Just watched Akeelah and the Bee the other day. Had been absolutely dying to see it (anything Starbucks and I'm THERE) I give it 5 stars. Loved every minute of it, not just the story of Akeelah.. the girl from the ghetto trying to win the Bee, but the family tension with the single mom and the father-daughter relationship between Akeelah and her coach. I love the scene where Akeelah's coach has her read this off a portrait on the wall in his study:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?
Man!!! I feel like I struggle with that fear ever day. I was watching the 'making of' in the special features and apparently the casting directors had the Akeelah-wannabes "read" that quote off the wall, even though there was no wall and no quote to read... just memorization. Keke, who plays Akeelah, was the only girl who actually moved her eyes as if she were actually reading. She did a fantastic job in the movie too. I really recommend this one.