Its always a great feeling when a movie Im involved with is more than just a movie, its a statement. Akeelah and the Bee is such a movie. Its a movie about learning to believe in yourself, realizing that obstacles can be opportunities and that with perserverance and hard work, anyone can reach their goals.
People say there arent enough family movies. Akeelah and the Bee is an amazing family movie. Its entertaining for anyone from 5 to 105. Its a movie that you can take young kids to and have good time, or somehow bribe your older kids to go with you and have a good time.
You will love it.
The producers of the movies believe so strongly in the movie, we put together a program so that teachers around the country can see the movie for free.
We also put together a program that encourages schools and groups to go see the movie asa group. We believe in the impact of this movie so much, that we are giving away $100,000 dollars to the school that gets the greatest number of people to see the movie . You can go HERE for details.on how your school can win the $100k
See the movie. I promise, you, your kids, your date, your spouse will love it !
I’m sure Mark and them took this into consideration when setting this up. Would a school with 50 kids and 5 faculty in a rural and rather steady setting need $100,000 more than the overcrowded, extremely underfunded, and problem-riddled inner-city high schools that plague urban America?
Comment by runescape money -
Any remaining students who haven’t participated would be quickly singled out and probably pressured to watch the movie to bring the school to full participation. When you have a small community, there aren’t people in the school you can’t reach. At these schools, everyone knows everyone, whether they like it or not.
Comment by wow powerleveling -
very good ideea. our childrens will have many interests in this type of studies. and if it is free that is great
Comment by german cars -
Except for some of the swear words the overall theme was positive. I took my 8 yr old daughter. Fortunately the swear words were over her head. Demonstrated the power of words (notice the difference between the hood language, eubonics and proper English) both in terms of having a positive impact (Akeelah’s achievment) and the power to hurt/harm (her family and friend’s initial response, her competitor’s father’s style). One of the best movies of the genre I have seen in a long time. Several points that I had a moist eye.
Comment by Real Estate blog -
Nelson Mandela’s quote from the movie seems to enlarge upon that of Marianne Williamson. Here is the Williamson quote: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure” ~ Marianne Williamson [Wikipedia, quotes on Fear]
This is the text used by Nelson Mandela:
“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 and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God! Your playing small doesn’t’ serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” –Nelson Mandela [From “Being True to Yourself” Quote of the Day Homepage].
Comment by Myrna Boam -
For Post #12;
I am sorry your students feelings were hurt. As we can see, even an honorable, creative, fun-loving committment like donating 100k to the school with the highest turnout has come under fire but many. So I guess students could walk away from a great movie with the wrong message, if they went in for the wrong reason, perhaps (such as seeing their own school on the big screen).
So in your students situation, maybe you and other teachers from the school could educate the sutdents of the purpose and intent of Hollywood. Also, educate them that Hollywood movies are not documentaries, but fiction.
Then inform them that, after you yourself have seen the movie, the story is about acheivement – in spite of challenges. Educators, please educate. This is a great opportunity to teach them soooo many things, since they actually are emotionally tied into this film!! Don’t be angry just because they de-glamorized your proud institution for no good reason. in the paper, they once called me burly and i am surely only husky. Thanks and good luck!
Comment by Akeela Man -
Mark –
Just got back from a local theater to see this movie. certainly a feel-good movie. the audience clapped at the end, and the best part of the movie? hmmmm. The little kid at the birthday party in Southern Cal wearing his Dirk Nowitzki jersey.
seriously though, I taught for 6 years at a college prep private school in San Diego and the “evil dad” was a clone of some of the parents I met over the years. especially one junior who got a B in AP Calculus (and skipped pre-Calculus) and his uncle came in all grumpy asking why his nephew didn’t get an “A”.
dude. chill.
anyway, those parents are real. really.
Comment by greg -
Ms. Gina Tatem.
Regarding the quote in the movie that Mr. Larrabee shared with Akeelah. I believe that Marian Williamson is the original author (she became famous by teaching “A Course In Miracles” around the world) but Nelson Mandela made it most popular when he used it in his inaugural speech.
Comment by Mack Lee -
Excellent movie! I am a 6th grade math educator in an inner city middle school in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The school is only 3 years old, however, it has the same challenges of the inner city school in Crenshaw. Our students need all the inspiration society can muster up for them. This is a great start. I recommend all to see this movie–young and old, especially educators everywhere. A wonderful gesture would be to have a school day devoted to a screening for each grade level (6-8) as an incentive to our students! Bringing this movie to them is much easier and more successful than expecting students who cannot afford or even get to a moviehouse to see it on their own. Thanks for such a wonderful learning opportunity and an inspiration of hope to our younger generation. Could you let me know who the author is of that profound quotation “Mr. Larrabee” shared with “Akeelah”?! Keep the positive movies coming!!!!! 🙂
Comment by Ms. Gina Tatem -
I think it’s great that there are uplifting movies being made. That’s encouraging. Makes me want to go see the movie, because that is the potential of the movies-to change the perspective of people, and inspire them. Like a friend of mine says, “Every movie has the ability to teach you one thing”, and it’s true. Even the worst movie I’ve ever seen did teach me at least one thing (To refuse to go to the movies until I’d researched the film). I think you have to be careful to pick your classrooms carefully.
Any charity contribution is a good contribution.
Comment by bland response -
Mark, I look forward to viewing the movie. I e-mailed you the basics of an idea two weeks ago that will change how kids view highschool/college and generate a rev off the hook. Your ideas with the production company you are giving birth to is exactly what education has been poised to embrace for a decade. And guess what they can and will fund true education that can be fun and educational. After all that’s what we all truly want an oppertunity to expand our horizions in a framework that is inviting.
Hello, private business anybody home!
Smokin idea for the CASH. 100 large could be the salvation for a downtown school someplace down and out. I hope sheer numbers don’t allow the big schools to push the smaller ones out. Maybe a % of total potential students catagory could be added. It might keep the smaller schools in the game from a rev standpoint also.
Comment by mike Kilander INDY -
Mark,
This was a profound movie and I had the opportunity to watch it at the “Inspiration Film Festival”.
Thank you for producing it and giving myself and all viewers a film that can positively impact our lives.
All the best,
Brad Newman
Comment by Brad Newman -
I guess the only fair way to do it then would just put all the schools that had good participation into a lottery and pick one out…
Go Reds!!!!!!!!!
Comment by James Baker -
“need $100,000 more than the overcrowded, extremely underfunded, and problem-riddled inner-city high schools that plague urban America?”
Do you honestly think the school that will be able to get the highest amount of students to watch this movie will be the one with the most problems? Hmmm, in Texas terms (since a lot of you are from Texas), think about schools such as Westlake ISD. It wouldnt be too hard for them to get a huge amount of people to watch this movie.
Comment by Lucas -
To the people considering that a percentages approach is better,
If we’re in the business of being fair here, you’d have to exclude schools that are “too small,” schools that are just absolutely tiny. So where do you draw the line? Smaller rural public schools and many, many private schools have 50-100 kids, and sometimes less. I can already name 5 private schools in my area with under 50 kids. My elementary school, which was K-12, had about 150 closely knit students. We weren’t a rich school and it would not be hard, in my opinion, to get 100% participation. Any remaining students who haven’t participated would be quickly singled out and probably pressured to watch the movie to bring the school to full participation. When you have a small community, there aren’t people in the school you can’t reach. At these schools, everyone knows everyone, whether they like it or not. Everyone shares the same hallway and walks out the same doors, and shares the same bathrooms. I’m sure Mark and them took this into consideration when setting this up. Would a school with 50 kids and 5 faculty in a rural and rather steady setting need $100,000 more than the overcrowded, extremely underfunded, and problem-riddled inner-city high schools that plague urban America? Massive urban schools, where organization will be the toughest, where it will be real testament to get anything above 75% participation, will honestly need the money more (75% means alot when there are schools in L.A. and New York with 5,000+ kids). Percentages is unfair to big schools. Raw numbers is unfair to small schools. It’s not completely fair, yes, but its a good thing nonetheless.
Comment by Nick -
Another note from poster number 4. Matching your money wasted by acting immature, doesnt mean that you arent wasting 200,000$ Just like others are pointing out about the contest, sometimes its not about gross numbers, but its about what you do with what you have (percentages).
Comment by Lucas -
I’m a teacher at the school where Akeelah and the Bee was filmed. About three weeks ago students on the honor roll (3.5+ GPA) were awarded with a preview screening nearby USC. We were given tickets because filming was done at the school last year.
When the kids returned in the afternoon, I wanted to get the lowdown on the film. Did Ike and Tina recapture the magic from “What’s Love?” Does Starbucks have a future in Hollywood?
Only I didn’t get that far. My students were too livid to even speak on the merits of the film. They didn’t appreciate their neighborhood being called “Crenshaw”, nor did they appreciate having their school depicted as a worn-down collection of delapidated classrooms with worms and cockroaches crawling out of walls.
Over and over I heard my kids say “Mister, it was so messed up.” I haven’t seen the film (nor do I plan to) but I seriously doubt the filmmakers had my students feelings in mind. Not only did they sh!t on the school, they shat on the community.
It’s like being asked to film your lovely home, then finding out they used it as a stand-in for Auschwitz.
Just wanted to give the other side.
Comment by Walterego -
The movie looks great, but ‘Starbucks Entertainment’ on the billing. Isn’t making coffee enough?
Comment by OneEye -
Another note about Post#4. He obviously doesn’t know that you match any of your fines from the NBA and donate it to charity.
Comment by Jeffro -
not sure why mine posted twice…….sorry…..
Comment by James Baker -
post number 4 is a little delusional; you come across as only donating 100,000 for the kids, but he isn’t taking into account that you do many other charities for kids and other causes; this is just one. Would he rather you donated 5 million to just one cause instead of breaking it up into many different causes?? some are just never happy, I guess….post #5 makes sense; I guess to make it more fair you could do a percentage of children in the school who go see the movie; is 378 out of 457 go to the movie, calculate it to 92% (or whatever it comes out to); my wife is a second grade teacher and this is a really good idea I’m going to share with her….Dallas vs. Clippers in next round of playoffs?? who would have ever thought it, but its a possibility!!
Comment by James Baker -
post number 4 is a little delusional; you come across as only donating 100,000 for the kids, but he isn’t taking into account that you do many other charities for kids and other causes; this is just one. Would he rather you donated 5 million to just one cause instead of breaking it up into many different causes?? some are just never happy, I guess….post #5 makes sense; I guess to make it more fair you could do a percentage of children in the school who go see the movie; is 378 out of 457 go to the movie, calculate it to 92% (or whatever it comes out to); my wife is a second grade teacher and this is a really good idea I’m going to share with her….Dallas vs. Clippers in next round of playoffs?? who would have ever thought it, but its a possibility!!
Comment by James Baker -
We’re in the same boat – 250 students. How about two contests? First prize to largest aggregate group. Consolation prize to highest percentage of movie attendees to student enrollees.
Comment by Kurt -
Get the most kids to the movie and win 100K for your school? Great concept, but virtually cuts out smaller schools. For example, my kids school has 320 students, and even if they all went, they would lose out to a school of 1,000 that sends 321 students.
As great as this movie is, and I saw it with my daughter, I am not sure this contest is as fair as the Bee itself.
Comment by Christopher Byrne -
100,000$, thats it Mark? You can blow 200,000$ on pissing and moaning over losing one game, yet only 100,000$ for the kids? Good idea, but a little weak for someone of your stature.
Comment by Lucas -
Cool! I’ll my son to let his teachers know about this.
Comment by Mitchell -
This is an excellent idea. I have been a teacher for five years now. WE have the most captivated audience in the world. And besides teachers will jump at anything that is free.
I also feel the promotion through Starbucks was an excellent idea. What a great movie for Starbucks to get behind. I guess I have three more weeks to cash in on this free movie offer. It was a hard decision, but I have decided to rejoin the corporate world. Anyone need a marketer? Haha.
Comment by Jason -
I agree there is not enough movies that inspire one to reach their goals and to continue to follow their dreams. I have a huge desire to coach and learn basketball at the highest level possible. I will not give up until I reach that point. However, I will also continue to inspire those that I coach to have the same dreams!
Comment by Shawn Sullivan -