

“Changing the world... one word at a time.”
11-year-old Akeelah Anderson has a way with words. After winning her schoolwide spelling bee, she decides to enter the competition, despite her classmates' derision and the antipathy of her mother Tanya. Thanks to the efforts of her teacher Dr. Larabee, she reaches the finals. As she gets to know her fellow competitors, Akeelah realizes that coming first isn't everything in life.

Keke Palmer
Akeelah Anderson
Lead
Laurence Fishburne
Dr. Larabee

Angela Bassett
Tanya Anderson

Curtis Armstrong
Mr. Welch

J.R. Villarreal
Javier

Sean Michael Afable
Dylan Chiu

Sahara Garey
Georgia

Lee Thompson Young
Devon
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Doug Atchison's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
“Every frame feels alive. Akeelah and the Bee is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”