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Spellbound
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9781404947603
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN: 1404947604
Label: Sony Pictures
Languages: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 StereoFrench (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 StereoFrench (Subtitled),
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
MPN: D03041D
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Region Code: 99
Release Date: January 20, 2004
Running Time: 97 minutes
Studio: Sony Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: 2002
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Editorial Review:
Who would have thought that a documentary about spelling-bee contestants could be as suspenseful as a Hitchcock thriller? Spellbound, which follows eight kids from their early victories in regional spelling bees to the national competition in Washington, D.C., is an out-and-out nail-biter. Each of the kids--who range from a quietly driven African American girl from a run-down D.C. neighborhood, to a genial Connecticut girl who talks about bringing her au pair to a previous competition, to an almost zombie-like boy whose immigrant father has paid 1,000 people back in India to pray for the boy's success--gets captured so vividly that you can't help but get emotionally immersed in their brave, nerve-wracking struggle to spell slippery, treacherous words. Along the way, Spellbound contrasts the crazily different populations that make up the U.S. and shows how this facet of intelligence truly makes everyone equal on the podium. A riveting, wrenching, must-see movie. --Bret Fetzer
Spellbound is the extraordinary documentary that follows eight teenagers on their quest to win the National Spelling Bee competition.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - fun, engaging, and inspiring
I love good documentaries, so I thought this might be a fun one to see, and it was even better than I expected. At times the kids it followed were the source of a lot of humor, at other times I found myself becoming really drawn into the drama of this great competition, and I was never bored throughout the whole movie. I especially liked how it followed several kids from different backgrounds. You really get a feel for the great diversity because of that approach.
Rating:  - Kids with awesome work ethic
I really enjoyed this movie primarily due to seeing how hard the kids worked to achieve their goals. Yes, the parents were highly involved, one in particular a bit too much, but the kids were highly self motivated and it showed in their work ethic and dedication.
There was a comment earlier about how a poor student could never win the Bee. And I will admit, it was eye opening to see what some of the more affluent parents put into training their kids (language tutors, spelling tutors). ... Read More
Rating: - Spell bound
It is amazing! One of the best documentaries I ve seen in a long time. It is funny and entertaining. Geeky but definitely has a sense of humour!
Rating: - Spellbound
The crowd-pleasing quality of "Spellbound" comes from the likeability of the eight kids featured, and the laudable values of self-discipline and self-improvement reflected in the parents' encouragement and coaching of their gifted progeny. Part of the fun, too, is trying to guess which of these word wizards--a boy from rural Missouri, an African-American girl from Washington D.C., a precocious child of privilege from suburban Connecticut--will triumph, but visibly agonized, socially awkward Harry Altman, ... Read More
Rating: - Perfect title for this wonderful documentary
"Spellbound" is exactly how this film leaves you. I've rarely been so focused on a group of people we get to know early on as they prepare for the National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. in 1999. Coming from all walks of life and from different economic classes, they have at least one thing in common...intensity.
The first half of "Spellbound" is dedicated to being introduced to the eight kids on which the film is based...their families, friends and teachers all provide a loving (and often nail ... Read More
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