Spellbound
A documentary about eight junior high school students in the 1999 National Spelling Bee Finals? Can you spell "S-n-o-o-z-e-r-s"? Well guess again, punk, because this riveting documentary beats the odds by delivering nail-biting suspense that rivals the best reality TV can offer without resorting to shameless tactics.
Spellbound (not to be confused with the 1945 Hitchcock classic of the same name), a 2003 Oscar nominee for Best Documentary, begins by introducing us to each of the eight spelling bee whizzes the film covers. Almost every contestant is fascinating, as first-time director Jeffrey Blitz has done an excellent job of selecting children who cover the full spectrum of Americana: inner-city, rural, Mexican, black, Indian, poor, rich, freakish, normal.
The second half of the film focuses on the contestants and their respective fates at the '99 finals. Having seen the behind-the-scenes stories of each child and the enormous work and obstacles they've overcome to get here, the viewer has a vested interest in them. You can't help but pick a few favorites to root for. Registering most strongly for me were Ashley White, an inner-city black girl; Ted Brigham, a soft-spoken kid from the Missouri heartland; and especially Neil Kadakia, a hard-working, basketball-playing son of Indian immigrants whose strict-but-loving father quizzes him on a cool 4,000 words a day.
National Spelling Bee contestants aren't allowed to take back a letter once they've spoken it, leaving for long pauses that will fry your nerves as they search for the right letter. Blitz does a marvelous job of cutting back and forth from the children to crowd and parent reactions to keep the tension at a peak. Who knew that a spelling bee could pin you to the edge of your seat?
There are also some humorous moments mixed into the drama. In one scene, a "scholastically inclined" (read: nerdy) trio of junior high boys relive their loss to finalist Nupur Lala as if they're talking about the NBA finals. In another, finalist Harry Altman -- struggling mightily to spell a word -- contorts his face into some of the most bizarre shapes you've ever seen. Hilarious.
Blitz also takes a few minutes to put the history of the National Spelling Bee into context by interviewing past winners, including the impressively spry winner of the first-ever bee, who captured his crown way back in 1925. While the previous winners shown on screen seem emotionally well balanced, one wonders how some of the winners not shown panned out, especially considering the social and parental pressures some of the current participants face.
Spellbound has become a surprise indie hit, grossing several million dollars. Still, that's small potatoes compared to the 30 million that tune in to watch "American Idol" and "The Bachelor" each week. Nothing against those shows, but Spellbound deserves a comparable audience. Check out this kick-ass documentary and spread the word!
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There's not an obvious drinking connection here, but the more ambitious may be able to create some kind of a character-driven drinking game.
You'll look smart picking this film -- and the surprising suspense may have your date gripping your hand.
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