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Word Wars

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Word Wars (2004)

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89 %
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Reviews Counted: 35

Fresh: 31

Rotten:4

Average Rating: 7.1/10

Consensus: Fascinating look inside the world of competitive Scrabble.

Rated: Not Rated

Runtime: 81 mins

Genre: Education/General Interest

Theatrical Release:Jun 11, 2004 Limited

Synopsis: The documentary WORD WARS, inspired by the book WORD FREAK by NPR reporter Stefan Fatsis, provides a compelling peek into the lives of four Scrabble competitors as they make their way to the 2001... The documentary WORD WARS, inspired by the book WORD FREAK by NPR reporter Stefan Fatsis, provides a compelling peek into the lives of four Scrabble competitors as they make their way to the 2001 national tournament and a chance at winning $25,000. Known to many as a pleasing pastime, the board game's linguistic challenge and possible monetary payoff draw scores of hopefuls to National Scrabble Association tournaments each year. In their four eccentric subjects, directors Eric Chaiken and Julian Petrillo show the awe-inspiring level of skill and single-mindedness necessary to making a living on the tournament circuit. A focus on character evokes similar films such as the acclaimed SPELLBOUND, which delves into the lives of youngsters competing in the national spelling bee, and WORD WARS has no shortage of character quirks to explore. Despite their differences, tai chi devotee Joe Edley (three-time tournament champion), stand-up comedian Matt Graham, gastrointestinally challenged Joel Sherman, and pot-smoking philanderer Marlon Hill all share an obsessive drive to win, along with unquestionably superior logic skills. While offering a humorous look at its participants, WORD WARS provides interesting comments on the cult of competition and preserving individuality in a conformity obsessed world. [More]

Director: Eric Chaiken, Julian Petrillo

Director: Eric Chaiken, Julian Petrillo
Producer: Eric Chaiken
Composer: Thor Madsen
Studio: Seventh Art Releasing

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Release:

Apr 5, 2005

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Word Wars

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
01/19/06
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
04/23/05
Annlee Ellingson
Boxoffice Magazine

Even with so much information lacking, Word Wars is still quite a treat.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
03/29/05
David Cornelius
eFilmCritic.com

Mostly lighthearted, yet somewhat unnerving.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
11/19/04
E! Online

Chaikin and Petrillo have crafted an empathetic and revealing portrait of four men whose obsession is both a little bit sad and more than a little bit recognizable.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
11/04/04
Kevin Crust
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There's a pronounced lack of emotional pay-off that likely will derail any attempts to position Word Wars as an aud-friendly crowd-pleaser with breakout potential comparable to Spellbound.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
11/04/04
Joe Leydon
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The picture offers a funny but frequently sad portrait of four world-class gamesters in serious need of the $25,000 in prize money.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
11/04/04
Kim Morgan
L.A. Weekly

You'll be on the edge of your seat to find out who wins, and how the losers take it.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
08/08/04
Shirley Sealy
Film Journal International

Compellingly watchable.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
07/23/04
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

...if you're a fan of films that concentrate on lesser known ingredients of our society...

Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium | comment Comment
07/23/04
JoBlo
JoBlo's Movie Emporium

The film fairly skips along as it introduces us to this strange world.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
07/16/04
Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times

Think of it as the eccentric cousin to Spellbound...

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
07/16/04
Sean Axmaker
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

The human element is kept endearingly rich a la detailed background info and flaring tempers that are the hallmark of the low-budget tournament circuit.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
07/14/04
Jeanne Aufmuth
Palo Alto Weekly

A highly entertaining look at these bizarre personalities and an insight into their obsession with Scrabble.

Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
07/09/04
Marc Mohan
Oregonian

A surprisingly entertaining documentary that captures the triumph, the heartbreak and the consonants of the competitive Scrabble circuit.

Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger | comment Comment
06/17/04
Lisa Rose
Newark Star-Ledger
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Lively documentary.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
06/17/04
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

Sly, smart and delightful.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
06/17/04
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

... it's not quite as endearing as Spellbound, because we are looking at thirty-five year olds instead of twelve-year-olds, but it's still very interesting.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
06/14/04
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A thoroughly entertaining glimpse of a world most people don't know even exists -- and whether they wanted to know it exists may be a question.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
06/12/04
John Anderson
Newsday
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
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