Akeelah and the Bee

I went to see the movie Akeelah and the Bee last night. My friend and I were supposed to go see a different movie, but we couldn't find the theater so we ended up seeing Akeelah instead. It was really one of the sweetest movies I had seen in a long time. Yes, it was predictable. Yes, it was cutesy and not incredibly thought-provoking. But it moved me and my friend to tears and we both decided we were extremely glad that we had not been able to find the first theater It was the Cool Runnings of the spelling bee circuit, also reminding me of a TV movie from my childhood - The Girl Who Spelled Freedom. Anyway, I loved it, and was impressed by the fact that it was a wholesome, family-friendly film.