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Spellbound producer and director: Jeffrey Blitz 96 minutes (U) 2003 Metrodome DVD Region 2 retail Also available to buy on video RATING: 9/10 reviewed by Emma French |
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Spellbound's director Jeff Blitz displays great sensitivity to his material and
allows an intimate glimpse into the lives of eight very different children and teenagers
preparing for the 1999 American national spelling bee, without ever appearing intrusive
or exploitative. Whilst some of the parents, particularly Neil's psychopathically pushy
father and April's frightening mother, with a penchant for bad puns on the word 'bee',
are not cast in a flattering light, even the strangest children have their charms and
vulnerability brought to the fore.
The clever use of music throughout the documentary is one of many elements that make it feel more like a feature film. The music used insistently recalls the soundtrack to American Beauty, and this documentary, exhibiting all the pre-millennial quirks and pathos of American society, could form a factual companion piece to Sam Mendes' take on suburban American obsessions and social interactions. It is very rare to find a documentary that makes you want to watch it again the moment it finishes, but the strength of the personalities and stories makes an instant revisit appealing. This is a wonderful release to own and come back to, and amongst numerous other awards and nominations, it was rightly Oscar-nominated in the category of Best Documentary Feature 2003. The DVD has a range of appropriate and engaging special features, which together make up a far better package than many much more high profile DVD releases. These include a trailer, deleted scenes which introduce us to three spellers who missed out on appearing in the main feature, an educational guide, a spelling game and a hangman game. There is a revealing audio commentary by the filmmakers, but it can only, rather oddly, be played over the main feature film, which is distracting and frustrating. Much better, however, is an epilogue section that indicates what happened to each speller after the film ended. There is no better way to bring home how much this film teaches you to care about each of its 'characters'.
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