I noticed that “Spellbound” (2002) was one of the nominees at the 2003 Academy Awards for Best Documentary, and I saw the rave reviews it was getting. Still, spelling bees didn’t sound like a very promising subject for a documentary to me, and it wasn’t until I could watch it at home on DVD that I was willing to give the film a try. It plays rather like PBS programming, but I’m not sure that’s a bad thing since I watched it on my television screen. In any case, I was pleasantly surprised to find I really enjoyed the movie. However, what made the film come alive for me was not the spelling bees, but the candid portraits of individual kids, along with their families and teachers, and what this revealed about American society as a whole.
“Spellbound” begins with profiles of eight American kids, ages 12 to 14, as they prepare for the 1999 National Spelling Bee. There are five girls and three boys, and they come from various socioeconomic levels, ethnic backgrounds, and geographical areas. Each has a distinct personality, but it seemed to me they all had one thing in common: a work ethic.
I got some good chuckles out the movie. For example, when a Tampa girl named Nupur Lala won a major spelling bee, the local Hooters put up the letters "CONGRADUL TIONS NUPUR" on their sign outside the restaurant.
My personal favorite family background story is that of Angela Arenivar, who lives in the Texas Panhandle with her parents, Mexican immigrants who speak little English. Speaking in Spanish, her father says, "I paid a coyote $500. I left my house at six in the morning, and by six that night I was in Albuquerque."
I was amazed at the diversity of the other featured kids as well. Neil Kadakia lives in an upscale neighborhood in Orange County, California, and his dad has hired at least four spelling coaches for him. Ashley White is an African American girl residing in a modest apartment in Washington, D.C. Ted Brigham is a tall boy who lives in his family’s doublewide trailer in rural Missouri. April DeGideo is a Pennsylvania girl whose father, formerly a factory laborer, seems to work behind the bar at the Easy Street Pub. Harry Altman resides with his mom in New Jersey and likes to joke around a lot. Emily Stagg enjoys horseback riding, lives in a lovely home in New Haven, and mentions her family's au pair.
“Spellbound” eventually takes us to the National Spelling Bee, a grueling two-day competition, the final part of which is televised on ESPN. The Bee is all about a kid standing alone on a stage and correctly spelling a series of words like aoristic, Rayonnant, and cucurbit. If a contestant misses even a single letter, he or she is out. I could spell only a few of the words, but the filmmakers cleverly structured this part of the documentary similar to a sports movie, and I found myself caught up in the event’s drama.
Even as the contestants effortlessly spell words I never heard of, they sometimes labor over easy ones. A boy whose grandfather lives in India struggles with “Darjeeling,” and a girl has a bad moment with “corollary” and asks if it is related to “Corolla.” But as I watch the youngsters work through these crises, I realize the Bee is only partly about preparation and memorization: it’s also about performance in public and under pressure.
When the final word, which turns out to be “logorrhea,” is given, the champ spells it with authority and coasts to victory. The Bee can have only one winner, but all eight kids featured in “Spellbound” looked like winners to me. What I came away from the movie with was a feeling of hope for the future.
The DVD provides several bonus materials, and I have listed these below.
Selected Special Features:
- Full-Screen (1.33:1)
- English 2.0 Dolby Digital
- French 2.0 Dolby Digital
- French Subtitles
- Filmmakers’ Audio Commentary Track
- The Spellers (Text Info)
- Where Are They Now? (Text Info)
- Bonus Footage (approx. 24 min.)
- About the Filmmakers (Text Info)
- Theatrical Trailer
- Interactive Hangman Game (DVD-ROM)
- Educational Guide (DVD-ROM)
