Akeelah and the Bee
Eleven year-old Akeelah Anderson's life is not easy: her father is dead, her mom ignores her, her brother runs with the local gangbangers. She's smart, but her environment threatens to strangle her aspirations. Responding to a threat by her school's principal, Akeelah participates in a spelling bee to avoid detention for her many absences. Much to her surprise and embarrassment, she wins. Her principal asks her to seek coaching from an English professor named Dr. Larabee for the more prestigious regional bee. As the possibility of making it all the way to the Scripps National Spelling Bee looms, Akeelah could provide her community with someone to rally around and be proud of -- but only if she can overcome her insecurities and her distracting home life. She also must get past Dr. Larabee's demons, and a field of more experienced and privileged fellow spellers.
Drama
Lions Gate Films, 2929 Productions, Out of the Blue... Entertainment, Starbucks Entertainment, Cinema Gypsy Productions
Keke Palmer as Akeelah, Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Larabee, Angela Bassett as Tanya, Curtis Armstrong as Mr. Welch, J.R. Villarreal as Javier, Sean Michael Afable as Dylan, Sahara Garey as Georgia, Lee Thompson Young as Devon, Julito McCullum as Terrence, Erica Hubbard as Kiana, Eddie Steeples as Derrick-T, Dalia Phillips as Ms. Cross, Tzi Ma as Mr. Chiu, Jeris Poindexter as Steve, Sara Niemietz as Polly, George Hornedo as Roman, Craig Wasson as Ted Saunders, Jeff Marlow as District Judge, Lee Garlington as Regional Judge, Katie Kerwin McCrimmon as Herself, Sid Ganis as Regional Pronouncer, Austin Herrera Davis as Cheating Boy, Janet Borrus as Cheating Boy's Mom, Wolfgang Bodison as Akeelah's Father, Bonita Friedericy as Volunteer, Lauren Sánchez as Reporter, Fay Hauser as Woman on TV, Jack Ong as Korean Grocer, Neil Soni as Rajeev Subramonian