Villarreal commented that the film "teaches you not to let your friends down", while Fishburne and Hornaday highlighted its theme of community. Marrit Ingman of "The Austin Chronicle" said the film indicates "a community-based, cooperative model of group success," while Justin Chang of "Variety" said it "focuses ... on the bee's community-uniting impact." Hodges said Akeelah goes to the spelling bee because she recognizes it "proves that someone from their neighborhood can achieve success, and her achievement is, in a real sense, their own". In contrast, Bernard Beck wrote for "Multicultural Perspectives" that it depicts "the success of individual perseverance", while "Red Feather Journall"s Kathryn Linder expressed a similar opinion about individual success. Nevertheless, Kenneth Turan of the "Los Angeles Times" commented "it raises important points about the ... obstacles to success that kids from poor neighborhoods face." The "New York Press"s reviewer went further and said social class was its "real subject" as it "depicts the basics of class mobility that are routinely taken for granted". However, Chang asserted it shows the spelling bee contest as "a democratizing force", while Rob Asghar, for "The Seattle Times", wrote it treats English as "the quintessential American tool for success."