This is a surprisingly good movie. Before I went, I thought it might be pure pollyanna. I mean, c’mon, a Hollywood treatment of a girl from a ghetto in Los Angeles who wins her way to the National Spelling Bee? All signs pointed to a formulaic “human spirit triumphs over adversity” script. But Akeelah rises above the tired formula through clever plotting, plenty of cheeky good humor, and strong performances. The ending is an interesting surprise.

Particuarly good were Keke Palmer as the plucky 11-year-old Akeelah Anderson and Laurence Fishburne as the erudite (but conflicted) Dr. Larabee, her spelling coach. Akeelah is a major feel-good flick. Positive word of mouth should propel it to success.

On a side note, the film intersperses real footage from the Bee, and I enjoyed seeing some of the spellers I met as I reported and wrote American Bee. It was great to see 12-year-old Marshall Winchester get a cameo in a moment of triumph.

Watch clips from Akeelah and the Bee