Spellbound

In his directorial debut, filmmaker Jeff Blitz focuses on the world of competitive spelling for the digital video documentary Spellbound. The first half introduces the eight preteen finalists from across the country, representing various ethnic and socioeconomic groups. There’s Ted from rural Missouri; Angela from a Mexican immigrant family in Texas; Emily from a wealthy family in New Haven, CT; Neil from an East Indian family in California; returning finalist Nupur from Florida; April from a working-class family in Pennsylvania; Ashley from a single-parent home in the D.C. projects; and Harry, the hyperactive kid from New Jersey. The finalist’s parents and teachers are also interviewed, providing insight on the study habits and personal pressures of preparing for the intense competition. The second half of the film is devoted to the final round of the National Spelling Bee held in Washington, D.C., and televised on ESPN as a sporting event. After premiering at the 2002 South by Southwest Film Festival, Spellbound was nominated for Best Documentary Oscar in 2003., Documentary chronicling the experiences of eight teenagers competing in the 1999 National Spelling Bee., hrough the kee enly observant and humane vision of director Jeff Blitz and producer Sean Welch, the audience shares the private lives of the students as they train for and compete in the ultimate intellectual showdown, the National Spelling Bee, discovering not only their individual personalities, their obsessive study habits, their sometimes heart-breaking, sometimes inspiring family dynamics, but also the story of America itself., The tagline ‘Little kids. Big words’ admirably sums up Jeffrey Blitz’s Oscar- nominated documentary. In America, the Spelling Bee is a competitive phenomenon, as schoolchildren from every state compete to get to the finals in Washington and win the national title plus $10,000. Blitz follows eight aspiring youngsters from the early rounds to the final, each of them from a very different background and with a very different temperament. Quirky, charming and increasingly compelling as the finals approach, this film also offers a chance not only to learn how to spell succedaneum but what it means!, Jeffrey Blitz directed this mesmerizing documentary, which follows the young contestants in the 1999 National Spelling Bee. Blitz captures the suspense beautifully, and shows how the competition takes a toll on the immensely gifted participants.