Review of Spellbound (2002) by Eric F — 01 Dec 2008

In 2005's comedy "The Baxter", written and directed by "The State"'s Michael Showalter, characters played by Showalter and Michelle Williams bond over a mutual love for reading the dictionary. This begins a running joke as the characters joyously exclaim "i'm up to B", and they even share their favorite words and definitions. In "Spellbound", however, some of these kids don't only lightly read the dictionary - they painstakingly dissect it and seem to attempt to memorize it in it's entirety. What's on the line? Sure, there's potential scholarships... but, realistically, it's mostly pride - some of it for the participants themselves, and most of it for the parents.

"Spellbound" follows eight American junior high school students who have qualified for the National Spelling Bee. In a field of nine million kids, 249 qualified for this 1999 tournament in Washington. The first half of the film introduces us to the cast of characters, and the second half shows us the tournament itself - which is perhaps some of the most exciting and fascinating material i've seen in quite some time. Some may sweat and grit their teeth as Jason Statham battles the umpteenth baddie, but let me tell you, there's nothing more action-packed and exciting than watching these kids attempt to spell "cabotinage".

Angela is one of the favorites of fans of the film, and it's easy to see why. She's the daughter of illegal immigrants who don't yet speak English, yet she is one of the Nation's most accomplished young spellers. The poster-boy for the film is Harry Altman, who nervously tweaks his face in absurd ways as he attempts to spell "wheedle", and even casually uses a robotic voice in his introduction. Harry comes off as a caricature of a real person, and he's so lovable and endearing that it's shocking he has yet to be exploited as a YouTube sensation. The other six kids all have distinct personalities and we get to know them quite well - and although you're bound to pick your favorites, it's impossible to root against any of them. Some of them don't make it far at all, and others to the very end.

I feel that the unsung hero of "Spellbound" is Yana Gorskaya, the editor, who cleverly weaves the paths of these characters in and out. There are moments late in the film where the action will cut away before we find out whether a contestant has spelled a word correctly or not, and the amount of tension that it builds is astounding. I've read a review that complained about "choppy editing", but I found to be tightly put together and ultimately a very satisfying final piece.

Director Jeffrey Blitz sacrifices a lot to introduce so many characters back-to-back in the beginning of the film, and he does this at the risk of making the film extraordinarily uneven and top-heavy. Luckily, however, his subjects are all so likable and interesting that these developing moments are never boring, nor do we ever feel that we're recycling the same material.

Neil Kadakia is a memorable character in the film solely because of his parents. His father, who attends the tournament itself, aids Neil in studying up to eight hours a day using advanced techniques. Although i'm sure his family is lovely, I felt heartbroken to see the innocence and youth of Neil completely driven away. It's absurd that so much effort is put into something so trivial, with most of these words being the kind of words that you'll never hear used in a sentence in a lifetime.

The joy of "Spellbound" is how unique and individual these kids are - some are pessimists and others complain that classmates aren't smart enough to "get" them, some are driven by self-oriented goals and others by parents. It's a fascinating look into American competitive drive and education. And although you feel bad for some of these kids who devote their lives to this cause, you smile with relief when it's all over and they go back to being kids again.