Eleven year-old Akeelah Anderson's lifetime is not easy: her father is dead, and her mom ignores herbrother works together with the gangbangers. She's smart, but her environment threatens to strangle her dreams. Responding to a threat by the principal of her school, Akeelah participates at a parasitic to avoid detention because of her most absences. Much to her embarrassment and surprise, she wins. Her principal asks her to seek training from an English professor named Dr. Larabee for the more prestigious regional bee. As the potential for earning it all the way into the Scripps National Spelling Bee looms, Akeelah will provide her community to rally round and be proud of -- but only when she could overcome her insecurities and her homelife. She also must get past Dr. Larabee's demons, and also a field of more experienced and privileged fellow spellers.