Akeelah and the Bee

Akeelah and the Bee (2006) is a feel-good family drama directed by Doug Atchison — watch it online on iFILM. Eleven-year-old Akeelah Anderson lives in South Los Angeles, goes to an underfunded school, and can spell every word you throw at her. Keke Palmer gives a performance that keeps you rooting for the kid even when the adults around her keep getting in the way.

Her mother wants nothing to do with competitions. Her school is a long shot from the national stage. But an exacting mentor played by Laurence Fishburne and the steady presence of Angela Bassett push Akeelah toward the National Spelling Bee. What makes this film stick is the honesty: it is not about a prodigy coasting to glory, but about a girl from a neighborhood nobody roots for learning to root for herself. Stream Akeelah and the Bee (2006) on iFILM.