On its surface, "Spellbound" is a modest but engaging documentary about eight regional finalists on their way to Washington D.C. to join 241 others in the National Spelling Bee. Director Jeffrey Blitz keeps the structure simple, spending time with each of the eight in self-contained chapters, then moving to the built-in drama of the competition itself.
But what makes "Spellbound" so much more -- and a stellar example of the power of the genre -- is that Blitz has succeeded in giving us eight intimate portraits of American families. Had he set out to probe the scope of socio-economics in this country, and the way education is understood and valued, the roles of race, national origin and region, and the variations in family and parental dynamics, Blitz would not have achieved the insights he presents.
The quest for the spelling title -- or is that we each is really hoping for? -- unifies the film, but it also seems to strip away each family's defenses. Parents alternately gush and fret about their children, some push while others deflate expectation. And the children themselves, while perhaps not representative of average 12-, 13- and 14-year-olds, are disarmingly candid about their fears and dreams.
"Spellbound," with its apparent low-budget approach, should inspire a new generation of documentary makers.
But what makes "Spellbound" so much more -- and a stellar example of the power of the genre -- is that Blitz has succeeded in giving us eight intimate portraits of American families. Had he set out to probe the scope of socio-economics in this country, and the way education is understood and valued, the roles of race, national origin and region, and the variations in family and parental dynamics, Blitz would not have achieved the insights he presents.
The quest for the spelling title -- or is that we each is really hoping for? -- unifies the film, but it also seems to strip away each family's defenses. Parents alternately gush and fret about their children, some push while others deflate expectation. And the children themselves, while perhaps not representative of average 12-, 13- and 14-year-olds, are disarmingly candid about their fears and dreams.
"Spellbound," with its apparent low-budget approach, should inspire a new generation of documentary makers.