The Bottom Line
- Engaging and often funny
- Intriguing look at 8 different and unusual American kids
- Provides fascinating insight into American family life
- Feels like PBS programming (could be a pro, given I’m watching it on DVD)
- Not balanced—presents almost no negative views of spelling competitions
- May not be engaging to people not interested in English language, Americana, or kids
Description
- DVD containing documentary “Spellbound” (2002) about kids in 1999 National Spelling Bee
- Film nominated for Academy Award as Best Documentary (lost to “Bowling for Columbine”)
- DVD contains feature-length audio commentary by filmmakers
- DVD contains bonus footage (approx. 24 min.)
- DVD contains text info on the 8 spellers and where they went later
- Excellent picture and sound quality
- Feature run time: 1 hour 37 minutes
- DVD release date: January 20, 2004
Guide Review - "Spellbound" DVD Review
Nominated for Best Documentary at the 2003 Academy Awards, “Spellbound” (2002) is an odd slice of Americana. The documentary begins by showing the home life of eight kids—five girls, three boys—as they prepare to go to the 1999 National Spelling Bee. The kids, who are in the 12 to 14 age bracket, come from various socioeconomic levels, ethnic backgrounds, and geographical areas. I thought this part of the film provided some fascinating insight into American family life. Then the documentary takes us to the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., for a grueling two-day competition, the last part of which is televised on ESPN. The filmmakers structured this part of the film similar to a sports movie, and even though I could spell only a few of the words, I found myself caught up in the event’s excitement. The final word turned out to be “logorrhea,” and the champ spells it with authority. The Bee can have only one winner, but all eight kids featured in the documentary looked like winners to me.
Although this film received rave reviews, spelling bees didn’t sound like a very interesting subject for a documentary to me, but I was willing to give it a try and was pleasantly surprised. However, what made the movie 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.
