Sort of like Rocky for the middle school nerd set , Akeelah is a warm , family-friendly underdog story , featuring terrific supporting performances from Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett . ''
Doris Toumarkine wrote , `` In addition to fine performances all around and smart pacing that rivets us to the story , writer-director Atchison takes spelling competitions and conveys the excitement of the 'sport , ' the appeal of the 'game , ' the thrill of the win , the crushing blow of the loss '' in Film Journal Internationa in regards to Akeelah and the Bee .