compelling and uplifting
Added 2/14/2009
This is one of the most fun, uplifting documentaries I've seen in a long time. I really thought that the filmmakers struck a great balance between letting us get to know the subjects and keeping the "storyline" moving. It's always a challenge to follow multiple subjects but in "Spellbound" this is done masterfully. Each one of the children drew me in and their struggles and dreams became my own for the duration of the film. Although I wouldn't say "Spellbound" was deep or profound it did elevate the idea of hard work and goal setting in a way that I found admirable. This film deserves all the success it has had.
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You will be spellbound
Added 10/12/2008
I am a big fan of documentaries and I just love this one. I show it every year to my high school freshmen just before the Scripps National Bee. They moan and groan at first. (It is, after all, a documentary.) But by the end they have particular favorites--and we are all on the edge of our seats watching the final competition. Good stuff!!
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fun, engaging, and inspiring
Added 5/4/2008
I love good documentaries, so I thought this might be a fun one to see, and it was even better than I expected. At times the kids it followed were the source of a lot of humor, at other times I found myself becoming really drawn into the drama of this great competition, and I was never bored throughout the whole movie. I especially liked how it followed several kids from different backgrounds. You really get a feel for the great diversity because of that approach.
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Kids with awesome work ethic
Added 1/8/2008
I really enjoyed this movie primarily due to seeing how hard the kids worked to achieve their goals. Yes, the parents were highly involved, one in particular a bit too much, but the kids were highly self motivated and it showed in their work ethic and dedication.
There was a comment earlier about how a poor student could never win the Bee. And I will admit, it was eye opening to see what some of the more affluent parents put into training their kids (language tutors, spelling tutors). I still thought the fact that Ashley White and Angela from TX made this as far as they did showed poor kids could have a chance of winning. I thought they did great. I was really, really upset learning what happened to Ashley White as she moved to high school. Another teen parent, it made me more incensed at her mother. I really disliked her throughout the movie. She had no clue the opportunity this Bee was for her daughter, a great networking opportunity to help match her daughter up with mentor to get her out of the typical SE DC mentality. All she seemed to care about was the $10,000. Just a sorry excuse for a mother.
As you can see the movie really draws you into the kids lives. Definitely a great movie to own!!
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Spell bound
Added 9/26/2007
It is amazing! One of the best documentaries I ve seen in a long time. It is funny and entertaining. Geeky but definitely has a sense of humour!
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