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Apr 10, 2017kpelish rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
An inspiring story that uses the unlikely vehicle of a spelling bee to illustrate a young girl's persistence in growing out of the cramped role supposedly predestined for her. Keke Palmer does a great job in portraying a young girl in South Los Angeles, with an overworked single mom who pays more attention to keeping her younger son out of the gang lifestyle. The mom initially allows her own insecurities to block Keke's progress. Very family-friendly. Its pacing is a bit off, though: Akeelah starts to gain some success, then a cascade of problems arise. Laurence Fishburne's performance is surprisingly flat.