Akeelah and the Bee

This is a fun and moving film about an eleven year old girl's quest to get to the national spelling bee. At first she has no interest in doing a spelling bee, but others who see her great talent encourage her and with the help of a coach (Lawrence Fishburne--I think he's awesome), she starts to develop more confidence and works hard to compete with students who are older and have had more privileged upbringings.

Now awhile back, I would have thought watching a movie about kids spelling would be the most boring thing ever. But one night I saw the national spelling bee on TV, and I actually enjoyed it. It was really fascinating to see these kids and the gift they have. And too, this movie is about more than spelling--it's about relationships, healing after loss, developing confidence in one's self.

One of my favorite parts of this movie is when various people in Akeelah's family (even the gang banging brother) and people in the community help Akeelah study, and then when she makes it to the bee, them watching her on TV and rooting for her. I thought it was cool how everyone rallied around her.