How does one spell success? Besides the obvious -- S-U-C-C-E-S-S -- you take an inspiring family movie with a magnetic young lead, supporting actors of Oscar-worthy caliber, a marketing push from one of the biggest companies in the world, and Morpheus: I mean, Laurence Fishburne.

'Akeelah and the Bee' follows the young South-Central born and raised Akeelah Anderson and her journey to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC. Akeelah, deftly portrayed by precocious preadolescent KeKe Palmer, shines (as do her glossy lips) in the starring role.

First of all, with a name like Akeelah, there is no doubt that this is a young black girl. Palmer, who is fresh in moviegoers minds as the foster child of Madea in 'Madea's Family Reunion,' joins an elite group of young actresses in movies that present a young black girl in starring roles: Zelda Harris of 'Crooklyn', Jurnee Smollett in 'Eve's Bayou' and Kristen Wilson from 'Dr. Doolittle 2.'

This is also first movie to be financed by Howard Schultz' Starbucks coffee chain (in conjunction with Lions Gate Films). Anyone who has stepped into the coffee cartel in the last few weeks has been bombarded by green coffee sheaths with outrageously hard spelling words on them, and noticed the soundtrack splayed on counters. Apparently, Starbucks gets a percentage of box office receipts and eventually, DVD sales.

Though a bit melodramatic and slightly predictable, the film is also funny and sweet. Fishburne, a producer of 'Akeelah,' is in fact a Morpheus-like mentor to the young Akeelah, except this time he's a gruff, pained, professor with a penchant for gardening and correcting broken English.

The relationship between the two is all at once educational, symbiotic and healing. In their first session as her spelling coach, Dr. Larabee pointedly asks Akeelah, "Do you have any goals?" Their rocky relationship soon turns fruitful, though at one point Akeelah calls him a "truculent, supercilious gardener." In their work together, Dr. Larabee shrouds Akeelah with a hard work ethic and knowledge of black historic figures such as W.E.B. DuBois.

The Oscar-nominated Angela Bassett, who reunites with Fishburne here (since 'What's Love Got To Do With It?'), also rises to the occasion as the overworked and grieving mother, Tanya, who raises Akeelah and her siblings (a sister too young to have a baby and a brother who wants to be a gangbanger.) Like many single parents, she wants the best for her daughter but sometimes allows her own fears to cloud her child's aspirations.

In one scene, as they study together for a spelling bee, Bassett confides in Akeelah that she dropped out of college because "I just felt so out of place at that school, I convinced myself that I was going to fail."

In one scene, as they study together for a spelling bee, Bassett confides to Akeelah that she dropped out of college because, "I just felt so out of place at that school, I convinced myself that I was going to fail."

And herein lays another overarching theme in this film: the truth that allowing fear to permeate your being will hamper your dreams before you even begin them. As can be the case with underserved communities racked with violence, ones belief system really determines ones life. In addition to poverty (she asks her principal, played by Curtis Armstrong, if they can get her a new outfit if she makes it to the state spelling), there is that inner voice that tells you you're not good enough. It is about the expectation of success or failure, which the movie clearly articulates.

When Akeelah befriends fellow speller Javier Mendez, a sweet boy from the suburbs, this becomes crystal clear. 'You're doing great,' says Javier, 'Hope I'm not the first one out' replies Akeelah. There is a rainbow coalition of children in this film, though the racial tensions of South Central Los Angeles are not necessarily neatly edited out -- her nemises' dad calls her a "silly black girl" and a South Central Los Angeles man in a coffee shop cheering Akeelah on says "he doesn't trust Asians"

Despite the fact that she hails from South Central and that her sister's baby cries during one of her spelling bees ("Kiana, get that baby out of here!" she screams from the stage), that her dad is not there and that money is tight at times, Akeelah and her community band together to win. Yes, with many "inner city kids" there are obstacles, but if nothing else; 'Akeelah' proves that it is that expectation of excellence, of success, that really determines just that.

When one thinks about the power of media and how many take for granted just how powerful it is to see yourself and your neighborhood on a big screen not thugging or rapping or mourning, but united around family and community and hard work, 'Akeelah' is groundbreaking.