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KidScore Rating System
KidScore Video Game Ratings
Akeelah and the Bee

Rated PG

The Basics
Title: Akeelah and the Bee
Rating: PG

Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Best for Ages
8+

Ages 3 - 7: Red
Ages 8 - 12: Green
Ages 13 - 17: Green
Violence Amount: Green
Violence Portrayal: Green
Fear: Green
Illegal / Harmful: Green
Language: Green
Nudity: Green
Sex: Green

Review:
This is a wonderful movie about a young, 11 year old girl trying to win the National Spelling Bee. Akeelah (Keke Palmer) has always felt like an outsider because she is a brainiac. She lives in south Los Angeles with her mother (Angela Bassett), older sister and a teenage brother. Her brother seems to be heading toward gang life and her sister appears to be an unwed mother. Her mother works very hard to keep the family together. When Akeelah wins the school spelling bee, a professor (Lawrence Fishburne) tries to take her under his wing and train her for the National Spelling Bee. Her mother is against this because she doesn’t want Akeelah to fail and she doesn’t realize her special talent. Akeelah trains in secret but her mother finds out when she wins the regional bee and is set to go to Washington. This is an excellent family movie. The problems of the poor family and the role modeling of Akeelah are terrific. Everyone in Akeelah’s neighborhood begins to help her. They are so proud that one of their own has accomplished this feat. There is some language, drug references, gang activities and a schoolyard scuffle. All the negative values are overcome by the positive values. This makes a movie well worth taking your family to. I think 8 year olds and older will enjoy this movie with their parents. What important characteristics does Akeelah learn about herself from Dr. Larabee? What is the most important lesson?

Linda ThomasLinda Thomas is a native Minnesotan. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a double major in sociology and psychology. Married with a family, she has remained in the Minneapolis area.

Linda has been a lover of movies since she was a small child. This love of film eventually brought her to the point in life where she is now, a film critic. She was featured on WCCO radio for three years on the “Dark in the Morning” show with Dark Star.

In December of 2001, Linda became the film critic for the syndicated “Ruth Koscielak Show”.

Linda sees over 150 movies a year and has had the opportunity to interview a number of directors and actors when they are in town. She has also appeared on a public access show called the "Cinema Judge" and has ventured into writing for "Cinestar" magazine in September 2002. The Twin Cities movie magazine is available, for free, at most local Blockbuster's and local movie cheaters.

Her website is: www.lindathomasmovies.com

As one of the few female reviewers in the Twin Cities area, she brings a unique point of view to her reviews. Linda has raised two children, a boy and a girl, and knows what they like in movies and what is appropriate. Hopefully, her reviews will help your family in choosing where to next spend your movie-going dollar.

 
 
 
©National Institute on Media and the Family.