The most important question about Spellbound is are these kids ever going to use any of these words they are learning to spell in real life? Highly unlikely I think. Extremely unlikely.

A-W-E-S-O-M-E.

[pointing to the boom microphone] "Is this thing edible?"

Showing a slice Americana, spellbound gives glimpse into the work, dedication , and intense stress these children put on themselves entering the national spelling bee competition. As we follow 8 contestants, and winners of regional spelling Bees. As they compete for the national title.

The 8 children they follow are absolutely brilliant showing their great intelligence and memory recall. All coming from varying different backgrounds. it is a tribute to us about how hard work and a will to win can make you great at something, even something trivial as spelling in this now spell-checking world. This is the super bowl/World Cup/Olympics for these kids, and we get to enjoy the competition, and for someone not familiar with spelling Bee's it should not be this engrossing.

This is an entertaining look at a unique American past time, and as the title suggests if you watch this you will be Spellbound.

The more I think about this movie, the more I end up loving it. It’s the tensest of films from the strangest of subjects. Not only do you become succumbed to the weight and pressure placed on the spelling final, you also realise how moronic it is that you are.

A veces le falta empujón y dejar claras sus intenciones, pero aún así es un documental interesante y con un corazón puro (?)

γαμάτα τα προφίλ των μικρών, τόσο διαφορετικές προσεγγίσεις από τους γονείς. εντυπωσιακή η ικανότητα των αμερικανών να διαγωνίζονται ΣΤΑ ΠΑΝΤΑ. και αυτή θα είναι και η επόμενη Letterboxd λίστα

Although a documentary about a spelling bee sounds very dry, this is really a very nice movie about more than just that. The pressure is palpable, and you really do root for these children, especially knowing all of their stories. Beautifully edited and overall very charming.

Not that interesting to be honest. reminded me too much of Channel 5 television - very little insight, and based in morbid curiosity than anything of interest

So suspenseful, so funny, so full of little bits of luck, but it never taps into the spelling bee subculture it seems to be feeling around for. The xylophone/synthesizer music mix is somehow obviously beneath the film and telling these American Heartland Stories is rarely more than a mask for out-and-out hilarity at the expense (?) of the trusting subject. Still, it's just plain gripping. It looks like mud, for some reason [explained by producer as amateur-itis], which just further enunciates the sentiment that the raw, natural drama of watching as someone scramble - in their mind - to make the pieces fit and choose the right letters is not as ho-hum as you'd expect and, Jesus, quite the contrary: Like most great documentaries, the art of it isn't in the filmmaking or even the editing, but instead, is in the choice of subject and participants.

We're studying and making documentaries this semester at uni, so I thought I'd catch up on some of the best the format has to offer. I wasn't disappointed. From a seemingly trivial competition (at least, to a non-US person like me) - albeit one that the participants and the national media take extremely seriously and invest in emotionally - Blitz finds moments of childhood poignancy and examines intriguing issues about US class relations and the American Dream. He manages this without ever intruding on his subjects or manipulating their stories. It's also incredibly tense to watch, so I can't believe how the competitors must actually feel.