Akeelah and the Bee (2006) is a warm, family friendly story about an 11 year old middle schooler from an under privileged neighborhood in Los Angeles.
Akeelah, played by Keke Palmer, smart and with an aptitude for spelling, but is afraid to let it show to avoid ridicule from her schoolmates, and friends. She refuses her principle’s urging to enter the school’s spelling bee, but finally submits to avoid detention—and wins! This begins a long and hard road to the national competition in Washington, D. C.
At its heart the movie is about competition and hard work. But the movie includes other themes ripe for discussion with your children: The value of competition in helping us do our best (Prov. 27:17); the value of healthy relationships with one another and community; respect for others; honesty; self esteem; and how one’s success encourage others to succeed. This is a great, and wholesome movie that children and parents alike will enjoy.
