12A, 112 mins
Having used America’s national spelling contests to slice the country sociologically (the excellent documentary Spellbound) and study parental psychosis (the mystical, mystifying melodrama Bee Season), Hollywood now gives us a sort of dictionary-bound Karate Kid. Poor neighbourhood 11-year-old Akeelah (a charming Keke Palmer) is tutored by an English professor (Laurence Fishburne in orotund, Zen-like mode) to boost her Scrabble-fed talents and go on to find glory in the National Spelling “Bee” in Washington.
This well-meaning film is clearly designed to inspire school kids to do well. So pointing out that its dogged wholesomeness — even the neighbourhood gangstas get behind Akeelah’s spelling efforts — stereotypes (humourless Asian contestant with pushy father) and manipulative message of uplift carry a truck load of corn is like chiding Santa Claus for having a big belly. Yet this TV movie-like production, backed by the caffeine overlords Starbucks, has a made-to-order feel with lots of froth that’s hard to ignore on the big screen.
IAN JOHNS