If you are a Starbucks drinker, you may have noticed they are currently promoting
a movie called Akeelah and
the Bee , starring Laurence Fishburne, Angela
Bassett, and, most importantly, newbie Keke Palmer. Next time you go to buy
your grande mocha latte ccappuccino frappuccino double shot, you may want to
pick up a copy - or at least put it on your Netflix list.
Akeelah and the Bee is about a young girl in an inner city school
who has a natural gift when it comes to spelling words - so much so that some
of her "mentors" believe she can compete in and possibly win the Scripps
National Spelling Bee. At the age of 12, she is hesitant to compete because
she feels everyone will make fun of her - after all, you''ve seen those kids
who compete in Spelling Bees, with their eyes twitching, their stress levels
through the roof and their psychotic parents rooting them on. Nevertheless,
she takes on a teacher (Fishburne) to help her learn what she needs to know
beyond pure memorization, such as what roots the words came from, et cetera,
et cetera. Eventually, all her training leads up to the big, nationally-televised
event.
Akeelah and the Bee may sound like a boring movie, but it is anything
but. Fueled by Palmer''s energetic performance, the movie merges junior high
entertainment with serious drama and high stakes competition. The result is
a highly entertaining story that rarely falters in its delivery.