Atchison found a doozy with Keke Palmer, who has appeared in “Barbershop 2: Back in Business” and “Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion” and now steps into a lead role with poise, panache, a headstrong spirit and hearty humor.

Palmer is surrounded by a sturdy supporting cast, notably Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett, reuniting on screen for the first time since they played Ike and Tina Turner in “What’s Love Got to Do with It.”

But the movie hangs on Palmer’s young shoulders, and she delivers tremendously, lifting the film above its predictably feel‑good story line.

Palmer’s Akeelah is a bright but uninspired student at her Los Angeles school. Her spelling acumen is noticed by a teacher, and her principal (Curtis Armstrong) cordially coerces the reluctant Akeelah into participating at the school spelling bee.

The makeshift, informal bee proves a breeze for Akeelah, vaulting her into high‑pressure regional competitions, where stage moms and dads pressure their kids to win at all costs.

Akeelah’s single mother (Bassett), frazzled from work, a tough home life and unfulfilled dreams of her own, offers no encouragement and even becomes an obstacle to her daughter’s aims, considering spelling bees a waste of time.

A Mr. Miyagi mentor emerges in Akeelah’s “Karate Kid”‑like quest as former spelling prodigy Dr. Larabee (Fishburne), a college professor conveniently on sabbatical, becomes Akeelah’s coach.

Also a producer of the film, Fishburne presents the stern but loving father figure lacking in Akeelah’s life. Larabee comes off as a quieter, less histrionic teacher than Fishburne was to Keanu Reeves  in “The Matrix” movies.

As the road to the national bee unfolds, Akeelah finds first love with a competitor (J.R. Villarreal) and harsh rivalry with a front‑runner (Sean Michael Afable), whose father (Tzi Ma) relentlessly goads his son to victory.

The stereotypes, conventions and coincidences are piled on as only Hollywood can. When parents are fanatical about their children triumphing, they are fascist fanatical. When they’re indifferent, they’re deadbeat‑parent indifferent. When Akeelah’s future–and the movie’s climax–hinges on a single word, it’s a word with particular meaning to the main characters.

Yet “Akeelah and the Bee” manages to uplift without drowning in its own contrived sweetness.

The film clips along briskly on the strength of Atchison’s engaging collection of characters, and especially on the devotion and earthy joyfulness of one young actress. And her name is spelled “K‑E‑K‑E.”

“Akeelah and the Bee,” a Lionsgate release, is rated PG for some language. Running time: 113 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.