Since its debut, this quirky film has reached heights of popularity that
have resulted in nearly mainstream interest and even inspired a Broadway
production. The palpable hopes, passion, and drive of precocious, eccentric
young spelling bee champs goes beyond bemusement with their zeal to genuine
admiration and understanding of their dreams to win the national spelling bee.
As the film follows several young spellers from diverse backgrounds,
pampered children with private tutors and nannies, hyperactive asthmatic nerds,
a hard-working, grave young girl from the projects, among many other colorful
characters the film encounters at the bee, each child’s distinctive personality
is presented in a way that fascinates. Perhaps though the main focus of the
film, the actual bee, the alien words they must spell, is the best part.
There on the stage as they await their turn at proving themselves their
uniformly tense facial expressions transform into familiar stories and personal
dramas. The spelling bee goes from ESPN oddity (where it is regularly aired) to
suspenseful drama that will have you on the edge of your seat awaiting someone’s
inevitable failure and one person’s dream come true.