Akeelah and the Bee

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Akeelah and the Bee Trivia

The final word spelled by Dylan is logorrhea. This is the winning word from the documentary Spellbound (2002/I) which tracks several participants in the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bell in 1999.
Among the spelling words in the film are: prestidigitation, ambidextrous, pterodactyl, pulchritude, pastiche, xanthosis, cabalistic, soliterraneous, grandiloquent, catastasis, endentulous, quinquevir, bioluminescent, objugatory, kookaburra, effervescible, quiddity, pyrophanous, mountebank, numismatics, arboriculture, argillaceous, serpiginous, and logorrhea.
The quote that Dr. Larabee has Akeelah read from a plaque on his wall is an excerpt from "A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles" by Marianne Williamson.
George Hornedo, who plays Roman, also served as an unofficial consultant as he was a former National Spelling Bee finalist himself.
Laurence Fishburne's character, Mr Larabee, is based on director Doug Atchison's teacher, Mr. Larabell.
The filmmakers initially considered Sidney Poitier to play Dr. Larabee before deciding they wanted someone younger, and then selected Laurence Fishburne.
The first film to be produced by Starbucks Coffee.
Filmed in 31 days with a budget of $6 million.
SPOILER: Akeelah and Dylan each almost intentionally lose the Bee so the other can win. That would have been an expensive decision. The real life 2005 National Spelling Bee winner, Anurag Kashyap, took home $30,000 in cash and prizes. The runner-up received only a fraction as much.