Eye thawt tis moovy wuz allwrite

Harper is getting ready for her spelling bee so we decided to give this a re-watch. She loved it and it does hold up to be a very solid doc with a satisfying arc.

I would love to see a fifteen year follow up in the future.

I kid you not, the first phrase that popped into my head after finishing this Oscar nominated documentary was "the journey is often more interesting than the destination".

Now, that doesn't mean to say Spellbound is bad, it really isn't. The stuff before the actual main event is really interesting as we get insight into the lives and preparation strategies for each of the 8 children we follow. However. after that, when we get to the spelling bee, it becomes much more like a generic "wow, that kid is clever" TV contest.

But there is real drama and real tension to be found here that I think would better suit a drama rather than a documentary.

One of the children annoyed me though. A girl says she is a pessimist. Bitch please, you're 12, what have you got to be pessimistic about. The world is your oyster and hasn't got around to fucking you in the anus yet.

After a year dark and depressing documentaries ("Bowling for Columbine," "Capturing the Friedmans"), it was such a pleasure to see a heartfelt non-fictional film dealing with the growing values of today’s children.

The filmmakers showcase eight 14-year-olds who have won local and regional spelling bees and we watch as they compete with 240 other students nationwide for the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee. This is nerve-wracking stuff.

But it’s not just about the contest; it’s about the process of learning, what the kids do to memorize, how their parents support (or push) them, what drives them, and how they can use this experience and their obstacles to build a life based on strong work ethics and values.

A life-affirming doc, if there ever was one.

I've always thought Spelling Bee's were completely useless  and stupid, but this film was SO charming and engaging. Great doco that conveys/crafts a great narrative, follows interesting and likeable subjects, and turns a dumb fucking spelling competition into something compelling and human.

Watching this for the documentary segment of my AV class. It was fun watching my students go from complaining that we were watching a doc about a spelling bee, to cheering for kids by the end.

3.75

SAW: at home in HMB, with Mom

Spellbound is a documentary the follows a couple children around who are going to be competing in a spelling bee. It showcases the lives of the kids, preparing every waking minute for this moment, training for their opportunity. It’s not so much about the final spelling bee at the end of the film, but more about the different lives of the children, and how they interact with others, the cameras following them, and their parents. It’s a great film and really funny at times.

Nice kids

Det är intressant att komma lite närmare en företeelse som känns så främmande för oss. Det är lite typiskt USA att tävla i precis vad som helst och dessutom göra det till en så pass stor grej att det direktsänds på en stor sportkanal. Både mysig och spännande film på en och samma gång.

Subject is king in documentary filmmaking, and with the right story in the hands of a competent editor, it's tough to screw up. Spellbound, perhaps fortuitously, was gifted with eight engaging and/or intriguing student subjects entering a dramatic setting that is both familiar in microcosm (everyone has been taught to spell) and exotic in macrocosm (very few of us have competed at a national level in any discipline). Although Blitz's coverage of the National Spelling Bee is sometimes wanting, he simply captures the experience of this annual ritual: the personal investment, the nerves, the pride, the expectation, the failure, the sportsmanship, and, most importantly, the enthusiasm with which each competitor approaches their exemplary skill. Even with countless competitive reality shows currently treading similar water, competition is a subject of indefatigable interest, especially when glimpsed through the point-of-view of children, to whom every experience is fresh and rich and defining.

Read more...

An interesting behind the scenes look at the national spelling bee and the children involved, but I would have liked a little more insight into what makes these kids tick. Interesting documentary, but ultimately a little hollow.

I've always thought Spelling Bee's were completely useless  and stupid, but this film was SO charming and engaging. Great doco that conveys/crafts a great narrative, follows interesting and likeable subjects, and turns a dumb fucking spelling competition into something compelling and human.