Friday, November 21, 2003
Spellbinding Spellbound
It's pretty rare to enjoy a documentary more than most feature films, but that's exactly what Spellbound did for me. In it we follow eight American kids between 11 and 13 on their journey from schoolroom competitions to the prestigious 1999 National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC. There is so much room for this film to have gone wrong, but director Jeffrey Blitz really put the time in interviewing the eight chosen finalists (there are 300 who make it to Washington). Each of the children chosen is iconic and memorable in their own way. More to the point, Blitz's careful questioning made sure that every child's character was fully formed and by the time you've met their families, heard about their lives and what drives them to memorise every word in the English language (and many more!). The two standouts for me were the stories of Angela Arenivar and Neil Kadakia. Angela's parents had illegally crossed from Mexico decades earlier so their children could have a real chance in life in the land of the free. Angela's father doesn't speak a word of English (and why should he, he asks, when he tends cows all day … they can't speak English either!). Angela's determination is astounding as is her ability with a language she doesn't even speak at home! Neil Kadakia is a complete contrast coming from an incredibly driven immigrant family from East India who've already made it through hard work and determination, but want their children to have the same drive. The family lives in the posh West Coast suburb of San Clemente and Neil's father, whose philosophy of relentless work got him where he is today, is determined to make sure his son has the chance to win. Everything from daily training sessions to specialist language coaches to make sure he can spell French and Latin words properly! But when it all comes down to the competition, nervousness seems to be the great equaliser and you'll be on the edge of your seat as these kids struggle through words which are amazing. I think I could probably have got one in five or six if I was lucky! A fine documentary, well worth your time!
It's pretty rare to enjoy a documentary more than most feature films, but that's exactly what Spellbound did for me. In it we follow eight American kids between 11 and 13 on their journey from schoolroom competitions to the prestigious 1999 National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC. There is so much room for this film to have gone wrong, but director Jeffrey Blitz really put the time in interviewing the eight chosen finalists (there are 300 who make it to Washington). Each of the children chosen is iconic and memorable in their own way. More to the point, Blitz's careful questioning made sure that every child's character was fully formed and by the time you've met their families, heard about their lives and what drives them to memorise every word in the English language (and many more!). The two standouts for me were the stories of Angela Arenivar and Neil Kadakia. Angela's parents had illegally crossed from Mexico decades earlier so their children could have a real chance in life in the land of the free. Angela's father doesn't speak a word of English (and why should he, he asks, when he tends cows all day … they can't speak English either!). Angela's determination is astounding as is her ability with a language she doesn't even speak at home! Neil Kadakia is a complete contrast coming from an incredibly driven immigrant family from East India who've already made it through hard work and determination, but want their children to have the same drive. The family lives in the posh West Coast suburb of San Clemente and Neil's father, whose philosophy of relentless work got him where he is today, is determined to make sure his son has the chance to win. Everything from daily training sessions to specialist language coaches to make sure he can spell French and Latin words properly! But when it all comes down to the competition, nervousness seems to be the great equaliser and you'll be on the edge of your seat as these kids struggle through words which are amazing. I think I could probably have got one in five or six if I was lucky! A fine documentary, well worth your time!
[Posted by Unknown] [12:16 pm]
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