October 08, 2004
Spellbound
I'm not big into documentaries but I heard really good things about this one and had to see it.
Filmed in 1999, released in 2000, this documentary follows 8 American kids as they prepare for the ultimate prize, $10,000 and the winner of the Howard Scripps National Spelling Bee.
The preparation these kids go through is outstanding. The kids come from varied backgrounds but their dedication to learning and their desire to win (well, with the exception of one girl who is somewhat apathetic about it all) connects them. There are also interviews with the parents and siblings. Seeing their personal lives and getting to know them and their families through interviews just gets you that more invested when they finally get to Washington DC and the competition starts.
Once the competition starts, you find yourself pulling for your favorites (and believe me, you'll have them). You find that you're holding your breathe and biting your nails every time the kids go up to spell a word. And you definitely find yourself sad when the kids misspell words. When the kid I couldn't stand was eliminated, I genuinely felt bad because it seemed like s/he missed an easy word, considering all the other words that were being thrown at him/her.
I didn't get to watch any of the extras (the DVD kept freezing on the bonus features) so I sent it back and had Netflix send me another copy.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable documentary that didn't judge the participants and showed that hard work and dedication transcend racial, cultural, and religious boundaries. Posted by xinh at October 8, 2004 02:40 AM