Angela Arenivar, April DeGideo, Harry Altman
Eight kids of wildly disparate ethnic, class, and regional backgrounds are followed from their individual hometowns to Washington D.C. for the National Spelling Bee Finals.
DVD Release Date: January 20, 2004
Stats: 672 reviews
A nice simple documentary following some interesting kids. I can?t help but think that maybe it?s all a little sugar coated though, some of the parents seem to get away with being very pushy, verging on child abuse at times!
In 2005's comedy "The Baxter", written and directed by "The State"'s Michael Showalter, characters played by Showalter and Michelle Williams bond over a mutual love for reading the dictionary. This begins a running joke as the characters joyously exclaim "i'm up to B", and they e...( read more)
ENGAGNG DOCUMENTARY TAHT RILLY SHOWS DA HEART CHILDRAN POUR OUT IN2 THEYRE SPALNG BA COMP3TITION!!11!!11 OMG WTF AVERY KID SI A CHARACT3R!1!1!!11 OMG IM ABLE 2 R3LAET WIT TH3SE KIDS ON A P3RSONAL LAVEL B/C I WAS ONCE A SPELNG BA CHMP AND AS A R3SULT WAS ABLE 2 SE KENY ROGERS IN C...( read more)
Decent documentary, definitely original, funny and tragic at the same time, simple and clear, although it could have been miles better. The view of the American suburbs of today -also a harsh blow to accept.
Although it's not the documentary itself that put me in thoughts. It's ...( read more)
The title is exactly how I felt watching this movie. It's impossible not to care for these kids. Puts America in a hopeful light. It was a pretty good movie.
I still find it hilarious how seriously all these families take this. And the attitudes are scary - one girl is doing the spelling bees because she wants to be the best at something and she already knows friends who are better than her at other things she's good at.
For the mos...( read more)
It was incredible to see these kids study for the national spelling bee eight hours a day!!! They really wanted it BAD, some didn't even like spelling but wanted to prove they were the best. Some wanted to please their parents, some were newbies that made it by sheer luck. Harry ...( read more)
im glad i only won the school spelling bee and not the regionals because i would probably be one of the hopeless nerds on this dvd
A sometimes funny sometimes disturbing view of kids driven to spell words correctly. Be sure to watch the special features.
Jeff Blitz's delightful documentary on the National Spelling Bee and its grammar-school competitors will win your heart. full review
Begins with the unlikely dramatic material of a children's spelling competition and turns it into a gripping and inspirational tale. full review
Who would have thought that following eight kids as they prepare for and compete in a national spelling bee could be so riveting? full review
We cheer for all of these kids, because it is so easy to remember the pain of getting something wrong in front of the whole class. full review
Whether from a Texas ranch, a Missouri trailer park or a Washington, D.C., housing project, these spellers define something unique about the American character. full review
The eight stories entwine to form a fascinating portrait of a group of young people and their families, in which the peculiar, anachronistic spelling-bee subculture becomes a window into contemporary ... full review
Despite its somewhat skin-deep look at these talented youngsters, Spellbound's charm and allure is undeniable. full review
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