Akeelah and the Bee

[lambikins]

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808718529/details

A precocious eleven-year-old girl, Akeelah Anderson, from south Los Angeles, is discovered to have a talent for words. In spite of the objections of her mother Wanda, Akeelah enters a spelling contest. Her gift takes her to compete in the National Spelling Bee, the most famous competition of its kind in the world. On the way, she is helped by a forthright, mysterious teacher, Dr. Larabee, and other members of her community.


Genres: Drama and Kids/Family

Release Date: April 28th, 2006 (wide)

MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Distributors: Lions Gate Releasing
Directed by: Doug Atchison
Produced by: Todd Wagner (II), Mark Cuban, Marc Butan

Credited cast:
Angela Bassett .... Tanya Anderson
Keke Palmer .... Akeelah Anderson
Laurence Fishburne .... Dr. Joshua Larabee
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Curtis Armstrong .... Mr. Welch
Kahlil Ashanti .... Postman
Corina Boettger .... Red Haired Girl

I first saw a trailer for this back in 2005 and have been waiting for the release (28th April, 2006) for ages.

First, I idolize Keke Palmer and she's been as memorable as Dakota Fanning in everything I've ever seen her do. She starred opposite William H. Macy in THE WOOL CAP; she was a "hoot" in Barbershop II; she had a haunting role in a COLD CASE episode; a LAW & ORDER episode from last year; and she rocked in KNIGHTS OF THE SOUTH BRONX, with Ted Danson from last year.

I have NO idea why I've caught her in as many productions as I have; it certainly has been with no foresight or intention. But each time I see her, she just WOWS! me and I marvel at her craft.

Another reason why I've been looking forward to this film is I'm a sucker for Spelling Bee's, watching them on USA network...AND...it has Laurence Fishburne in it, and it's been ages since I've seen him in something.

Plus, it's always the "white" man who encourages the "po' ghetto kid" aka Finding Forrester and Knights, so it's going to actually be a relief that a "black" man (and one with an education) is encouraging a black kid. It's about time.

I saw the previews again, today, when I saw Capote, so I thought I'd start a thread for it. KeKe rules!

[Google]

 

[lambikins]

Well, the movie opened today and Roger Ebert gave it FOUR stars, not a bad from the man, himself.

I hope to see it tomorrow!

[marybethp]

This looks fantastic - I didn't realize it was the same girl as The Wool Cap. SHe was great in that.

[nlmcp]

Tell us how it is Lambie, I really want to see it but don't have time this weekend.

[JLuvs]

I saw this movie yesterday. It was beyond brilliant. I would recommened taking some tissues as I didn't and I regret it

Superb performances from the young cast and a movie that had whole families in there watching it together. I haven't seen that in a long time.

[lambikins]

Originally Posted by nlmcp

Tell us how it is Lambie, I really want to see it but don't have time this weekend.

I saw this opening weekend and immediately afterward, landscape season struck and I've been unable to write about it. But a cold, rainy Mother's Day does wonders for catching up at FoRT!

Wonderful. Just. Plain. Wonderful.

Keke Palmer, my secret love child (I wish) is so good, that you wish during the film that you already knew what her next venture would be, so you could buy the tickets.

Films like this are tough to sell; the audience already knows that it's not going to have a tragic ending, so how do you generate interest?

GOOD.SOLID.ACTING.

No one is a "stereotype". We see into the reasonings and issues that each one of the major characters carry: Akeelah, Her Mom, Akeelah's mentor, Dr. Larabee, and Akeelah's two main competitors: a Hispanic and a Korean boy. Speaking of stereotypes, there's a funny bit in the film when a Black man misidentifies the Korean boy as Chinese; even in everyday life, we can't know it all.

I've always enjoyed films that took you where others have, but then make a sharp left turn. You know the ones I'm talking about: where two single parents meet and eventually fall in love; or the plucky kid is guaranteed of winning whatever race they enter. But there are several instances in this film where the events do take that sharp left and I appreciate film craftsmenship even moreso when this happens. To give great detail to these instances would be giving away the plot line. Suffice it to say: this film isn't as cheesy as it could easily be.

And to ALL people who love to read and spell: I dare you, NO!, I double-dare you, to not spell x.a.n.t.h.o.s.i.s. right along with Akeelah (and each and every word that she beats out against her leg.) I was so excited by spelling when I left this film, that I wanted to go and find a Spelling Bee...immediately.

This is a film that will see my purchase of the DVD the first 24 hours it's released. I p.r.o.m.i.s.e.!

Interesting side note: I started a thread a while back on Notable Quotes and one that I have taped to my bedroom wall figures in this film. It's credited to Desmond Tutu: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we subconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. "

[nlmcp]

Interesting, my daughter in sixth grade had to do a sign about gradutation, most of the kids did something about "School name, class of 2006" or "Good by elem school name, Hello middle school name" . She did that quote but it's credited to someone else. Or I should say she did the beginning part of the quote. I'll have to look it to see who actually said it. She has it attrubited to to a woman.


adding to my post.
Here's the link....http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/living/...el=ohio_living

here's the little article `Deepest Fear' popular quote in recent films
Marianne Williamson, not Mandela, wrote poem
George Thomas
Beacon Journal
Q: In the movie ``Akeelah and the Bee'' there is a quote that says something like ``It is not that we are afraid to fail but that we are afraid of how brilliant, gorgeous and talented we are.'' Wondering who said this and what the quote is in full. -- Anonymous, Des Moines, Iowa.

A: Believe it or not, I've answered this before. Apparently this poem is a popular one with filmmakers because it also appeared in the movie Coach Carter. Written by Marianne Williamson, it is simply called Our Deepest Fear by some. The text reads as follows: ``Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.'' That passage has often wrongly been attributed to former South African President Nelson Mandela. Some thought it was part of one of his inauguration speeches.

[Blackshade]

My wife and daughter went to see this and raved about it. Couldn't get me and my boys to go see it with them but they had nothing but good things to say about it. My wife called it one of the best movies she has seen in awhile and she and will probably go see it once more since my daughter is really wanting a second viewing.

[brit2117]

Great movie, I'm really glad I went to see it.