Akeelah and The Bee is a touching story about an eleven-year-old girl, expertly played by Keke Palmer, growing up in south central L.A.

Although Akeelah has not been a rigorous academic, her teacher suggests she compete in the school spelling bee, but she is reluctant. Akeelah’s goal becomes taking part in The National Spelling Bee, even though she is teased by her classmates. Here she will be up against some of the wealthiest, most educated, middle school kids in the country. Does Akeelah have a shot?

Competition and achievement are intertwined throughout this film. Akeelah’s striving to win is fueled by her desire for personal fulfillment. Akeelah’s coach, Dr. Joseph Larabee, played by Laurence Fishburne, is strict, yet encouraging. Akeelah is desperate to beat Dylan, one of the best spellers in the bee. Dr. Larabee insists that Akeelah has an understanding of language that Dylan does not. When Akeelah gets to the national competition, Dr. Larabee is very calm and collected. He is serious about his work but never gets angry when Akeelah does not do well.

Akeelah and the Bee is a powerful and entertaining movie. The plot is moving and suspenseful and the story is well told. Some parts are very dramatic, yet there are clever jokes here and there. One of the things I liked about it was that they added some surprising little twists in some parts like when Akeelah’s brother starts to become proud of her. Before he did not encourage her and offended Akeelah with rude insults.

The movie’s unpredictability made it more appealing. As the National Spelling Bee approaches, Akeelah’s brother’s delinquent friend refuses to drive him around town unless he helps Akeelah study. Soon after, everyone in the neighborhood pitches in to help Akeelah prepare. However, it would have been nice to see those characters more developed and present throughout the movie. Akeelah’s mother was an appealing character that we would like to get to know better. Other than these minor flaws, the movie had diverse and interesting characters throughout the script.

The script was very strong and clear. Every scene in the film somehow related to the bee. The dialogue fit each character’s personality very well. Scenes flowed perfectly. The script was not difficult to understand and was fun to watch.

In the story, Akeelah comes to realize that intense understanding and personal dedication truly do pay off. The movie is a coming of age film. Akeelah grows from an insecure, bullied girl, to a well-respected person who understands the importance of hard work.

Akeelah and the Bee is not recommended for children under ten due to some minor swearing. Other than that, there are no inappropriate parts. Most kids and teens will enjoy this movie, as well as adults.