Search - Spellbound on DVD

MPAA Rating: G Content Advisory: Adult Language Movie Release: 2002 DVD Release: 01/20/2004 Format: DVD - Pan and Scan - Closed Captioned Edition: Dual Layered Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: French SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 37 mins Studio: Columbia TriStar Total Copies: 11 Genres: Culture & Society, Biography, Sociology

Eight youngsters vie for one of the most hotly contested academic awards in the United States in this documentary. Every spring, the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee attracts students from all over the United States, and filmmaker Jeff Blitz follows eight promising entrants as they journey to Washington, D.C., in hopes of claiming the national championship and a 10,000-dollar prize. Neil Kadakia, from California, has spent months training for the event with the help of his parents, computer tutorials, and professional coaches. Angela Arenivar grew up in a small Texas town with her parents, who immigrated to America from Mexico; Angela's skills as a speller are self-taught, a remarkable achievement since her parents speak English only with great difficulty. Nupur Lala is determined to go to the finals in the 1999 competition, even though three boys from her Florida Junior High are determined to stop her. Ted Brigham grew up in a rural Missouri community where his intelligence has made him stick out like a sore thumb; both Ted and his teachers hope the National Spelling Bee will give him a chance to prove his gifts to his peers. Ashley White lives in a housing project in Washington, D.C., and has risen to the spelling championships largely through the help of her teachers and her own determination. April DeGideo comes from a low-income family in Pennsylvania and is determined to use the Spelling Bee as a stepping stone to a better life. Emily Stagg comes from a wealthy Connecticut family and manages to squeeze her study for the Spelling Bee in between riding lessons and practicing with her choral group. And Harry Altman, from New Jersey, wavers between joy and agony as he makes his way through the competition. Spellbound won the Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the 2003 South by Southwest Film Festival, and received a nomination in the same category at the 2003 Academy Awards. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Harry Altman - himself
Angela Arenivar - herself
Ted Brigham - himself
April DeGideo - herself
Neil Kadakia - himself
Nupur Lala - herself
Emily Stagg - herself
Ashley White - herself

Jeffrey Blitz' documentary about the National Spelling Bee, Spellbound comes to DVD with a standard full-frame transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1. English and French soundtracks are rendered in Dolby Digital Stereo. Supplemental materials include a commentary track recorded by Blitz, his co-producer Sean Welch, and the film's editor. The threesome go into great detail about the process of making the film, as well as the difficult task of whittling the movie down to its 97-minute running time from the hours and hours of footage they filmed. Extra materials include an update on what has happened to the eight contestants featured in the movie since their appearance at the Bee. Those with a DVD-ROM drive can access an interactive hangman game. This is a strong release from Columbia/TriStar that offers quality extras both for those with an interest in the subject matter, as well as people who want to learn about the realities of documentary filmmaking. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide