AKEELAH AND THE BEE

RYAN: “Akeelah and the Bee!”

CAROLINE: Yes. We’re at one of our favorite theaters, the AMC/Loews on 42nd Street.

RYAN: And it is ever more comfortable each time we come.

CAROLINE: To the theater.

RYAN: I was so comfortable, I could have almost slept in the middle of this movie.

CAROLINE: That would have been like me, wouldn’t it? Except not during this movie.

RYAN: I’m catching up to you. All right, “Akeelah and the Bee.” I tried to resist seeing this movie. I was like, “Let’s go see ‘An American Haunting’ or ‘The Promise.’”

CAROLINE: But I insisted.

RYAN: Yeah, you’ve wanted to see this since we saw the trailer and cried like “United 93” during it.

CAROLINE: No, not that much, but I will say that while watching this movie today, I cried early and often.

RYAN: Yes, you did. And – credit where it’s due – even mine eyes welled with tears towards the end.

CAROLINE: See? I told ya!

RYAN: It did get a little long during the middle.

CAROLINE: They probably could have cut out about ten minutes. But it’s just so cute and inspirational and that darn Akeelah, you just want to squeeze her, she’s so cute.

RYAN: And who knew that a spelling bee competition could be as exciting as a boxing match?

CAROLINE: Well didn’t you see the documentary, “Spellbound?”

RYAN: No, I didn’t. Must I?

CAROLINE: Oh my God, it’s phenomenal!

RYAN: Perhaps I will.

CAROLINE: Anyhoo…

RYAN: A major highlight for me in this film was the reunion of Larry Fishburne and Angela Bassett. I mean, they were in very different roles here but we’ve all seen “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” so many times…

CAROLINE: Um, uh huh.

RYAN: Right? Wait, you’ve never seen it?

CAROLINE: No.

RYAN: What?? You’ve never seen “What’s Love Got to Do with It?”

CAROLINE: It’s in my Netflix queue.

RYAN: Let the record show that Ryan just spanked Caroline. And she’s gonna have a red bum.

CAROLINE: (laughs) Well, Angela Bassett looked really good in this. And she was great.

RYAN: If I have to see “Spellbound,” then you have to see “What’s Love Got to Do with It?”

CAROLINE: All right, chillax! It’s in my Netflix!

RYAN: Ok. But come on, Angela’s been looking great forever. This is a cute, fun, family film produced by the devil incarnate, Starbucks Entertainment. But I have to give them a break because it was kind of fun and good.

CAROLINE: I was into it start to finish. The whole inspirational story of a young girl from the streets rising up to the National Spelling Bee. I’m telling you, I just bought it hook, line and sinker.

RYAN: And I really loved the secondary plot, the love story between the two spellers. The 11-year old make out scene.

CAROLINE: (laughs) All the kids were so cute and really good! The lead girl is great except for the gross little specks she has all over her face. They should have sent her to a dermatologist before they started shooting.

RYAN: What can you do? She suffers from the Morgan Freeman.

CAROLINE: Exactly.

RYAN: Final thought?

CAROLINE: I just thought this was so cute. I totally cried. It was uplifting, it was emotional and overall really well done except for the part that was a little too long.

RYAN: And my final thought? Ditto.

CAROLINE: That’s very logorrheic of you.

RYAN: Oooh. Enjoy Akeelah!