Some of you may be familiar with this film. Spellbound was nominated for an Academy Award in 2002 for the Best Documentary category. It lost to Bowling for Columbine. Ebert and Roeper gave this film “two thumbs up.” That alone may compel some of you not to see it, or vice versa. While I heard of this film when it was first released, I was never interested in watching it. I didn’t believe a movie about the spelling bee could hold my attention.
While the premise of the film is spelling, the real focus is on the eight children the filmmakers chose to feature. We are introduced to each one in their hometown. We meet their families, classmates, and teachers. We learn how they became involved in spelling bees and about the many hours per day they devote to studying words. Many of these children have few friends and often don’t relate well with their peers. They all represent various states, coming from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Each won their regional or citywide competition and earned a place in the National Spelling Bee.
The last half of the film is footage at the National Bee. You may think this would be the boring part, but no, this is where the film becomes even more interesting. After spending just over 30 minutes learning about these characters, I started to become emotionally involved in their performance. I found myself rooting for several of the children–the underdogs of the group. There will be some disappointments, not everyone can win, but it ends with a satisfying conclusion. I won’t reveal any spoilers. The winner may or may not be one of the eight main characters. You’ll have to watch to find out!
If you catch the bee fever WRL also owns the book American Bee: the National Spelling Bee and the Culture of Word Nerds.
