Wordplay (2006)

An in-depth look at The New York Times' long-time crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz and his loyal fan base.

Director:

Patrick Creadon

Writers:

Patrick Creadon, Christine O'Malley

Stars:

Will Shortz, Ken Burns, Jon Stewart

1 win & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Will Shortz	...	Self
Merl Reagle	...	Self
Tyler Hinman	...	Self
Trip Payne	...	Self
Al Sanders	...	Self
Ellen Ripstein	...	Self
Jon Delfin	...	Self
Jon Stewart	...	Self
Ken Burns	...	Self
Amy Ray	...	Self
Emily Saliers	...	Self
Daniel Okrent	...	Self
Mike Mussina	...	Self
Bob Dole	...	Self
Bill Clinton	...	Self (as William Jefferson Clinton)

Storyline

A documentary that focuses on the world of crossword puzzles: those that construct them, those that love to solve them, those that compete in the annual Crossword competition in Stamford and also on Will Shortz, the editor of the New York Times crossword since the early 1990s. Shortz actually has a university degree in games and organized the first crossword championship in 1978. Some of the contributors to the Times puzzle explain how they go about building them while some aficionados, including former President Bill Clinton and comedian Jon Stewart talk about their love of solving them. The film also introduces several past champions and near champions competing in the 2006 tournament and it takes you from the preliminary rounds to the final where the top three contestants compete in front of a room full of admiring contestants.

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Plot Keywords:

puzzle | new york times | crossword puzzle | editor | comedian | 

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Taglines:

Discover a world that thinks inside the box

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Genres:

Documentary

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some language and mild thematic elements

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tyler Hinman would eventually work for Google for a few years.

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Quotes

Jon Stewart: I am a Times puzzle fan. I will solve, in a hotel, a USA Today, but I don't feel good about myself when I do it.

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Connections

References King Kong, la huitième merveille du monde (1933)

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Soundtracks

Saturday Morning
Written by Mark Oliver Everett (as Mark O. Everett) and Kool G. Murder
Performed by Eels

User Reviews

I loved this documentary!

I have such vivid memories of sitting in my kitchen every Sunday morning with my father doing the New York Times cross word puzzle together and this movie paid amazing tribute to everyone who has ever attempted such a feat. I loved the stories and the people that were filmed, and laughed at all the things these people did to get to the cross word championships. It was interesting the little nuggets of information that go into these puzzles as well as the commentary from the people who do them, celebrities and contestants alike.

I would suggest this lighthearted film to anyone who has ever enjoyed a good cross word puzzle. From beginning to end, I enjoyed every moment.

Details

Official Sites:

PBS

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 July 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Puzzelrace

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$32,847, 18 June 2006

Gross USA:

$3,121,270

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,177,636

Company Credits

Production Co:

Grinder Productions, O'Malley Creadon Productions, The Weinstein Company

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1