Akeelah is a very bright girl living in South Los Angeles. When the film begins, she has little to motivate her and her great mind is going to waste. When the school spelling bee approaches, she is reticent to participate because there is a climate in the school that encourages "not buying into the system"--in other words, accepting failure as the only alternative.
Not surprisingly, Akeelah eventually enters the bee and does well, though she isn't exactly motivated to go further--especially because most of the people around her don't recognize her wonderful gift. Again, not surprisingly, she eventually goes forward and gains instant fame for going as far as she has. Will she make it to the nationals and if so, will she win? You'll just have to see. However, I will say that although some of the film is formulaic (after all, they wouldn't make a film with this title if she didn't win at some level!), it does offer some nice twists and ends very well.
The movie features wonderful performances all around, a very good script and it is truly inspiring. I am sure than there are some reviews out there that talk about this movie using terms like "formulaic" or "sappy", but I truly found this film inspirational AND different. I especially liked the movie because I am a school teacher and it's nice to have a film that minority students can be inspired by that's NOT a sports film! In many ways, I see this movie as a public service since it encourages kids from the less privileged neighborhoods to aspire to intellectual heights.
This film is a must-see for kids and families, but ANYONE will enjoy this film if they give it a chance--it's not just some feel good movie with no substance.
