Critic Reviews
Spellbound (2002) Rank 4 Reviews
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based on (118) reviews
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Premiere (Brooke Hauser)
While it may be excruciating to watch a speller miss a word by a letter, it's just as exciting to watch another kid jump the hurdle. ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Premiere (Brooke Hauser)
The Movie Mom (Nell Minow)
Every family should see this m-a-r-v-e-l-o-u-s movie about the national spelling bee because it is about so much more. It is about the strength of American diversity and the commitment of this country to opportunity -- the eight featured competitors ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at The Movie Mom (Nell Minow)
ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C – funny, heart-breaking and nail-bitingly tense, this is one of the best films of the year.Although practically unknown over here, the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee is something of a national institution in America and the ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
Logorrhea. L-O-G-O-R-R-H-E-A. Logorrhea. Ironically, words like this are seldom used in everyday speech, but are frequently used during the National Spelling Bee, the crème de la crème of the spelling world. An annual affair in Washington, D.C. and ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
Many of the contestants remind me of Lisa Simpson: too smart for their surroundings, and automatically isolated because of it. I mentioned the girl whose local Hooters wished her well. In addition, Ashley's mother says, "I'm not thinking ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
d+kaz. Intelligent Movie Reviews (Daniel Kasman)
As quirky and funny as a Christopher Guest mock-documentary, but incredibly touching and authentic in a way only children too young to be self-conscious on camera can be, Jeffery Blitz’s Spellbound is a tremendously satisfying picture. ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at d+kaz. Intelligent Movie Reviews (Daniel Kasman)
IMDB.com
Getting to know the kids is interesting; however, as with many documentaries, what is shown rather than said is often the most interesting. We can see how their differing advantages and obstacles affect them when they finally walk up to the microphone. ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at IMDB.com
IMDB.com
Review: I love the English language (well, any language, really). It will probably come as little surprise to regulars readers of these reviews (if any such person exists!) that I take great delight in discovering new words, and new uses for familiar ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at IMDB.com
Boston Globe
You can have Keanu bulleting around the Matrix or Hugh Jackman slicing and dicing his way through ''X2'' -- the most suspenseful, nerve-racking, and emotionally complicated experience I've had at the movies in months is a dinky little documentary about ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Boston Globe
The Oregon Herald (Mark Sells)
Mark Reviews Movies (Mark Dujsik)
Review by Mark Dujsik
I wouldn't imagine myself sitting on the edge of
my seat. I wouldn't expect to find
myself closing my eyes. And I
definitely would never anticipate getting choked up.
But I found myself doing all of these while ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Mark Reviews Movies (Mark Dujsik)
Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)
Daily-Reviews.com (Mike Pinsky)
St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt)
Part of the thrill of "Spellbound," which was nominated for and should have won the documentary Oscar, is that it captures surprising, funny and uplifting moments of reality. Part of the thrill is what the movie says about the American dream. Part of it ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt)
Lobo Howls (Judith Wolfe)
How do you spell t-e-r-r-i-f-i-c? This Oscar nominee for Best Documentary certainly fits the bill (it lost to Bowling for Columbine ). New Jersey, novice director Jeffrey Blitz lovingly follows 8 finalists as they make their way into the National ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Lobo Howls (Judith Wolfe)
Boston Globe (Ty Burr)
At its most unsettling level, Spellbound asks us to consider what words are for and what childhood should be. It's as profound as anything you'll see this year, and, yes, it should have won the Oscar. ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Boston Globe (Ty Burr)
San Francisco Chronicle (Carla Meyer)
Resembles a Christopher Guest movie in that it follows obsessed, socially awkward folks on a seminal journey in their lives. ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Carla Meyer)
Guardian/Observer
Documentary about the US tradition of 'spelling bees' - orthographic ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Guardian/Observer
Entertainment Weekly (Lisa Schwarzbaum)
Thrilling little epic set in the bewildering arena of the English language. ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Entertainment Weekly (Lisa Schwarzbaum)
Portland Oregonian (Marc Mohan)
The end result is the best documentary you'll see this year, as thrilling a competition as any Super Bowl and as suspenseful a story as any Hitchcock film. ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Portland Oregonian (Marc Mohan)
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)
Not only is it an enormously entertaining study of a curiously American institution, it also manages to be a nail-biting competition film, an engrossing group character study and a wonderfully graceful comedy of manners. ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)
Washington Post (Ann Hornaday)
Just might be the most action-packed suspense thriller of the summer. ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Washington Post (Ann Hornaday)
Slate (David Edelstein)
The movie becomes a nail-biter, the audience hanging on every letter. Who could have anticipated that a spelling competition would yield such a heartbreaking ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Slate (David Edelstein)
The New York Times (A.O. Scott)
Enough drama, humor and unfiltered nail-biting suspense to put all the thrill-mongering screenwriters in Hollywood to shame. ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at The New York Times (A.O. Scott)
Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
At a time when so many in this country are at odds about what represents America at its best, it's refreshing and then some to see a film that everyone can agree is an example of exactly that. ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
Austin Chronicle (Sarah Hepola)
As good, old-fashioned dorkfests go, it doesn't get much better than the National Spelling Bee, with its arcane words, bespectacled competitors, and stinging little bell. ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Austin Chronicle (Sarah Hepola)
Chicago Tribune (Mark Caro)
Boasts all of the drama and suspense of any reality TV show, but it actually stars smart people. And they're kids. ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Chicago Tribune (Mark Caro)
Charlotte Observer (Lawrence Toppman)
The terrific Spellbound really isn't about the ability to tear words apart letter by letter. It's about nerve-wracking competitiveness. ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Charlotte Observer (Lawrence Toppman)
Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)
Little wonder that the final rounds of the National Spelling Bee are televised on ESPN. Nothing else in American sport - with the possible exception of triple-overtime in Game 7 of the NBA Finals - pumps more adrenaline into players and ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)
Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
By the time they're onstage, your pulse is pounding right along with theirs. Spell this movie: g-r-e-a-t. ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
The Movie Insider (Kyle Smith)
It's their youthful sense of embarrassment and naïveté we associate with spelling bees, tetherball and cooties that comes through unadulterated in Spellbound. In one scene, a spastic child stares intently at sheet music as he attempts to play "The ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at The Movie Insider (Kyle Smith)
DVD Talk (John Sinnott)
This is a very interesting and entertaining movie. It deserved the Academy Award nomination it received in 2002 in the category of Best Documentary. The story telling was very good, and the editing outstanding. I recommend picking a copy up. ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at DVD Talk (John Sinnott)
CinemaSpeak.com (Ryan Kugler)
I remember sitting at home one day several years ago flipping through the different channels and coming across the National Spelling Bee. The plan was to check it out for a minute or so then move on to MTV or E!, but once I started, I was hooked and ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at CinemaSpeak.com (Ryan Kugler)
The Movie Chicks
Every year, 9 million kids strive to be the best speller in the country, but after local and regional eliminations, a group of 249 students converge on Washington, D.C. to compete for the $10,000 prize in the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee - ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at The Movie Chicks
Reel Movie Critic (Pam Singleton)
Blitz understands that the competition in the Bee is not "kid vs. kid," but "kid vs. word." You see that in the youngsters' eyes as they pull for another kid struggling with a word, or their enthusiasm when someone else sweats out ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Reel Movie Critic (Pam Singleton)
Movie Habit (Marty Mapes)
Blitz comes back to the spellers and the 1999 championship to wrap up the movie. He even finds a way to close the movie the same way it opened. The first scene in the film is of Harry, a hyperactive, admittedly talkative boy whose mind wanders far and ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Movie Habit (Marty Mapes)
Private Joker's Head (Zach Ralston)
Boston Herald (James Verniere)
Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
One of the striking things about this film is how it depicts all the hard work these kids put into this spelling bee. One image that is quite telling is a huge Webster's unabridged dictionary that has been thumbed to death. This dictionary has been all ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide
ToxicUniverse.com (John Nesbit)
The fact that ESPN covers this very American activity shows how much hype goes into this media event, to the point that some of the candidates only dream is to “make it to the ESPN round.” Of course, some will relive the moment that they blew a ...read the complete Spellbound movie review at ToxicUniverse.com (John Nesbit)
Palo Alto Online (Jeanne Aufmuth)
from $7.20 (14 sellers)
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