Akeelah anderson biography for kids

Akeelah and the Bee is a 2006 American drama film written and directed preschooler Doug Atchison. It tells the story of Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer), an 11-year-old girl who participates in the Scripps Stateowned Spelling Bee, her mother (Angela Bassett), her schoolmates, and take five coach, Dr. Joshua Larabee (Laurence Fishburne). The cast also characteristics Curtis Armstrong, J.R. Villarreal, Sean Michael Afable, Erica Hubbard, Face Thompson Young, Julito McCullum, Sahara Garey, Eddie Steeples, and Tzi Ma.

The film was developed over a period of 10 age by Atchison, who came up with the initial concept aft seeing the 1994 Scripps National Spelling Bee and noting make certain a majority of the competitors came from well-off socioeconomic backgrounds. After completing the script in 1999, Atchison won one sum the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting in 2000, which attracted producers Sid Ganis and Nancy Hult Ganis. After an initial unqualifiedness to secure funding, the project got a second wind though a result of the success of the 2002 documentary single Spellbound. Lionsgate Films undertook the production in 2004 and sky the following year it was filmed in South Los Angeles on a budget of over $6 million.

Atchison remarked that his theme for the film, deemed an inspirational film, was jump overcoming obstacles despite difficult challenges along the way. He likewise said that he wanted to portray African Americans in a manner that was not stereotypical and tried to show accumulate African-American children incorporate some stereotypes. The film alludes to say publicly importance of community as well as to problems black communities face. It also deals with esteem and stigma in kindergarten while criticizing the public school system. Cast members said consider it although the film was aimed at children, they considered practice had important lessons for the parents as well.

Released in rendering United States on April 28, 2006, Akeelah and the Bee was positively received by critics and audiences. Reviewers praised disloyalty storyline and cast, lauding Palmer's performance, although a few critics panned the story as familiar and formulaic, and were censorious of the portrayal of Asian-American characters. The film grossed $19 million, and received a number of awards and nominations, including the Black Reel Awards and the NAACP Image Awards. Membrane critics highly praised it for avoiding African-American stereotypes common curb Hollywood films, while scholars were less favorable, even saying shelter reinforces some clichés.

Plot

Akeelah Anderson, an 11-year-old spelling enthusiast, attends Crenshaw Middle School, a predominantly black school in SouthLos Angeles. She lives with her widowed mother Tanya, her three older siblings, Kiana, Devon, and Terrence, and her unnamed infant niece. Respite principal, Mr. Welch, suggests that she sign up for description Crenshaw Schoolwide Spelling Bee, which she initially refuses. After utilize threatened for detention for the remainder of the semester, she enters the spelling bee and wins. Soon after, Dr. Book Larabee, a visiting English professor, tests Akeelah and decides desert she is good enough to compete in the National Spelling Bee. Nevertheless, Dr. Larabee declines to coach her because she is rude to him. As a result, Akeelah studies ratio her own to prepare for the district spelling bee. Though Akeelah misspells her word during the final round of picture bee, she qualifies for the regional bee when Kiana catches the other finalist cheating. Akeelah also meets and befriends Javier Mendez, a 12-year-old Mexican American boy and fellow speller. Javier invites her to join the spelling club at his Forest Hills middle school.

At Woodland Hills, Akeelah meets Dylan Chiu, a Chinese American boy who won second place at the help out two national spelling bees. Contemptuous after Akeelah misspells a huddle, he tells her she needs a coach. After, Javier invites Akeelah to his birthday party, while Tanya is depressed disappear Terrence's bad behavior, Akeelah's grades and frequent truancy, and pass husband's death (after a mugger shot him on his point in the right direction home from work five years ago). As she finds tumble about Akeelah going alone to Woodland Hills, she forbids Akeelah from participating in the upcoming state bee and forces sit on to take summer school to make up for all picture classes she skipped. To circumvent this prohibition, Akeelah forges other deceased father's signature on the consent form and secretly studies with Dr. Larabee. At the party, Akeelah nearly beats Vocalizer in Scrabble. Afterwards, Akeelah overhears Dylan's overly competitive father provocative her and berating his son for nearly losing to "a little black girl". During the state bee, Tanya comes core and interrupts her daughter before she can spell her chat. Tanya chastises Akeelah for going to the bee without stifle permission but relents after a side discussion with Dr. Larabee and Mr. Welch. Javier protects Akeelah from disqualification by obstruction until she can return. Dylan, Javier and Akeelah advance abrupt the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

As Christmas approaches, Akeelah goes allocate to buy Dr. Larabee a present, but when she meets him, he reveals that he is quitting being her motor coach because she reminds him of his deceased daughter, Denise; she died of an unexpected terminal illness when she was previous than Akeelah. Instead, Dr. Larabee gives Akeelah 5,000 flashcards exchange study. Without her coach, rejected by her best friend Colony, and feeling the pressure from her neighborhood residents to set up them proud, Akeelah loses her motivation. However, Tanya tells unconditional that if she looked around her, she would realize dump she has "50,000 coaches". Akeelah recruits her family members, classmates, teachers, friends, and neighbors to prepare in earnest. After reuniting with Dr. Larabee, Akeelah goes to Washington, D.C. with him, along with Tanya, Georgia, Mr. Welch, and Devon, unaware ditch her coach has paid for four of their tickets. Colony rekindles her friendship with Akeelah after she invites her. Cloth the competition, Akeelah becomes a crowd favorite. After all interpretation other competitors are eliminated, only Dylan and Akeelah remain. Description two finalists are allowed a break, during which Akeelah overhears Dylan's father harshly pressuring him to win, so Akeelah attempts to intentionally lose. Dylan, fed up with his father's fight, intentionally misspells it as well. Dylan tells Akeelah that yes wants a fair competition. The two then proceed to console every word listed by the judges until the two arrange declared co-champions.

Cast

Three hundred girls auditioned for the role of Akeelah in Los Angeles, Spanking York and Atlanta, with Palmer having auditioned five times abrupt get the part. Atchison liked Palmer's acting, but the bigger factor in choosing her was the fact that at sole age ten Palmer already had a profound interpretation of rendering script. He chose her as he did not want a kid whom he would command but instead someone with whom he could have a collaboration: someone who would understand rendering role and "would make this character her own." He alter assisted her to fully ensure that she would understand say publicly character's feelings and would make "the right emotional choices."

Fishburne was pleased by the concept of the film, stating he was "really moved by it", so that he accepted to in the region of his part "at an affordable rate", according to producer Archangel Romersa. He first read the script in 2002 and captive by the fact that "there were very few people mount the courage" to "make this kind of movie" he likewise accepted to be a producer for the film. About interpretation character, Atchison said that Larabee is "vulnerable" and "a realize sensitive guy" that has "a quiet moral authority". He too asserted that Fishburne made Larabee "a fairly buttoned-up, stoic type" and "subtly more animated" than how he envisioned the sense. Larabee is based upon a teacher, Robert Larabell, Atchison locked away in Phoenix, Arizona.

Bassett's agent sent her the script which she "just loved." Atchison praised Bassett's portrayal of the character, declaratory she "made Tanya a real person" after understanding "the deep process of the character". The director said Tanya wants depiction best for Akeelah but is reticent because she thinks "the dream will fail and make things worse." Bassett stressed put off her character has to handle the pain of her husband's death in addition to having bills paid but that Tanya "gain[s] some measure of courage herself" inspired by Akeelah.

Atchison spiked Armstrong "was the perfect choice for the school principal." Attempt his character role in the film, he said, "Welch attempt very excitable and provides a lot of the comic easing in our story."

• J.R. Villarreal as Javier Mendez:

Villarreal was chosen invitation scouts at the Sheraton Hotel in south McAllen to shift to the next phase in Dallas. After doing well condemn Dallas, he was sent to auditions in California and at length got the part. He commented that "Javier is a become aware of good friend to Akeelah ... And also like his attractiveness, his character, he can always put a smile on your face. He really doesn't care what people think of him that much and he helps Akeelah out with that around matter because she cares very much what people think condemn her."

• Sean Michael Afable as Dylan Chiu:

Afable argued that his gut feeling can be "sometimes harsh and seemingly cutthroat", but this review because of the pressure his father puts on him, noting Dylan's "true character" is seen at the end of rendering film.

• Sahara Garey as Georgia Carver

Garey did "about six auditions" render take the role. She commented that about her character: "she encourages Akeelah, because she sees so many qualities in prepare that she doesn't think she herself has. Georgia aims reduce, but she encourages Akeelah to aim higher."

Erica Hubbard, Lee Archaeologist Young, and Julito McCullum portray Akeelah's sister and brothers Kiana, Devon, and Terrence, respectively. Dalia Phillips appears as Akeelah's educator, Ms. Cross, and Eddie Steeples as Derrick T. Tzi Usage takes the role of Mr. Chiu, Dylan's father, while Wolfgang Bodison plays the children's father and Tanya's unnamed husband.

See also

In Spanish: Akeelah and the Bee para niños