Spellbound (2002)

Director:

Jeffrey Blitz

Release Date:

10 October 2003 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

EVERYONE WANTS THE LAST WORD

Plot:

Spellbound follows eight teenagers on their quest to win the 1999 National Spelling Bee.

Plot Keywords:

Spelling | Immigrant | National Spelling Bee | Teacher | Spelling Bee

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 15 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Angela Arenivar	...	Herself - Spelling Bee Participant
Ubaldo Arenivar	...	Himself - Angela's Father (as Ubaldo)
Jorge Arenivar	...	Himself - Angela's Brother (as Jorge)
Scott McGarraugh	...	Himself - Ranch Owner (as Mr. McGarraugh)
Lindy McGarraugh	...	Herself - Ranch Owner (as Mrs. McGarraugh)
Concepción Arenivar	...	Herself - Angela's Mother (as Concepción)
Mrs. Slaughter	...	Herself - Angela's Teacher
Neelima Marupudi	...	Herself - Potter County Champion (as Neelima)
Nupur Lala	...	Herself - Spelling Bee Participant
Ms. Whitehurst	...	Herself - Nupur's Teacher
Parag Lala	...	Himself - Nupur's Father (as Parag)
Meena Lala	...	Herself - Nupur's Mother (as Meena)
Kuna Lala	...	Himself - Nupur's Brother (as Kuna)
Ted Brigham	...	Himself - Spelling Bee Participant
Ms. Blair	...	Herself - Tes's Teacher
Dan Brigham	...	Himself - Ted's Brother
Tim Brigham	...	Himself - Ted's Brother (as Tim)
Earl Brigham	...	Himself - Ted's Father (as Earl)
Dorothy Brigham	...	Herself - Ted's Mother (as Dorothy)
Emily Stagg	...	Herself - Spelling Bee Participant
David Stagg	...	Himself - Emily's Father (as David)
Suzanne Stagg	...	Herself - Emily's Mother (as Suzanne)
Ashley White	...	Herself - Spelling Bee Participant
Angela White	...	Herself - Ashley's Mother (as Angela)
Ms. Williams	...	Herself - Ashley's Teacher
Sigourney White	...	Herself - Ashley's Sister (as Sigourney)
Neil Kadakia	...	Himself - Spelling Bee Participant
Rajesh Kadakia	...	Himself - Neil's Father (as Rajesh)
Darshana Kadakia	...	Herself - Neil's Mother (as Darshana)
Shivani Kadakia	...	Herself - Neil's Sidter (as Shivani)
Samye Hill	...	Herself - Neil's Spelling Coach
April DeGideo	...	Herself - Spelling Bee Participant
Al DeGideo	...	Himself - April's Father (as Al)
Gale DeGideo	...	Herself - April's Mother (as Gale)
Mr. Miller	...	Himself - April's Teacher
Harry Altman	...	Himself - Spelling Bee Participant
Fay Sharit	...	Herself - Harry's Mother (as Fay)
Paige Kimble	...	Herself - National Spelling Bee Director and 1981 National Champion
Alex Cameron	...	Himself - National Spelling Bee Pronouncer
Mona Goldstein	...	Herself - Mother of Last Year's 4th Place Speller
Frank Neuhauser	...	Himself - 1925 National Champion
Jonathan Knisely	...	Himself - 1971 National Champion
Balu Natarajan	...	Himself - 1985 National Champion
Janaky Natarajan	...	Herself - Balu's Mother
George Thampy	...	Himself - Spelling Bee Participant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Vinay Krupadev	...	Boy Who Says Yenta
Jacques Bailly	...	Himself (uncredited)
William Dolan	...	Himself (uncredited)
Katie Kerwin McCrimmon	...	Herself (uncredited)

Directed by
Jeffrey Blitz

Produced by
Jeffrey Blitz	....	producer
Ronnie Eisen	....	additional producer
Sean Welch	....	producer

Original Music by
Daniel Hulsizer

Film Editing by
Yana Gorskaya

Art Department
Adam Byrne	....	graphics designer
Yana Gorskaya	....	graphics designer

Sound Department
Greg Brazel	....	additional sound recordist: Washington D.C.
Peter Brown	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joe Dzuban	....	sound effects editor
Sean Welch	....	sound recordist
Peter Brown	....	supervising sound editor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jeffrey Blitz	....	camera operator
Greg Brazel	....	additional camera: Washington DC
Mac Carter	....	additional camera: Washington DC
David Gruenberg	....	additional camera: Washington DC
Rob Lyall	....	additional camera: Washington DC
Sheila Smith	....	additional camera: Washington DC (as Shiela Smith)

Editorial Department
Chris Perkel	....	editorial support
Mark Reaser	....	audio layback

Other crew
Andy Blitz	....	funding provided by
Erin Heidenreich	....	sales agent
Sally Steele	....	publicist
Winston Emano	....	publicist (uncredited)
David Magdael	....	publicist (uncredited)

Thanks
Kate Amend	....	special thanks
Jacques Bailly	....	special thanks
Diane West Blitz	....	special thanks
Alex Cameron	....	special thanks (as Alex J. Cameron)
Mac Carter	....	special thanks
Melissa Simon Disharoon	....	special thanks (as Melissa Disharoon)
Michael Donaldson	....	special thanks
Breck Eisner	....	special thanks
Arturo Everitt	....	special thanks
Bradley Feldman	....	special thanks
Hugh Flick	....	special thanks
Ed Gildred	....	special thanks
David Gruenberg	....	special thanks
Mark J. Harris	....	special thanks
Adrian Herrera	....	special thanks
Claire Husted	....	special thanks
Martin Hynes	....	special thanks
Paige Kimble	....	special thanks (as Paige P. Kimble)
Jonathan Knisely	....	special thanks (as Jonathan Knisley)
Eve Lindeman	....	special thanks
Linda Loeffler	....	special thanks
Greg McCambridge	....	special thanks
Frank Neuhauser	....	special thanks
Jean-Michel Richaud	....	special thanks
Harvard L. Weiss	....	special thanks
Chad Wilson	....	special thanks
Robyn Wilson	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Blitz/Welch (uncredited)

Distributors

• Cathay-Keris Films (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Happinet Corporation (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Pandora Films (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• THINKFilm (2003) (USA) (theatrical)
• Canvas (2008) (Belgium) (TV)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Future Film (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Television International (200?) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• Apocalypse Sound  post-production sound services
• Cinetic Media  sales (uncredited)
• Creative Cafe  post-production sound services
• ESPN  footage provided by
• Film Arts Foundation  sponsor
• International Documentary Association (IDA)  sponsor
• Merriam-Webster  special thanks
• Pacific Pioneer Fund  major funding
• Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee  special thanks
• WRC-TV  news footage courtesy of

Also Known As:

Runtime:

97 min | Canada:95 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:G | Singapore:G | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:G | Iceland:L | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Finland:K-3

Filming Locations:

Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Company:

Blitz/Welch

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: While interviewing Harry in his room the boom mic is deliberately shown after Harry asks "Is that thing edible?"

Quotes:

Former Spelling Bee winner:I don't think it really helped me, in my love live; my nascent love life. I think that having won something like that could be regarded as being a significant liability.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "At the Movies: Episode #7.19" (2010)

a great film

"Spellbound" is one of those documentaries that isn't soaked with politics or social dilemmas, but it is touches on them indirectly. It's the story of 8 kids from all over the United States, their study habits, lives, relationships with parents and personal beliefs, views and opinions. And how they make it to the National Spelling Bee Contest.

These stories are all incredibly touching - my favorite is about one of the girls' grandfathers who illegally crossed the border into the U.S., got held at a detention center, then, finally accepted into the US, worked really hard and finally now, in his old age is able to say that he is happy. That he saw his kids get great education and good opportunities; essentially that all his hard work didn't go to waste.

The film is also tense - it communicates the tension inherent in any contest quite effectively here. By acquainting the viewer with the children before the contest an empathy is established and you find yourself rooting for them. You may not even realize it until, towards the end of the film, the filmmakers throw in a brief interview with a young, Jesus-freak kid and I didn't care which one of the eight kids featured in the documentary won as long as he didn't. I got what some would call "passionate" about the outcome of the contest.

Needless to say, it's a great story. It explores the tensions of fitting in at school, parental pressure, competitiveness and hobby/interest becoming an obsession. Some have said that it is a film about America, but I wouldn't venture as far. The film says far too little about the origins and history behind the Spelling Bee contest to be about an "American phenomenon," much less about a "phenomenon" of any kind. It's a film about one Spelling Bee, but even more so about eight kids who compete in it. And their parents and siblings and teachers. It's easy as hell to get a rush of memories from childhood watching this film, and it's oftentimes easy to cringe at the intensity of the entire affair. But, all in all, "Spellbound" is a great documentary which doesn't belittle its subject, but gives it its fullest attention - the product is a tense, funny and dramatic film about kids bonding over a common obsession, while aggressively competing. Logorrhea.