For once in a while, there comes a stone - grey, hard, almost too common to notice. But if we try to crack, we could find a little gem inside - shining, precious, beautiful and awe-inspiring. This is how Akeelah and the Bee felt like, too ordinary at the beginning, yet sparkled extraordinarily at the end. This is one of the year's finest films, one of the year's most touching movies, and specifically the best family movie so far this year.
And I wouldn't have said that if I didn't love it.
We try to ask, what is really a dream? Is worth to dream even though the people around you doesn't believe at what you do at all? Is it arresting to know that you've been travelling such a difficult road alone, or perhaps weakening? It all takes one thing, and you couldn't believe in a dream unless you believe in yourself. It may be too mediocre in a plotline, but believe me, Akeelah and the Bee takes you into a journey that would surely tug your emotional strings.
It follows the story of girl named Akeelah, an 11-year old girl with an uncommon talent: she knows how to spell words, and she's good at it, way good that would even make your tongue turn out of the mispelled words you're making by yourself. It has the same underdog formula, where a girl has her own dreams but nobody believes in her, and inspite of that, she shows her pure talent. Until there came a person who really believed in her and helped her in every way possible a mentor could teach to her student. She becomes hesitant at first, a lack of confidence, but then, after a few heartaches and realizations, she learns about one thing that's important for a dream to exist - courage. This is where Akeelah delivers: it gives us brilliance out of mediocrity. It teaches us moral lessons in life, and most of all, let us realise that there are many people out there who really cares for us and that we just lacked the real determination to show what we got and let them believe that we can. When Akeelah shines bright in its story, its performances glows even brighter. Keke Palmer as Akeelah Anderson is a wondrous talent. She may even inspire a 9 year old kid to want to join in a spelling contest. Angela Bassett is superbly marvelous as the mother who refrains Akeelah to join contest, but actually loved her daughter but just too afraid of risking any more loss in the family. Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Larabee is also equally magnificent with his emotionally-stoned character.
The scenes were mostly unforgettable, especially that first time when Akeelah was being asked by Dr. Larabee the spelling of "Prestidigitation". I didn't know that word myself. But Akeelah did, she told it aloud and regretted that she did, fearing that people may call her a brainiac, fearing the power of her own self. Also, the contests scenes were absolutely engaging. Even the character of Dylan also was great, especially his transformation. Most of all, I really can't forget the scene where Akeelah confronts her own mother about her abilities and her lack of beliefs and also where the mother explained to Akeelah why she was restraining her to join the National Spelling Bee. She said, "Look around you, you've got 50,000 coaches." Of course, if we were there with her, we just want to support her.
I love this film, and I enjoyed it both visually and emotionally. It tugs your heartstrings and gives you weak knees. Of course, it's a movie that's very hard not to love. It's joyfully uplifting and heartwarming too. The script was written so well and the dialogues go straight into ou hearts. Especially this one, an inspiring quote from Marianne Williamson (I don't know who this writer is, but good for her for writing such a splendid quote):

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we subconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

When Akeelah reads this, she realised that she wasn't afraid of anything. She was afraid of her self, of her own true power to stand there in the podium, believe in her own self and prove to the world that she can.

Rating: A