... or art of of singing in psalms.
I want my daughter off that stage right now.
P-S-A...
I don't care what she said. I want her off that stage.
I didn't know she was here and I didn't give her permission...
- L-M-O... - I'm sorry, Mrs. Anderson.
No, I told her she was expressly not to be here.
And you don't take my child anywhere without my permission.
- D-Y, psalmody.
That's correct.
All right, next please.
Excuse me. I'm sorry.
The mother of one of the spellers needs to speak with her.
- It's rather urgent. - Um...
Okay, but she must be back on the stage
before her next turn or she'll be disqualified.
She'll be back.
I swear we thought you were on board with this, Mrs. Anderson.
You want to tell me what the heck is going on here?
Because I never signed a consent form.
- I signed Daddy's name. - You did what?!
How do you think I felt
when Javier's mother calls me to see if I need a ride to USC?
I don't know who she is or what she's talking about.
I'm sorry, Mama. I just wanted to do the bee.
By lying? By going behind my back for the last six months?
You might as well say goodbye to your little friends, Akeelah,
because this is your last spelling bee.
I beg you, Mrs. Anderson, to reconsider this.
- She deserves this opport... - Bob.
Mrs. Anderson's right.
Akeelah does not deserve to go to the bee this year.
What?
Next speller please.
Come on up to the mike please.
A little faster. Come on.
I apologize, Mrs. Anderson,
if we've contributed to any anguish you may be feeling.
And who are you exactly?
My name is Joshua Larabee, ma'am.
And I've been... well, I've been helping Akeelah
prepare herself for the spelling bee.
Akeelah's been getting extra school credit for working with Dr. Larabee.
We designed an entire program specifically for her.
Why didn't you tell me about this?
Mama, I hated going behind your back,
but every time I brought up the bee, you didn't want to hear it.
I didn't know what to do.
Can I get the pronunciation again?
He's given it to you five times. You need to spell the word.
Could you use it in a sentence?
He's already used it in a sentence.
I mean a different sentence than you used before.
- You only get one sentence. - What's up with this kid?
You must want this thing pretty bad because you ain't
never lied to me before in your life.
So maybe you can tell me what you think
a good punishment would be for what you did.
- I guess I gotta miss the bee. - But that don't just punish you.
Mr. Welch and Dr. Larabee done put a lot of time into this too.
So you think of something else.
Maybe double chores for the month.
For the next three months.
She still got time to get back up on that stage?
If we move very quickly, yes.
Well, I guess you'd better get a move on.
We haven't much time.
Come on, come on.
Thank you, Mama.
All right.
- Dr. Larabee, is it? - Yes.
So you actually think Akeelah has a chance
to win the national spelling bee?
Yes.
Yes, I think she does.
Well...
- could you use it in a song? - What?
Never mind. Ratatouille: R-A-T-A-T-O-U-I-L-L-E, ratatouille.
Uh... that's correct.
- Where's number 73, please? - She's here, she's here.
Number 73.
- Thank you. - I was about to start tap dancing.
Okay, "pluviosity."
Can I get a definition please?
Pluviosity means a state characterized by much rain.
Pluviosity:
P-L-U-V-I-O-S-I-T-Y,
- pluviosity. - That's correct.
Thank you.
I'd like to thank you all for coming out today
to honor our own Akeelah Anderson!
Um...
thanks...
a lot.
Oh girl, you like a movie star now.
I know. It's pretty crazy.
Hey, my mama said she want to take us out to celebrate tonight.
Javier's parents are taking me out.
- But maybe we can... - Akeelah, excuse me. I'm sorry.
There's a reporter here and she wants to talk to you.
- I don't want to talk to no reporter. - Are you kidding?
This is exactly the kind of good publicity Crenshaw needs.
Excuse us! Sorry.
Hi, this is Lauren Sanchez reporting from South Los Angeles.
I'm here with 11-year-old Akeelah Anderson.
She's a seventh grader from Crenshaw Middle School
who's heading to the national spelling bee. How does it feel
now that you're going to be going to Washington DC?
- It's pretty cool. - Are you excited?
All right, let's check out the word that Akeelah spelled
here at the Southern California finals that got her to the national bee.
Erythrocyte: E-R-Y...
- Spell, "affenpinscher." - Affen-what?
"Grallatorial."
- G-R-A-L-A-T... - Wrong.
- "Jacquard." - Dr. Larabee.
Spell the word jacquard.
- J-A-Q-U... - What about the C?
These are all words that were missed in last year's national spelling bee.
- And you can't spell one of them. - Maybe because we haven't
- studied them yet. - Why did you cancel yesterday?
Hmm? Were you doing another interview,
flaunting yourself in front of the television cameras?
No, I was at the mall.
Look, I wasn't dissing you. I was Christmas shopping.
"Dissing"? I thought we didn't use words like that.
I thought we only used words from the dictionary in here.
"Dis, dissed, dissing: to treat with disrespect
or contempt; to find fault with. "
New words get added to the dictionary every year.
Look, I didn't get to the national bee
until I was 14 years old.
I had no help. I had no training.
I had nothing.
By the time I got to the third round, I was out.
You have an opportunity
to win this thing.
But all we've done for eight months
is study words. Why can't we take a break,
go to a movie, to a basketball game? Why can't we have fun?
I told you, Denise, you can have fun after the bee.
Who's Denise?
What?
Denise, you called me Denise. Who's that?
Dr. Larabee, are you okay?
Yes.
Yes, I'm fine.
Listen, I spent all last week
making these for you.
- What are they? - They're flash cards.
5,000 new words, the types that you will run into at the finals.
5,000? But we've only got a few months left.
- What, you going to coach me 24-7? - Uh, no...
you're going to, um, learn these on your own.
There's nothing left for me to teach you.
What?
You... you've got it all, Akeelah. You've got word construction down
etymology, memorization techniques.
What you need to do now is just
focus on the words.
I can't learn 5,000 new words all by myself.
Oh, yes, you can. You've got a brain like a sponge.
- You just sit down and you study them. - Dr. Larabee, I swear, I promise...
I won't miss any more sessions and I'll do whatever you say.
You can't stop coaching me now.
I told Mr. Welch I'd get you through the regionals and I've done that.
Now, I don't have anything else I can teach you.
You need to just take those words
and study them and you'll be all right.
This is why I was at the mall.
Merry Christmas.
- Hello? - Hey, girl.
- What you doin'? - Watching TV.
You want to go skating this weekend?
Why don't you go with your friends from Woodland Hills?
What? Girl, what's wrong with you?
Nothing.
I got homework to do. I'll see you later.
Hey, Keelie!
Keelie, come on out here!
Girl, you on TV.
- Hurry. Come on, look! - Akeelah Anderson's rise
has captivated her community. All of Los Angeles is talking about her.
If she wins this spelling bee it's going to be like
- everybody in the neighborhood wins. - I think it'll be real positive.
You know... good for the community.
I'm already studying for next year's bee.
What is wrong with...
Akeelah, what's wrong?
- I don't want to do the bee no more. - You don't want to do the bee?
- Why not? - Dr. Larabee don't want
to coach me no more, Georgia don't want to hang out with me
and all these people are expecting me to win.
And it's just too hard, Mama. I want it all to stop.
- Baby, you worked so... - Please.
- All right, all right.
I certainly didn't mean to upset her. I...
well, I honestly thought I was
doing the best thing for her.
You know, Dr. Larabee,
my child is only 11 years old
and she has been through so much already.
Her father was killed when she was six.
Somebody shot him on his way home from work.
Do you have any idea what it's like for a girl to lose her father that way?
I can imagine.
Then why do you want to cause this child any more grief?
That's an unfair accusation, Mrs. Anderson.
As I've told you, I'm...
I'm just not in a place where I can
be of any more help to Akeelah right now.
But she needs you. She does.
I beg to differ, Mrs. Anderson. It's not me that Akeelah needs.
I remember when he used to take us out to the ballgames,
and take us to the movies and we'd have popcorn fights.
We'll do that again.
Sure.
I want to tell you something.
You know why I didn't want you to do the bee at first?
'Cause I saw that video of yours
and I saw one winner and 200 losers.
And I didn't want you to be one of those losers.
Did you know your mama
went to college right after high school?
No.
I had a scholarship.
I was gonna be a doctor.
What happened?
I just felt so out of place at that school.
I convinced myself
that I was gonna fail.
So before that could happen, I dropped out.
I don't want you to do the same thing with this bee.
"Gabbro,"
a group of dark heavy rocks.
Can you spell it for me?
G-A-B-R-O,
gabbro?
Actually it's got two Bs.
You know, Akeelah, you ain't short on people who want to help you.
I bet if you just look around, you got 50,000 coaches.
Starting with me.
- Mama? - Hmm?
You think that maybe
you might go back to college?
I just might.
- I love you. - I love you too.
I love you too.
"Craquelure," C-R-A-Q-U-E-L-U...
Hey, yo, so why y'all punking out on the spelling bee, huh?
What, you afraid of all the suburbia kids now?
No.
Hey!
So how you spell all these words anyway?
- I study them. - Whatever.
There go my ride.
- Hey, what up, Derrick-T? - What up, Terrence?
Who dat?
That ain't nobody, just my little sister.
What up, little thing?
I been seeing you on TV. Trying to win some big contest, huh?
Answer the man.
You know, I won something once...
fifth grade. I wrote a poem.
Even got myself a blue ribbon too.
- Yeah, good. You wrote yourself a poem. - Shut up, dawg.
What you think rap is?
- What's that in your hand? - Ain't nothin', just some stupid word.
- You helping her? - Naw, man, I'm chilling wit you, right?
Naw, man.
- Stay here and help your sis. - Why?
'Cause I say so.
Let's break out, man.
- Derrick-T! - What's up?
I want to read your poem.
After you win the contest.
Let's go, man.
You ain't gotta help me if you don't want to.
"En-fran-chis-ment"?
- You mean enfranchisement? - Hey, whatever.
Can you spell it?
50,000 coaches.
E-N-F-R...
"Ap-teery-goat-ti."
- What? - That right there.
Apterygote. Maybe you shouldn't show me the cards.
Oh yeah. Sorry.
...R-E-S-A...
You go, Akeelah, baby! Make us proud!
5,000, I learned them all.
But I had some help.
You should be very well prepared then.
You know, Dr. Larabee,
when I was a little girl...
my daddy died.
I used to cry all the time.
But then...
I found something that helped.
What was that?
I spelled... over and over again.
And I'd feel better.
Maybe when you're thinking of her...
you can try spelling.
It might help.
Akeelah?
- Who told you? - You did.
You called me by her name: Denise.
That's her jump rope, isn't it?
Yes.
Was she your little girl?
Yes.
What happened to her?
She got very sick.
She was only a couple of years
younger than you when she passed.
Where is her mama?
She moved to another city and...
after it happened
my wife...
Patricia and I
found it...
slowly
became very
difficult to be...
Anyway, this is...
this is Patricia's garden.
You see, I need... I need a lot of order in my life.
That's why I don't teach in the classrooms anymore.
It's just too unpredictable.
Like you.
This whole spelling bee business now has become...
a little too unpredictable as well.
Dr. Larabee...
I... I can't go to DC without you.
Yes, you can, Akeelah. You can do anything you want.
- I can't beat Dylan. - Don't say that.
It's true. It doesn't matter how many words I learn.
He'll always know more.
Let me tell you about Dylan.
There's only one person who can push him
to spell as well as he possibly can.
It's not his dad. It's not the spelling bee people.
It's not even himself.
That person is you.
So...
when you and I
get to DC,
let's make sure we give him a run for his money.
Okay?
Hey.
Hi.
I'm off to DC tomorrow.
- Yeah, well, have fun. - I'm sorry I've been so busy.
It's just this whole spelling thing's been real intense.
But you know what?
I'd give it all up if it meant you and me could hang again.
- That's stupid. - Why's it stupid?
'Cause people want to see you do good.
I want to see you do good.
You know what? Georgia, you're my best friend.
And you always tell me I can do things even when I think I can't.
But I gotta tell you something.
If you want to be a flight attendant, you first gotta ride on a plane.
I will someday.
How about tomorrow?
Whoo!
Girl, I got... I got to talk to the captain.
Oh, forget flight attendant. I'm gonna be a pilot.
- What's wrong with him? - He has an aversion to heights.
It's an aversion to plummeting. I may puke.
My brother's in the air force and he says that fear
is all in your head. Here.
He gave me this for good luck. Don't worry... I won't impale you.
You know, I never really thanked you for helping me at the state bee.
- No biggie. - Actually,
it was very chivalrous.
Wow.
I'm not thinking about the plane at all now.
Well, in that case...
- I told you not to shake it. - I'm sorry.
Akeelah, I thought you guys were supposed to be studying.
- We are. - Huh-uh,
it sounds like a party in here. Come on, you got a big day tomorrow.
- Better call it a night. - Half an hour more.
15 minutes.
What do you think Dylan's doing now?
Trying to learn ancient Greek.
- Maybe we should invite him over. - That turd-juggler? Forget it.
I'll be back.
- Yeah... - Is Dylan here?
- He's busy. - Well, um...
me and some of the other kids are hanging out in my room,
drinking soda pop and watching movies. We thought maybe he'd like to come over.
I'm sorry, but tomorrow is the spelling bee.
Well, you know, sometimes it's okay to take a little rest
right before the big event, you know?
Well, perhaps that is your strategy, but not ours.
Wait wait!
This is for Dylan.
Okay.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful
beyond measure.
We ask ourselves 'Who am I
to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous? '
Actually, who are you not to be?"
It's okay. There.
I'm Ted Saunders, here with Katie Kerwin-McCrimmen,
broadcasting live from the main ballroom of the Grand Hyatt, Washington.
Now, Katie, as a former spelling bee champ yourself, who do you think
we should be looking for to do well in this year's competition?
Several of the kids placed very high in last year's bee,
especially Dylan Chiu.
He's come in second two years in a row.
Kick his butt, Akeelah! B-U-T-T, butt.
... but the speller I've really got my eye on is little Akeelah Anderson
from Los Angeles. She's become a bit of a media sensation
- because she's only 11 years old... - That's my sister!
... and it's her first try at the spelling bee circuit.
Could you repeat the word please?
"Ratiocinate, ratiocinate."
What in the hell kind of word is that?
R-A-T...
I-O-C...
I-N-A-T-E,
- ratiocinate. - That's correct.
Yes.
For an 11-year-old kid, that is just amazing.
But watch out... one wrong letter and that's it.
"Oersted."
- What's the language of origin? - It's from a Danish name.
- I can't stand this Korean kid. - He's Chinese.
- He's uppity. - O-E-R-S-T-E-D.
That's correct.
- What's the definition? - Xylem is a complex tissue
in the vascular system of higher plants.
Xylem. X-Y-L-E-M, xylem.
That's correct.
They thought they had me, but I was too much for 'em.
...T-H-O-E-P-Y,
- orthoepy. - That's correct.
- Flocculation is originally Latin. - Could you use it in a sentence please?
- Flocculation. - Can I have a definition please?
- That's correct. - "Lobscouse."
- The language of origin, please. - Any alternate pronunciations?
- Gastromyth. - May I have a definition please?
- Latin. - Escharotic.
- Madrigal. - That is correct.
- May I have the definition please? - From earliest known time.
- Aboriginally. - Correct.
- Language of origin? - Yes!
Empleomania.
Any ratio without separation of two phases.
...I-B-L-E, miscible.
If you're just joining us, we're here in the eighth round
of the national spelling bee with only 30 spellers remaining.
...U... R...
S-U-S, excursus.
"Argillaceous."
- Excuse me? - Argillaceous.
Can I have the definition please?
Argillaceous means of, relating to,
or containing clay or clay minerals.
- May I have the language of origin? - Latin.
Man, that's a white word if I ever heard one. It's a trick... stop playing.
It's the suffix that would trip up most people.
They would tend to spell it T-I-O-U-S,
or C-I-O-U-S.
Is it derived from the Latin word argilla, meaning clay?
That's correct.
A-R-G...
I-I...
L-A...
Come on.
- Can I start over? - You may.
But you cannot change the letters you've already spelled.
A-R-G-I-L-L-
A-C-E-O-U-S,
- argillaceous. - That's correct.
She got it! That's my little sister!
Well, it's the 12th round, folks, and the five remaining spellers
are Mary Calveretti, age 12;
13-year-old Rajeeve Subramonian;
12-year-old Javier Mendez; Dylan Chiu, also of Woodland Hills.
Wow, they really crank them out down there, don't they?
Of course, Akeelah Anderson.
Could you use the word in a sentence please?
The Merovingian kings were known for having long red hair.
Okay. Uh...
M...
A-R-O...
V-I-N-G-I-A-N,
Merovingian.
Merovingian is spelled
M-E-R-O-V-I-N-G-I-A-N.
I forgot to spell it how it sounds. 13th last year, fifth this year,
next year I'll take it all. Now it's your turn.
...I-S-M, mithridatism.
...P-I-S-C-N-C-E,
- resipiscence. - That's correct.
...F-I-R-E?
Vitrophyre?
...G-I-N-O-U-S,
- serpiginous. - That's correct.
Yes!
That's my baby.
We're going to take a small break before Akeelah and Dylan
commence with the championship-level words.
Pretty good, huh?
Make sure you stay focused, right?
This is your last national spelling bee.
If you lose to that girl, you're second place your whole life.
No way! You hear me?
- No way! - Peeking on someone?
Just wishing Dylan good luck.
You've done a superb job. I am so proud of you.
Now listen, they're going to hit you with every trick word they've got.
You just remember the things that we've studied.
You can take these words apart even if you've never seen them, right?
But if I don't beat Dylan, I've still got next year, right?
Well, of course you do. Although I don't know
how much time we'll have to train together.
I've been asked to come back and teach at UCLA, and I've said yes.
- Really? - Well, far be it from me to deny
the next WEB DuBois the benefits of my acerbic wit and sour disposition.
- What's the matter? - Nothing, Dr. Larabee.
I should get back.
No matter what happens...
I want you to know that I couldn't have gotten this far without you.
Akeelah, baby, there you are. Come on.
I gotta go.
They're about to start up again.
Don't look so nervous. I hear she had a pretty good coach.
You know, I just found out that the bee only gives each kid two plane tickets.
I was wondering how we ended up with six.
Uh...
perhaps it was some
unexpected largess on the part of the bee.
Or perhaps Akeelah's coach is also pretty generous.
Thanks.
For everything.
- You're welcome. - Ladies and gentlemen,
let's welcome Akeelah and Dylan back to the stage.
Now remember, if either speller misses a word,
the other has to spell that missed word
- plus another to win, right? - That's right.
And we could exhaust all 25 championship words.
But it's never happened.
The championship words are just too difficult.
- "Filiopietistic." - Can I have the definition please?
Of, or relating to, an often excessive
veneration of ancestors or tradition.
Filiopietistic:
F-I...
L-I...
Akeelah, you're up.
"Xanthosis."
- Xanthosis? - It starts with an X.
Miss Anderson?
Xanthosis:
Z-A-N...
T-H-O...
S-I-S...
xanthosis.
Dylan, it's your turn.
"Xanthosis."
Xanthosis:
X-A-N...
T-H-O-S...
E-S, xanthosis.
Xanthosis is spelled
X-A-N...
T-H-O-S-I-S.
Can I get some water, please?
Can we please get both spellers some water?
- What are you doing? - What are you doing?
- You just threw that word. - So did you.
You're just gonna give this all away?
Your dad will be happy.
Who cares? He's never won anything in his life.
I won the regionals three times in a row.
And I finished second in the nationals twice.
And now you can finish first. I could do it next year.
- You do your best this year. - Dylan...
You do your best...
or I don't want it.
Here's your water.
That's kind of amazing, isn't it, that both of these incredible spellers
would stumble on that word?
I think we've got some pretty nervous kids up there.
"Effleurage" or "effleurage."
E-F-F-L-E-U...
R-A-G-E,
- effleurage. - That's correct.
This is just like watching two star tennis players
at the net returning volleys. I mean, these kids are incredible.
Lagniappe: L-A-G-N-I-A-P-P-E, lagniappe.
- Sumpsimus. - Could you use it in a sentence please?
- Is that a verb? - Ophelimity.
- Tralatitious. - That is correct.
- Sophrosyne. - Parrhesia.
- Is that Greek? - Was that Latin?
- What's the language... ...of origin please?
- Lyophilize. - Zarzuela.
- Vibrissae. - Craquelure.
That's correct.
These kids a chewing through these super-tough words
like they were breakfast cereal.
You know, they could actually go the distance,
and most people consider that unthinkable.
We're now 13 words into the championship level.
If you make it through the remaining 12 words, you'll be co-champions.
That's never happened before.
- Vinegarroon. - Ecdysis.
- Concitato. - Puerpera.
That's correct.
Dylan and Akeelah are trying to stage a miracle here.
And to make it to the finish line they need each other to succeed.
...E-R-A-Z...
A-D-I-A-N,
- Scheherazadian. - That's correct.
... L-O-G-I...
C-A-L, palynological.
That's correct.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are down
to the final two championship words.
One or both of our spellers
will walk away with the first place trophy.
Dylan, you're up.
- "Logorrhea." - May I have the definition please?
Logorrhea is excessive
and often incoherent talkativeness.
Logorrhea:
I...
O...
G-O...
R...
R-H...
E-A, logorrhea?
Congratulations, Dylan,
you've won the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Yes! Yes!
Go get 'em.
Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated for Akeelah's turn.
"Pulchritude."
Pulchritude.
It's derived from the Latin word "pulcher,"
meaning beautiful,
- isn't it? - That's correct.
- P... - U...
- I... - C...
- H... - R...
- I... - T...
- U... - D...
- E. - Pulchritude.
Congratulations, Akeelah.
That's what I'm talking about!
You know that feeling where everything feels right?
Where you don't have to worry about tomorrow
or yesterday,
but you feel safe and know you're doing the best you can?
There's a word for that feeling.
It's called love.
L-O-V-E.
And it's what I feel for all my family,
and all my coaches in my neighborhood,
where I come from,
where I learned how to spell.
We did it.
Thank you.