Spellbound

Released 2002
Features Angela Arenivar, Nupur Lala, Ted Brigham, Emily Stagg, Ashley White, Neil Kadakia, April DeGideo, Harry Altman
Directed by Jeffrey Blitz

In the olden days when spelling bees began, spelling was an essential skill for becoming an editor. Due to spellcheckers, however, it's no longer a useful skill. So why is the Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee bigger than ever, and why does ESPN cover the finals? I think it's because the bees are a combination of a competition and a circus geek show. If you televise a competition, people will watch. Add a geek factor, and people will eat it up. Watching these young kids spell words that none of us have ever heard is like watching Raymond from "Rain Man" count the toothpicks. It's fascinating, but the documentary gives us more. It gives us the backstory of eight of the finalists, and they're all compelling for different reasons. Some are poor, some are immigrants, some are wealthy, some are average, but they're all very bright. To some this competition is a big boost to their self-esteem, while to others it's another way to prove themselves to their parents.

I loved this documentary for many reasons, one of which was its humor. It opens brilliantly with Harry trying to spell "banns" but without context of the scene. Harry, who should be the poster-child for Ritalin, contorts his face and talks aloud while he struggles to spell this monosyllabic word, and it's laugh-out-loud funny. A couple of my other favorite moments were when the Hooters sign wished Napur "Congradulations," and when Emily compared her parents to the Bunkers. Her mother really was like Edith, and she made me smile or laugh each time she was onscreen. Another reason this movie works so well is the tension in the bee itself. It doesn't really matter who wins, but I found myself nervous each time a child stepped to the mic. I can only imagine how bad the tension was for the kids and their parents.

Summary by Bill Alward, January 24, 2004