There are many hardships in the life of eleven-year-old Akeelah Anderson: her father has passed away, she is ignored by her mother, and her brother has joined the local gangbangers. Although she's intelligent, she's being held back by her surroundings. Akeelah participates in a spelling bee in order to avoid penalties for her numerous absences from school. She wins, to her chagrin and amazement. This year's regional bee requires her to seek help from Dr. Larabee, an English professor at the university. A trip to the National Spelling Bee is within Akeelah's grasp, but only if she can overcome the challenges of home life and her own self-doubts in order to reach the final round. A field of more experienced and privileged fellow spellers must also be overcome by Dr. Larabee's demons.
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There are many hardships in the life of eleven-year-old Akeelah Anderson: her father has passed away, she is ignored by her mother, and her brother has joined the local gangbangers. Although she's intelligent, she's being held back by her surroundings. Akeelah participates in a spelling bee in order to avoid penalties for her numerous absences from school. She wins, to her chagrin and amazement. This year's regional bee requires her to seek help from Dr. Larabee, an English professor at the university. A trip to the National Spelling Bee is within Akeelah's grasp, but only if she can overcome the challenges of home life and her own self-doubts in order to reach the final round. A field of more experienced and privileged fellow spellers must also be overcome by Dr. Larabee's demons.
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