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

Joe Edley	...	Himself
Matt Graham	...	Himself
Marlon Hill	...	Himself
Joel Sherman	...	Himself (as 'G.I.' Joel Sherman)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mike Birbiglia	...	Himself
Brian Cappelletto	...	Himself
Aldo Cardia	...	Himself (as Aldo)
Chris	...	Herself
Lynn Cushman	...	Herself
Jan Dixon	...	Herself
Stefan Fatsis	...	Himself
Uncle Harrison	...	Himself - Marlon's Uncle
Hattie Hill	...	Herself - Marlon's Mother
Jimmy	...	Himself
Joe	...	Himself
Joe Klein	...	Himself
Laura Klein	...	Herself - Joe's Wife
'Aunt' Lorraine	...	Herself - The Hill Family
Matt	...	Himself
Mark Morris	...	Himself - Public Relations Director, Hasbro Games
Rita Norr	...	Herself
Nigel Richards	...	Himself
Mike Sherman	...	Himself - Joel's Dad
Mikara Solomon	...	Herself
John D. Williams Jr.	...	Himself
Dave Wilson	...	Himself - President, Hasbro Games

Directed by
Eric Chaikin
Julian Petrillo

Produced by
Eric Chaikin	....	producer
Marla Chaikin	....	associate producer
Udy Epstein	....	executive producer
Joe Rudge	....	associate producer
Vivian Schiller	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Thor Madsen

Cinematography by
Laela Kilbourn		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Conor O'Neill

Production Management
James Eowan	....	executive in charge of production
Matt Henderson	....	executive in charge of production
Liz Poindexter	....	executive in charge of production

Sound Department
Kenny Klimak	....	sound editor

Visual Effects by
Cassidy Curtis	....	motion graphics designer
Michael Hackett	....	titles & graphics

Camera and Electrical Department
Jay Hunter	....	additional camera operator

Editorial Department
Richard Lowe	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Nicole Page	....	production legal

Thanks
Stefan Fatsis	....	very special thanks: book "Word Freak"
Bob Felt	....	in memory of

Production Companies

• E-Wolf
• Seventh Art Releasing

Distributors

• Seventh Art Releasing (worldwide)

Also Known As:

"Tiles and Tribulations on the Scrabble Circuit" - USA (subtitle)

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

E-Wolf

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:

Features "Today" (1952)

Soundtrack:

The One

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).