Great Movies Are Still Good for the Soul: Akeelah and the Bee

With all the horrible things that are going on in the world today, when I sit down to watch a movie, I'm not looking to see more of it. If I want to see bad things happen to good people, I can watch the news. If I want a reminder of how much violence there is in the world, I can open a newspaper and read all about it.

Allow me to explain something, I'm a working stay-at-home Mom, and my spare time is very limited. So, when I make the time for some entertainment, I'm still trying to kill at least two birds with one stone. When I sit down to watch a movie, I'm looking for a little relaxation and the opportunity to enjoy something that's pleasurable to my senses, but at the same time, I'm looking for some sort of inspiration.

What kind of inspiration can one be looking for in a movie? It's quite simple for a person like me. I'm an achiever, you know, a goal-oriented person that wants success in every area of my life, with my family, career and ministry. So, I thoroughly enjoy anything that inspires me to work harder and believe in myself and if a movie reminds me of the power of love, it's usually a big hit with me.

Such as the movie I had the great pleasure of watching the other day, "Akeelah and the Bee". This movie had it all. Inspiration, challenges I could personally relate to, and an excellent demonstration of the power of love.

My favorite part of the movie was when Akeelah's mom, Tanya, (Angela Bassett) told Akeelah (Keke Palmer) that she didn't have to limit herself to the one man she had come to reply upon for coaching; Dr. Larabee (Lawrence Fishbourne). Tanya explained that there were as many as 50,000 coaches in her life that wanted to see her succeed, and she was right.

I wept profusely when I saw the many people in Akeelah's world take the time to coach her on the 5,000 words she needed to learn before the National Spelling Bee Competition. These, sometimes impromptu coaches had varying backgrounds, lifestyles, and personalities, but they all had one thing in common, their genuine concern for an 11 year-old girl with a dream.

When "Akeelah and the Bee" was over, I was satisfied. I was satisfied with the assurance that dreams do come true, there are still many, many wonderful people in the world, and love remains to be the most powerful emotion God has given to mankind.

When "Akeelah and the Bee" was over, I felt good. I felt rejuvenated and encouraged. Once again, someone had confirmed that feel-good movies are still good for my soul.