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"After This Want To
Go To An Immigration
Rights March?" |
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Directed by Doug
Atchison - Written by
Doug Atchison
Starring Keke Palmer,
Laurence Fishburne,
Angela Bassett
Distributed by Lions
Gate - 2006 - 112mins -
Rated PG |
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Richard Propes'
Review
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B+ |
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Changing the world...one word at a time. |
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Writer/Director Doug
Atchison held on to "Akeelah and the Bee." He held on to his vision
even after the offers started coming in from producers, studios and
visionaries who wanted to make "Akeelah" their own. He held on to the
script even after tremendous financial offers arrived, because they
wanted someone else to direct. Atchison held on, because he trusted his
vision for "Akeelah and the Bee." He knew that he must be the one to
direct this film, and he was right.
"Akeelah and the Bee" is the third spelling bee themed movie in the
last three years. One can only hope it doesn't get dismissed due to
this fact, because "Akeelah" is the shining star of the bunch.
The only real similarity "Akeelah and the Bee" has to last season's
"Bee Season" is the outstanding performance of its young star. In "Bee
Season," Flora Cross stole the show from both Richard Gere and
Juliette Binoche, while in "Akeelah and the Bee" it is Keke Palmer who
steals the mighty thunder of Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett.
Whereas "Bee Season" was based upon Myla Goldberg's rather mystical
novel, "Akeelah and the Bee" is a much more straightforward, and
ultimately more satisfying story of a young girl who lives with her
divorced mother Bassett) in South Central Los Angeles.
Akeelah shies away from her own intelligence, fearing the wrath of her
fellow students. This reaction is not uncommon in economically
challenged academic settings where the cycle of failure is, at times,
so deeply seeded that to rebel in any way against it is met with
fierce resistance and punishment. Yet, one day, Akeelah sees the
National Spelling Bee on television and is mesmerized.
Akeelah begins to enter the spelling bees, but must practice in secret
due to the opposition of her mother. While this rings of "Sister Act
2," rest assured it is played out with far greater humanity and
authenticity.
"Akeelah and the Bee" works, first and foremost, because of the
performance of Palmer, a 12-year-old actress, in the lead role. First
seen in "Barbershop 2," Palmer displays tremendous patience and
insight onscreen. Her focus is remarkable, and her manner of dialogue
is impeccable. Her scenes with Fishburne, as a professor on leave
following the death of his wife and daughter, are a study in the art
of relational acting.
Just as brilliant are Palmer's scenes with two particular competitors,
a young Asian-American named Dylan (Sean Michael Afable) and a Mexican
boy named Javier (J.R. Villareal). Their interactions are at times
both tender and intense.
It was hard, at times, to not think about the documentary
"Spellbound," which followed actual contestants competing in the
National Spelling Bee. In "Akeelah and the Bee," the authenticity is
so rich and the characters so wonderfully developed that these
fictionalized characters often feel more real than the true to life
characters of "Spellbound."
It would be easy to fall into the "This is going to be one of those
inspirational "rah rah" flicks." While "Akeelah and the Bee" is,
indeed, an inspirational film, it is so much more than simply an
inspirational film. Whereas many films that qualify as
"inspirational," manufacture drama to create a heart-tugging
storyline, Atchison has wisely allowed the characters to blossom
individually and collectively. In the hands of weak actors and
actresses, "Akeelah and the Bee" would not work. In the hands of
Palmer, Fishburne and Bassett, "Akeelah and the Bee" becomes one of
the most life-affirming, inspiring and entertaining films of the year.
A film such as "Akeelah and the Bee" calls out for a happy ending, and
yet Atchison's script again builds authenticity and wisdom by creating
an ending borne out of the truth of Akeelah Anderson as a young woman
of truth, grace and personal power. In an American culture that can be
far too consumed with one definition of success and one definition of
happiness, "Akeelah and the Bee" challenges to the very end.
Perhaps, it is true, as Marianne Williamson once said and is quoted in
this film "Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."
"Akeelah and the Bee?"
Hmmmm. "Powerful beyond measure" spells it out perfectly. |
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© Written by Richard Propes -
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TC Candler's Comment
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