrong

Curtis Armstrong

Mr. Welch

J.R. Villarreal

J.R. Villarreal

Javier

Sean Michael Afable

Sean Michael Afable

Dylan Chiu

Sahara Garey

Sahara Garey

Georgia

Court is in session

Put Akeelah and the Bee on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.