Akeelah and the Bee (Widescreen Edition)

Akeelah and the Bee (Widescreen Edition)
by Doug Atchison

List Price: ~~$14.98~~
Our Price: $2.99
You Save: $11.99 (80%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $1.69 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details

Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada

DVD details

Actor: Angela Bassett, Curtis Armstrong, J.R. Villarreal, Keke Palmer, Laurence Fishburne
Director: Doug Atchison
Brand: FISHBURNE,LAURENCE
Producer: Laurence Fishburne
Producer: Dalia Phillips
Writer: Doug Atchison
Producer: Danny Llewelyn
Producer: Helen Sugland
Producer: Jaki Brown
Producer: Kent Kubena
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 112 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-08-29
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Lionsgate

DVD Reviews of Akeelah and the Bee (Widescreen Edition)

DVD Review: Sweet but marred by cliches
Summary: 3 Stars

The Bottom Line:

Kids (or more likely, their parents) who find films like The Mighty Ducks insipid will no doubt find Akeelah and the Bee's focus on intellectual achievement refreshing, but those of you who have seen a movie or two will find the predictable elements of the storyline tedious and annoying; I liked this movie's pluck and charm, but I wish it hadn't been assembled from parts off the shelf.

2.5/4

DVD Review: Akeelah and the Bee
Summary: 5 Stars

I use this DVD in middle school to teach goal setting. It is a great, inspirational movie.

DVD Review: Akeelah and the Bee
Summary: 5 Stars

This was an amazing story - taking us all the way through the process of preparing for the National Spelling Bee - with, of course, a subplot continuing throughout. EXCELLENT acting by all (loved, loved, loved Laurence Fishburne in this!!)-- compelling from start to finish. Highly recommend!

DVD Review: This movie is trash
Summary: 1 Stars

I hate this film. it stinks. it's garbage. I thought it might be good and all, but it really isn't. It's about a young African american girl who wants to be a good speller. She competes in a spelling contest, and with help from a old teacher, wins at the end. The whole thing is crap and not worth seeing. I hated the movie. it made me feel very bad about myself. It just damages my self-esteem. I hated this movie. Don't see it. It's got a good message, but comes across as being annoying and unrealistic. I didn't enjoy it. Waste of time and money.

DVD Review: A great family show with a message!
Summary: 5 Stars

Children 4 through 15 enjoyed this movie as well as adults! It is so well done it's a shame more people didn't get to see it when it came out! We loved it then and are happy to have it in our DVD collection. One of my favorite things about this movie is watching the faces of the kids and adults as they view this movie. It is inspiring!

Description of Akeelah and the Bee (Widescreen Edition)

An inspirational drama, Akeelah and the Bee is the story of Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer), a precocious eleven-year-old girl from south Los Angeles with a gift for words. Despite the objections of her mother Tanya (Angela Bassett), Akeelah enters various spelling contests, for which she is tutored by the forthright Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne); her principal Mr. Welch (Curtis Armstrong) and the proud residents of her neighborhood. Akeelah's aptitude earns her an opportunity to compete for a spot in the Scripps National Spelling Bee and in turn unites her neighborhood who witness the courage and inspiration of one amazing little girl.

There aren't enough superlatives in the dictionary to describe the excellence of Akeelah and the Bee. Superbly written and directed by Doug Atchison, this PG-rated family drama covers the same dramatic territory as the acclaimed 2002 documentary Spellbound and the 2005 drama Bee Season, but the fictional story of 11-year-old Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer) is, if anything, even more entertaining, inspiring, and full of hope for the potential of children everywhere. Although reluctant at first (and fearful of being labeled a "brainiac" by classmates at her under-funded middle school in South Central Los Angeles), Akeelah grows determined to win the district, regional, and ultimately the Scripps National Spelling Bee, aided by the able coaching of an English professor (Laurence Fishburne) who, like Akeelah's overworked single mother (Angela Bassett) is slowly recovering from a devastating personal loss. Structured like a conventional sports drama, Akeelah and the Bee rises above its generic trappings to become an uplifting and deeply moving study of friendship, pride, fair play, and above all, the value of self-confidence and realization that there's more to life than winning. As played by the young Palmer in an award-worthy performance, Akeelah is a winner in the best sense of the word, and so is this wonderfully positive movie. --Jeff Shannon

General DVDs

DVD Video

Bestsellers in General DVDs

Twilight (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Universal; Release date: 2009-03-21; DVD
Best price: $15.88
Price in other shops: ~~$32.99~~

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Full-Screen Edition)
Release date: 2009-12-08; DVD
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops: ~~$28.98~~

Lost: The Complete Fifth Season
Release date: 2009-12-08; DVD
Best price: $36.99
Price in other shops: ~~$59.99~~

The Proposal (Single Disc Widescreen)
BUENA VISTA HOME VIDEO; Release date: 2009-10-13; DVD
Best price: $8.99
Price in other shops: ~~$29.99~~

Angels & Demons [Blu-ray]
SONY PICTURES HOME ENT; Release date: 2009-11-24; DVD
Best price: $18.90
Price in other shops: ~~$39.95~~

Four Christmases
NEW LINE HOME VIDEO; Release date: 2009-11-24; DVD
Best price: $12.66
Price in other shops: ~~$28.98~~

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Two-Disc Limited Special Edition + Digital Copy)
Warner Brothers; Release date: 2009-12-08; DVD
Best price: $19.99
Price in other shops: ~~$34.99~~

Julie & Julia
Release date: 2009-12-08; DVD
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops: ~~$28.96~~

Angels & Demons (Single-Disc Theatrical Edition)
SONY PICTURES HOME ENT; Release date: 2009-11-24; DVD
Best price: $11.99
Price in other shops: ~~$28.96~~

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Widescreen Edition)
Warner Brothers; Release date: 2009-12-08; DVD
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops: ~~$28.98~~

Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs

Finding Forrester
SONY PICTURES HOME ENT; Release date: 2001-04-24; DVD
Best price: $4.29
Price in other shops: ~~$9.95~~

American Bee: The National Spelling Bee and the Culture of Word Nerds
by James Maguire
Rodale Books; Published: 2006-05-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $2.75
Price in other shops: ~~$24.95~~

Pride (Widescreen Edition)
LGF; Release date: 2007-06-26; DVD
Best price: $1.97
Price in other shops: ~~$14.98~~

How to Spell Like a Champ
by Barrie Trinkle, Carolyn Andrews, Paige Kimble
Workman Publishing Company; Published: 2006-10-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.38
Price in other shops: ~~$10.95~~

The Best of the National Spelling Bee
Espn; Release date: 2006-11-07; DVD
Best price: $16.25
Price in other shops: ~~$19.95~~

Freedom Writers (Full Screen Edition)
PARAMOUNT HOME VIDEO; Release date: 2007-04-17; DVD
Best price: $7.29
Price in other shops: ~~$14.98~~

Pride (Full Screen Edition)
LIONS GATE HOME ENT.; Release date: 2007-06-26; DVD
Best price: $3.86
Price in other shops: ~~$14.98~~

The Great Debaters
WELLSPRING/GENIUS; Release date: 2008-05-13; DVD
Best price: $3.00
Price in other shops: ~~$14.95~~

Akeelah and the Bee
by James W. Ellison
Newmarket; Published: 2006-10-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.53
Price in other shops: ~~$6.95~~