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Spellbound

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Spellbound (2003)

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Reviews Counted:134

Fresh:131

Rotten:3

Average Rating:8.2/10

Consensus: A suspenseful, gripping documentary that features an engaging cross section of American children.

Rated: G

Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins

Genre: Education/General Interest

Theatrical Release:Apr 30, 2003 Limited

Box Office: $5,530,123

Synopsis: Jeff Blitz's Academy Award-nominated documentary is an affecting, inspiring look at eight American children as they make their way to compete in the 1999 National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C.... Jeff Blitz's Academy Award-nominated documentary is an affecting, inspiring look at eight American children as they make their way to compete in the 1999 National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. Defying all stereotypes and categorizations, the spellers that Blitz chooses to focus on run the ethnic and socioeconomic gamut. Emily is from wealthy New Haven, Connecticut, while April, the daughter of a bar owner from Pennsylvania, spends her summers studying. Harry is an intense, quick-witted boy from New Jersey, while Ashley is the African-American daughter of a single Washington, D.C. mother. Gifted Florida resident Nupur is the daughter of Indian parents while Ted hails from a small Missouri town where physical prowess is prized over mental ability. The daughter of Mexican immigrant parents, driven Angela comes from Texas, and Neil is a well-prepared East Indian boy from the wealthy California coast. Blitz provides several minutes at home with each child before we accompany them to the National Bee, where we are swiftly reminded that only one of them has a shot at winning. As engrossing and emotional as the best fiction, one comes away from SPELLBOUND with the feeling that--whether victorious or not--the children whose tales it tells are walking into limitless futures. [More]

Director: Jeffrey Blitz

Director: Jeffrey Blitz
Producer: Sean Welch
Studio: ThinkFilm

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Release:

Jan 20, 2004

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Reviews for Spellbound

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
04/01/09
Ronnie Scheib
Ronnie Scheib
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
01/22/08
Channel 4 Film

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/30/06
Empire Magazine
N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out

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Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat

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Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat

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Full Review Source: NYC Film Critic | comment Comment
03/05/05
Ethan Alter
Ethan Alter
NYC Film Critic

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Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium | comment Comment
02/07/05
JoBlo
JoBlo
JoBlo's Movie Emporium

...an effervescently charming film

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
01/29/05
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
08/14/04
Film Threat

It expands as it goes until, by the end, it presents a hopeful overview of American life. It's a wonderful movie.

Full Review Source: F5 (Wichita, KS) | comment Comment
07/06/04
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)

One of the words that came up in the competition was hellebore - which was ironic, because it was exactly at that point that I realized I was hella bored with this film

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
06/01/04
Brian Mckay
Brian Mckay
eFilmCritic.com

A tribute to old-fashioned virtues of hard work, education, competition — and good spelling in a spellchecker age.

Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide | comment Comment
03/02/04
Steven D. Greydanus
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films Guide

“Spellbound” puts you in the middle of the stressful chaos that is the National Spelling Bee.

Full Review Source: Reno Gazette-Journal | comment Comment
03/01/04
Mark Robison
Mark Robison
Reno Gazette-Journal

Has no right to be this insanely involving.

Full Review Source: Window to the Movies | comment Comment
02/26/04
Jeffrey Chen
Jeffrey Chen
Window to the Movies

...has more heartfelt drama than in a whole alphabet of X-Men sequels. You won’t need to look this one up: Spellbound is bound to please.

Full Review Source: Boulder Weekly | comment Comment
02/09/04
Thomas Delapa
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly

There’s not a frame of Spellbound that leaves you wanting to look away from the screen.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
01/21/04
David Cornelius
David Cornelius
eFilmCritic.com

Um documentário sobre soletração que consegue prender nossa atenção e, em alguns momentos, nos emocionar? É incrível, mas aqui está ele.

comment Comment
01/19/04
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
01/15/04
Guardian [UK]

What we see are real, uncensored personalities. These kids are bright beyond their years but still have a lot of kid in them.

Full Review Source: Offoffoff | comment Comment
12/31/03
Joshua Tanzer
Joshua Tanzer
Offoffoff
 
 
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