Akeelah and the Bee

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.

7.049

113 min

Cast

Keke Palmer

as Akeelah Anderson

Laurence Fishburne

as Dr. Larabee

Angela Bassett

as Tanya Anderson

Curtis Armstrong

as Mr. Welch

J.R. Villarreal

as Javier

Sean Michael Afable

as Dylan Chiu

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

Sidney 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 Bezos

as Reporter

Fay Hauser

as Woman on TV

Jack Ong

as Korean Grocer

Neil Soni

as Rajeev Subramonian

Tinashe

as Cissi

Director

Doug Atchison