Akeelah and the Bee

Akeelah and the Bee is a 2006 film about a young girl from South Los Angeles who tries to make it to the National Spelling Bee.
 * Written and directed by Doug Atchison.

'''Changing the world... one word at a time.'''

Akeelah Anderson

 * You know that feeling where everything feels right? Where you don't have to worry about tomorrow or yesterday, where you feel safe and know you're doing the best you can? There's a word for that, it's called love. L-O-V-E.

Other

 * Terrence: Man, that's a white word if I ever heard one. It's a trick. Stop playing!

Dialogue

 * Mr. Welch: So whoever wins the school bee today gets to represent Crenshaw at the district bee next month.
 * Akeelah: Why would anybody want to represent a school where they can't even put doors on the toilet stalls?
 * Mr. Welch: Akeelah, if we can't show students can perform, we're not going to have money for books, let alone bathroom doors. Now, I want you to do the bee today, okay?
 * Akeelah: So everyone can call me a freak and a brainiac? No, I ain't down for no spelling bee.
 * Mr. Welch: Well, maybe you'd be down for spending the rest of the semester in detention for all your absences?


 * [at the school spelling bee in the gym]
 * Ms. Cross: Now, we're gonna start things off with "grovel."
 * Chuckie: Gravel? Like little rocks?
 * Ms. Cross: No, grovel, like "get down on your knees and grovel."
 * Chuckie: Get down on my knees? [shocked] What?!
 * Ms. Cross: Just spell the word.
 * Chuckie: Uh, G-R-A-V-E-L.
 * Ms. Cross: No, Chuckie, you spelled "gravel." I meant "grovel", G-R-O-V-E-L. You weren't listening. Sorry, Chuckie.
 * Chuckie: Who cares?


 * Akeelah: [quoting Marianne Williamson] Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
 * Dr. Larabee: Does that mean anything to you?
 * Akeelah: I don't know.
 * Dr. Larabee: It's written in plain English. What does it mean?
 * Akeelah: That I'm not supposed to be afraid?
 * Dr. Larabee: Afraid of what?
 * Akeelah: Afraid of... me?


 * Akeelah: I'm naturally inquisitive.
 * Dr. Larabee: Yes, which is also sometimes confused with being naturally obnoxious.


 * Dr. Larabee: Where do you think big words come from?
 * Akeelah: People with big brains?


 * Akeelah: Okay. But when I'm at the bee, and they tell me to spell some little fish from Australia or some weird bacteria on the Moon, we're going to wish we'd done a little bit more "rote-morizing" and not so much essay reading. If you don't mind me saying.
 * Dr. Larabee: Bacteria don't exist on the Moon.


 * Male judge: If you spell this correctly, you'll be our 10th and last finalist.
 * Female judge: "Carmagnole." [the boy looks to his mom, who gives him a thumbs up]
 * Cheating boy: Could I get a definition, please?
 * Female judge: A lively song and street dance.
 * Cheating boy: Um... C... A... R... M... A... [Kiana, watching through the door's window, sees the boy's mom mouth out the letter, "G"] G... N... O-L-E, carmagnole.
 * Male judge: That's correct, and that means you are our 10th and last finalist for the district bee. [a thunderous applause erupts, especially from the boy's mom. Akeelah is devastated]
 * Kiana: [bursts through the door, outraged] THEY CHEATED!!! THEY CHEATED!! I saw them! That boy's mama helped him out!
 * Male judge: What...? Excuse me... Who are you?
 * Kiana: I'm Akeelah's sister. I was standing right back there, and I saw that boy's mama give him the letter "G." She was saying, "geeeee."
 * Cheating boy's mom: He knew the word. I-I mean, it's one we studied. He knew it.
 * Male judge: Ma'am, did you help your child spell the word? [the boy's mom shakes her head] Ma'am, this is serious business.
 * [Silence. Finally, the boy's mom angrily springs up from her chair]
 * Cheating boy's mom: OH, YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT IT'S SERIOUS! You know, you are gonna give these kids ulcers! Do you know how long he has studied for this?! He knew that word!
 * Cheating boy: [embarrassed] No. I didn't.
 * Male judge: I'm sorry, number 62, you are disqualified from competition.


 * Akeelah: This is all starting to sound heavy.
 * Boy: It is heavy. Spelling bees are serious. I think I'll take a shot. [throws the ball, but misses the hoop] On second thought, can I spell the word?


 * Katie Kerwin McCrimmon: [commentating on TV] Several of the kids placed very high in last year's bee, especially Dylan Chiu. He's come in second two years in a row.
 * Derrick-T: Kick his butt, Akeelah! B-U-T-T, butt!

Cast

 * Keke Palmer - Akeelah Anderson
 * Laurence Fishburne - Dr. Joshua Larabee
 * Angela Bassett - Tanya Anderson
 * Curtis Armstrong - Bob Welch
 * J.R. Villarreal - Javier Mendez
 * Sean Michael Afable - Dylan Chiu
 * Sahara Garey - Georgia Carver
 * Erica Hubbard - Kiana
 * Lee Thompson Young - Devon
 * Julito McCullum - Terrence