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WORDPLAY
Directed by & Director of Photography: Patrick Creadon.
Produced by: Christine O’Malley.
Written by: Patrick Creadon & Christine O’Malley.
Edited by: Doug Blush.
Music by: Peter Golum.
Released by: IFC.
Country of Origin: USA. 85 min. Rated: PG.

Director Patrick Creadon tries to fit everything that can be said about crosswords into an 85-minute intellectual dork-out. Considering how much he does cover, it’s a pretty impressive feat. This is the crossword, not the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – how much is there to say? Well, a lot.

The thread that keeps the film together is Will Shortz, the editor of The New York Times crossword (also known to National Public Radio listeners as the puzzle master). After introducing himself and his work, we meet some of his more famous fans, from Jon Stewart and Bill Clinton to Yankee pitcher Mike Mussina and the Indigo Girls.

But it’s the real crossword diehards that make the film such a treat – they’re snappy, funny, and genuinely interesting. These are the champions, both reigning and hopeful, of Shortz’ crossword competition, held yearly at a run-of-the-mill Marriott in Stamford, Connecticut, since 1978. The puzzlers are so quirky and endearing they put Amélie Poulain to shame. Even though we are trapped in the zeitgeist of American Idol, Creadon manages the impossible by enlivening the formulaic competition format with the oddity of the 28th American Crossword Puzzle Tournament and its erudite medley of friendly rivals.

Where some editors have to scavenge for good material, Wordplay has plenty, such as when Times’ contributing crossword constructer Merl Reagle offers an insider’s perspective, concocting a theme-appropriate puzzle (“wordplay”) from scratch for our benefit. His speed and creativity are baffling, but watching Jon Stewart, Clinton, and the puzzle master himself all be befuddled and inspired by the Tuesday-difficulty level is just one of the film’s finer moments. Zachary Jones
June 16, 2006