Akeelah and the Bee A tense moment unfolds during one of the spelling competitions when Javier’s mother tries to secretly help him by mouthing the correct spelling of a difficult word. Another contestant’s sister notices the attempted cheating and calls it out in front of everyone. The situation gets awkward, but Javier steps forward and honestly admits that he didn’t actually know how to spell the word. His honesty defuses the situation and earns the respect of the audience and his fellow conte