Akeelah and the Bee

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Director : Doug Atchison
Screenplay : Doug Atchison
Stars : Keke Palmer, Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett, Curtis Armstrong
Plot : An inspirational drama, Akeelah and the Bee is the story of Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer), a precocious eleven-year-old girl from south Los Angeles with a gift for words. Despite the objections of her mother Tanya (Angela Bassett), Akeelah enters various spelling contests, for which she is tutored by the forthright Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne); her principal Mr. Welch (Curtis Armstrong) and the proud residents of her neighborhood. Akeelah’s aptitude earns her an opportunity to compete for a spot in the Scripps National Spelling Bee and in turn unites her neighborhood who witness the courage and inspiration of one amazing little girl.

Hustle & Flow

Register for this discussion starting 2/2
Director : Craig Brewer
Screenplay : Craig Brewer
Stars : Terrence Howard, Anthony Anderson, Taryn Manning, Taraji P. Henson, DJ Qualls, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges
Plot : DJay (Terrence Howard) is a Memphis hustler who spends most days in a parked Chevy philosophizing about life while Nola (Taryn Manning) turns tricks in the backseat. He's not very good at pimping, but he can hustle almost anything or anyone and makes enough to keep himself and three girls satisfied and housed in his shotgun home. DJay however is in the midst of a midlife crisis; he quietly harbors dreams of becoming a respected rapper. When he learns from a local club owner, Arnel (Isaac Hayes), that rap mogul Skinny Black (Ludacris) is rolling through town, DJay decides to record his flow with the hopes of slipping his demo to Skinny. With little help from his friends and "family" DJay sets in motion the hustle of his life, and galvanizes the lives of those around him as they learn that "Everybody's gotta have a dream."