Over the weekend, we finally got the chance to see Spellbound, the documentary that profiles 8 of the 249 finalists in their quest to win the 1999 Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee.
The wonderful thing about Spellbound is that while it doesn't gloss over the fact that a good number of these children have the sort of idiosyncratic behavior that destines them to 12 years of being picked last for the kickball team and that many of them are in the danger zone of overachievement, it respects the decision that the parents and children have made to participate in the competition. We aren't forced through an hour and a half of "these kids should be playing outside," but instead are drawn into the world of competitive spelling bees through very human eyes.
I would have been disappointed if Spellbound tried to heavy-handedly convince me that these kids worked too hard. Going in to the movie and not knowing anything about the National Spelling Bee, I could have told you that these kids probably spend too much time studying dictionaries and word lists. I could have, after seeing a couple years of Bee coverage on ESPN, could have also told you that these kids are nerdy. What I wanted, and what Spellbound delivered, was the personal stories of the contestants and their families. Where do these kids come from? What does it take to get to the National Spelling Bee? And, ultimately, why are they doing it?
Some aspects of the film were slightly disappointing. I felt the final win was particularly anti-climatic due to odd editing. And, the filmmakers didn't seem to provide enough material for me to get emotionally invested in the ultimate winner. However, I could see these choices probably were meant to de-emphasize the fact that the movie wasn't just about the "win" or the "winner." These are small nitpicks on a thoroughly enjoyable film.
I do wish their was an epilogue about what the kids were doing today. Since the film takes place in 1999, the children are all now in their late teens, no doubt heading to assorted universities across the United States. Doing some online searching, I found some information about two of my favorite contestants: Angela Arenivar, the contestant whose parents are Mexican immigrants and April DeGideo (do a find for "April DeGideo"), the girl who likens her parents to Edith and Archie Bunker and who bears more than a passing resemblance (in both looks and demeanor) to my sister-in-law Kristin and myself as children.
Overall, a great film that I highly recommend you catch in a theater or on DVD/Video.
