A documentary about a children's spelling competition may not sound like the most enticing filmic experience, yet Jeff Blitz's remarkable film following eight contestants competing in the 1999 National Spelling Bee looks set to rank among the best documentaries of the decade.
The opening fifteen minutes of Spellbound contain more excitement, exhilaration and life-affirming joy than most films manage in two hours, as we watch young Angela triumph against the odds - neither of her parents speak English - and win her place through to the national competition. Other memorable competitors include ambitious Ashley, whose mother is in the DC projects, and Harry, a permanently over-excited wisecracker who nearly steals the film.
Any documentary which focuses upon children risks charges of exploitation, and much of the film's humour derives from each youngster's eccentricities, be it Ted's constant surliness, April's intense commitment or Harry's breathless hyperactivity. The film is never cruel, however, and the viewer cannot help but cheer when a particular candidate makes it into the next round. Each child is surprisingly philosophical as they are eliminated from the contest, and only one competitor is reduced to tears.
Although it would be patronising to label these children as misfits, it is refreshing to see a talent competition being celebrated that has nothing to do with the shallow conformity of such shows as American Idol and Popstars, but instead applauds a contest open to children of every background (four of the eight contestants have non-American parents). With an opening as moving as any romance and an ending as tense as any thriller, Spellbound rates highly among the recent profusion of excellent documentaries and is a funny and touching representation of a side of America rarely depicted.
Tense, nail-biting documentary about spelling! The highest grossing documentary of 2003 follows eight children to the finals of the National Spelling Bee Competition. Funny and engaging.
The Oscar-nominated documentary Spellbound, directed by Jeffrey Blitz, follows eight children, ages 12 to 14, from their preparation for the 1999 competitions through ... more >
The Oscar-nominated documentary Spellbound, directed by Jeffrey Blitz, follows eight children, ages 12 to 14, from their preparation for the 1999 competitions through to the Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee finals in Washington, DC. The director traveled all over the country to select students from diverse socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds and chose those he thought had the best chance of success. Though we do not really know what drives these children to endure long hours of study to compete in the Spelling Bee, it is apparent that they are single-minded in their purpose. Blitz depicts the family life of the children, while observing the rigorous training and preparation each of them undergoes. Most are normal adolescents, but some say they feel like outcasts because they are so intellectually advanced. To them, the Bee is a place where they can come together with others like themselves and experience a mutual pride in intellectual achievement.
As we watch the drama unfold, the kids must spell words like "cephalalagia," "mattock," "corollary," "hellebore," and "banns" in order to stay in the competition. Blitz masterfully builds the tension by cutting away from the child spelling a word to an earlier interview that illuminates an aspect of their personality. For each family, the Spelling championship symbolizes something much larger than a mere contest over words, becoming, in fact, a metaphor for hope. The egalitarian nature of the competition supports the American ideal that one can transcend one's social strata through hard work, and in this sense, the contest is quintessentially American. Spellbound is a thoughtful inquiry into the enduring myths of our culture, and speaks to the insistent hope for a better life that remains at the heart of the American experience.
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Spellbound (2003)
