SPELLBOUND
Directed by: Jeffrey Blitz.
Produced by: Blitz & Sean Welch.
Director of Photography: Blitz.
Edited by: Yana Gorskaya.
Music by: Daniel Hulsizer.
Released by: ThinkFilm.
Country of Origin: USA. 95 min. Rated: G.

You can hear a pin drop during moments of the 1999 National Spelling Bee. The director (Blitz) of this taut documentary focuses on eight adolescents of diverse backgrounds from all over the country competing to be the national spelling champ. It is inevitable to root for more than one, if not all of them, even though, as several of the contestants admit, the odds are against them, 249 to 1. But what Blitz especially succeeds in capturing is the role that the American dream plays in lives of the participants. This is certainly true in the immigrant families--one father from India, Rajesh, declares, “There’s no way you can fail in this country.” An unhealthy emphasis on winning is revealed when he states, “When you fight in a war, everyone has to come through”--the entire family assists the son to win. Inevitably, class plays an important role. Many of the kids are left on their own to prepare, while Neil, Rajesh’s son, has a teacher tutoring him until 11:00 at night and German and French tutors at his disposal. With its priceless expressions and the unguarded, sometimes humorous, moments (including off-hand racist comments), this is a thoroughly appealing and unpredictable film. KT
June 27, 2003