Akeelah and the Bee - James W. Ellison [28]
She smiled. “If you did, I’d drop dead with shock.”
“Would you like me to compliment you?”
“Honestly?”
He nodded.
“Well, I guess I would. But believe me, I’m not expectin’ it.”
“Maybe one day I will. But don’t hold your breath. We have a long way to go before we can pat ourselves on the back.”
She looked down at her book. “A long way to go,” she said and nodded. “You know what I like the most about you?”
Akeelah (Keke Palmer) and Georgia (Sahara Garey) encounter Steve on their way home from school in South Los Angeles.
Devon (Lee Thompson Young) is home from the service for an Anderson family dinner prepared by his mother (Angela Bassett).
Principal Welch (Curtis Armstrong) and Akeelah’s sister, Kiana (Erica Hubbard), cheer Akeelah on at the District Bee.
Keke Palmer as Akeelah Anderson.
Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Joshua Larabee.
An intense game of Scrabble commences between Akeelah (Keke Palmer) and Dylan (Sean Michael Afable). Real-life spelling bee champion George Hornedo plays Roman (seated, center).
Dylan (Sean Michael Afable) receives a stern lecture from his domineering father (Tzi Ma).
Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne) agrees to become Akeelah’s (Keke Palmer) spelling coach.
Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne) coaches Akeelah (Keke Palmer) by introducing her to great works of literature.
Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne) discovers Akeelah’s mnemonic device, jumping rope.
ABOVE: Tanya (Angela Bassett) confronts Akeelah (Keke Palmer) at the Regional Bee while Mr. Welch (Curtis Armstrong) and Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne) look on.
RIGHT: Tanya (Angela Bassett) forgives Akeelah (Keke Palmer) and begins to support her daughter’s dream.
The winners of the Regional Bee display their ribbons. From left to right, Dylan (Sean Michael Afable), Javier (J. R. Villarreal), and Akeelah (Keke Palmer).
Akeelah (Keke Palmer) smiles for the cameras with Mr. Welch (Curtis Armstrong) after qualifying for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Tanya (Angela Bassett) tries to persuade Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne) to continue coaching Akeelah.
Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne) shows Akeelah (Keke Palmer) a bust of Frederick Douglass in Washington, D.C.
Akeelah (Keke Palmer) gives it her all at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Kiana (Erica Hubbard) and Terrence (Julito McCullum) watch as their sister makes history at the televised bee.
Dylan (Sean Michael Afable) and Akeelah (Keke Palmer) share the spelling bee title.
Tanya (Angela Bassett), Akeelah (Keke Palmer), Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne), and Javier (J. R. Villarreal) all celebrate Akeelah’s inspiring win.
Writer and director Doug Atchison discusses a scene with Keke Palmer and Angela Bassett.
“I’m not sure I want to know.”
“You never lie to me.”
One early summer afternoon, Akeelah had just arrived home from Dr. Larabee’s and was quietly reading aloud from a Latin textbook as she entered the house and headed toward her room.
“Akeelah?”
She turned with a start, hiding the book behind her. She saw a somber-looking Tanya smoking a cigarette at the kitchen table.
“What d’ya got there?” she said.
“Nothin’, Ma. Homework. Why you home so early?”
“I wasn’t feeling good. They let me off early.”
Tanya’s eyes were bloodshot, as though she had been crying. On the table were a number of old photo albums open to pictures of a younger Tanya with Akeelah’s father.
“You know…? The Regional Spelling Bee’s coming up very soon,” Akeelah ventured.
“Is that one gonna be in Beverly Hills, too?” Her mother sighed and kneaded her forehead with her thumb and first finger. “I told you, once you pass summer school you can start worrying about spelling bees again.”
“But—”
“Akeelah, I don’t have time for this right now. You’re always fighting me and I’m not in the mood for it.”
Akeelah studied her mother, who looked gray with fatigue. “You okay, Ma?”
“Just a little under the weather.”
Akeelah nodded and then disappeared into her bedroom. Tanya continued to sit at the table smoking her