Theatrically released in 2006 and 2003 respectively, the feature documentaries “Wordplay” and “Spellbound” are custom-glove fits for anyone who relishes watching competitive activities. I use the word “activities” because neither of them are technically movies about “sports.” But don’t get the impression that either is lacking in precise participant skills, nail-biting thrills, or fierce rivalries.
Is It a Sport?
Sometimes referred to as a sport, sometimes not, the interest in watching two people playing a championship board game has a global following in the multimillions and is regularly considered to become a competitive Olympic event.
For as much as “Wordplay” and “Spellbound” have in common—nonphysical competition, and a reliance on intelligence and gray matter—they also have marked differences. More so than even chess, watching a person trying to solve a crossword puzzle is a mostly solitary, quietly static, and silent endeavor.
Shortz
The acknowledged leader in the world of crosswords is Will Shortz, the long-running and current crossword editor of a major U.S. daily paper. Shortz’s devotion to the crossword medium is beyond impressive. While attending Indiana University, Shortz actually created an entirely new branch of study (“enigmatology”). To date, he is the only person to ever receive a degree in this microscopically thin discipline.
Less well-known but equally prominent in the field, and in the film, is the late Merl Reagle, who became the most syndicated puzzle constructor in history.
For “Spellbound,” director Jeffrey Blitz had an outwardly easier task, yet he faced the challenge of having to sustain a process of elimination contest that didn’t devolve into cinematic redundancy. Blitz also had a challenge that Creadon (who benefited from some surprise celebrity crossword addicts) didn’t have, as all of his contestants, save for one, were nonacting minors.
Minors cast in live-action movies are professional actors, albeit those with less experience, who are expected to take direction and do so willingly. The minors in “Spellbound” are not actors, something Blitz wisely recognized. Blitz’s job wasn’t to turn the participants into actors, but rather to capture the human drama in an authentic, gripping manner.
Just Merit
What is eminently refreshing about the eight featured youngsters is that they all got there based solely on merit. Representing a huge swath of the United States, each had to win regional contests before making it to the Scripps championship. There are five females and three males. Four of the contestants are Caucasian, two of Eastern Indian heritage, one Latina, and one African American.It is worth repeating that the championship depicted here took place in 1999, long before the words “diversity, “equity,” and “inclusion” began tainting and poisoning our everyday verbiage and nomenclature.
These young people made it to the top because of intelligence—nothing more. The fact that they’re not all the same gender or race goes far in disproving any need now or in the future for forced or mandated “D.E.I.” anywhere in our society.
There is something that is thankfully missing in “Spellbound” that could have ruined the entire production: any hint or whiff of reality TV or rigged game show behind-the-scenes tweaking or manipulation.
Blitz’s best decision (among many) was to just “let the kids be kids,” and the rest would take care of itself. The film featured contestants who all put a great deal of time into getting to this place. While intelligence played a large part in this journey, their shared sense of competitiveness is what raised this event to another level.
Academia, No
One might think that an event like this would be broadcast on PBS, the Learning Channel, the Discovery Channel, or any number of others that cater, at least in part, to academia. But that’s not the case. It was televised on ESPN, the No. 1 sports outlet on the planet. ESPN aired the annual competition from 1994 through 2006, and again from 2013 through 2021.Despite being barely 20 years old, “Spellbound” is a throwback film of sorts—something that celebrated achievement and rewarded it accordingly. There’s high drama, thrilling mystery, a fair share of comedy, and a compelling and joyous examination of the human condition.
There are two live-action movies with spelling bee themes that are certainly worth checking out. The first, “Akeelah and the Bee” (2006), is excellent and perfect for family viewing. The second, the superb “Bad Words” (2013), directed by and starring Jason Bateman with a hard-R rating, is for adults only.
