Akeelah Anderson is a precocious 11-year-old girl from south Los Angeles with a gift for words. Despite the objections of her mother Tanya, Akeelah enters various spelling contests, for which she is tutored by the forthright Dr. Larabee; her principal Mr. Welch 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 neighbors who witness the courage and inspiration of one amazing little girl.
Production Spelling Bee Productions Inc.; 2929 Productions; Cinema Gypsy Productions; Lions Gate Films; Out of the Blue... Entertainment; Reactor Films; Starbucks Entertainment (co-produced);
Cast Names Keke Palmer; Laurence Fishburne; Angela Bassett; Curtis Armstrong; J.R. Villarreal; Sean Michael; Sahara Garey; Lee Thompson Young; Julito McCullum; Erica Hubbard; Eddie Steeples; Dalia Phillips; Tzi Ma; Jeris Poindexter; Sara Niemietz; George Hornedo; Craig Wasson; Katie Kerwin McCrimmon; Marjorie Harris; Jacques Bailly; Krysten Leigh Jones; Amirah Hawkins; Jeff Marlow; Chloé Conroy; Lee Garlington; Sidney Ganis; Austin Herrera Davis; Janet Borrus; Wolfgang Bodison; Marcus Hawkins Dungey; Bonita Friedericy; Caroline J. Smith; Neil Soni; Jack Ong; Lauren Sanchez; Fay Hauser; Keshell Lucas; Corina Boettger; Shyann Chatman; Todd Wagner;
Box Office USD 18,811,135
Release Date 2006-03-16 (Cleveland International Film Festival) 2006-03-30 (Philadelphia International Film Festival) 2006-04-28