Review of Spellbound (2002) by Matthew G — 22 Mar 2009

Despite discovering that Spellbound was not the sequel to one of the horror genre's spookiest legends, Hocus Pocus, I was still satisfied by this surprisingly captivating documentary of eight kids who compete to win the National Spelling Bee.

What makes this film so entertaining and lovably laughable is the array of eccentrics that prove truth isn't just stranger than fiction, it's a shitload and a half stranger than fiction. I give the editor one hugely admiring golf-clap for piecing this documentary together in such an inherently funny way, with all its non-sequiter sight gags in the background of its interviews to it's many depictions of proletariat near-illiteracy.

For example, a giant unacknowleged teddy bear grasped by an elementary school teacher named "Miss Slaughter" and a concerned inner-city mother declaring that she just has to stay positive and not "pest-imistic" create comedic genius that is born out of one-of-a-kind moments that happen to be caught on film.

Spellbound transcends its simple, yet captivating plot of "who will win?" by parading the absurdity of real people in an equally affectionate and funny way. After watching Spellbound, you may feel sorry for the years of social ineptitude that must follow these children.

But when you stop and think about it, they will probably be unrivaled champions at hangman, Boggle, and Scrabble for the rest of their natural lives. Which, in the end, is something we should all strive for.