Critically-acclaimed drama starring Laurence Fishburne. Eleven-year-old Akeelah Anderson's (Keke Palmer) life is not easy: her father is dead, her mom ignores her and her brother runs with the local gangbangers. She's smart, but her environment threatens to strangle her aspirations. Responding to a threat by her school's principal, Akeelah participates in a spelling bee to avoid detention for her many absences. Much to her surprise and embarrassment, she wins. Her principal asks her to seek coaching from an English professor named Dr. Larabee (Fishburne) for the more prestigious regional bee. As the possibility of making it all the way to the Scripps National Spelling Bee looms, Akeelah could provide her community with someone to rally around and be proud of, but only if she can overcome her insecurities and her distracting home life.