Word Wars (2004)

Directors:

Eric Chaikin
Julian Petrillo

Genre:

Documentary | Comedy

Plot:

A look at the obsessive world of competitive Scrabble.

Plot Keywords:

Scrabble | Board Game | Marijuana | Tournament

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Mike Birbiglia	...	Himself
Joe Edley	...	Himself
Stefan Fatsis	...	Himself
Matt Graham	...	Himself
Marlon Hill	...	Himself
Joel Sherman	...	Himself

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

San Diego, California, USA

Company:

Seventh Art Releasing

Trivia:

The last line in the credits reads "This film is rated 1900" - a reference to the National Scrabble Association rating system (1700 and above is considered an expert rating; typically only elite players get to 1900 and up).

Movie Connections:

References "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" (1993)

Especially for Scrabble enjoyers

Anyone who has enjoyed a game of Scrabble will enjoy this movie. The Scrabble champions depicted in the movie (real people, not actors) play a game unlike any you're likely to find in the family living room. Words you've never heard of are so common in their games that you almost want to have a dictionary by your side while viewing the film. The only thing stranger than the words are the contenders themselves. "Neurotic", "self-centered", and "compulsive" are a few of the words that can be used to describe them. But, you can't help but watch them--kinda like watching a train wreck in some ways.

If you are in the category of "Scrabble enjoyers", you will also like the book "Word Freak" by Stefan Fatsis (the book, in fact, is the genesis for the idea of the film).