Word Wars (2004)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

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

Directed by
Eric Chaikin
Julian Petrillo

Produced by
Eric Chaikin	....	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

Production Companies

• Seventh Art Releasing

Distributors

• Seventh Art Releasing (worldwide)

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 Night of the Living Dead (1968)

An accurate depiction.

As a former tournament Scrabble player, this documentary was a delight to see. (I know and have played all four of the main subjects of the film.) People in that scene, especially at the top, are really that eccentric -- it's part of the allure of the tournament circuit, playing against people who are incredibly devoted to study and strategic analysis. The film accurately captures both the heart of the competitors as well as the frenetic energy that develops around trying to be the best. The documentary is informative beyond this one particular topic, in that way.

As far as documentaries go, it's clearly a second-tier documentary film. (It's not a "Capturing the Friedmans", a "Fog of War", a "Startup.com".) However, if you have an interest in seeing mad geniuses at work or the game of Scrabble taken to an extreme, I recommend this film highly. (8+ out of 10)