Finally a Good Movie

The most entertaining documentaries are those that could be mockumentaries if you didn't know otherwise. This is the case with Spellbound, a tale of eight logophiles who compete at the National Spelling Bee.

Christopher Guest could not have created a better cast of characters. There is the Machine, Neil Kadakia, whose multimillionaire father quizzes him on 8,000 words per day, hires Spanish and French tutors, and pays 1,000 Indians to pray for victory at the National Bee. There are the two minority underdogs--Ashley White, an African American from the projects of Washington, D.C., and Angela Arenivar, the daughter of an illegal immigrant farmhand who doesn't speak a word of English. There is the spaz, Harry Altman, whose nerdy hee-haw laughter, steroidally recounted jokes, and broad repertoire of facial contortions make him simultaneously lovable and beat-upable. There is the multitalented Indian, Nupur Lala, whose comparative blandness is supplemented by the three stooge-like geeks she barely bested at the regional spelling bee. There is Emily Stagg, the prep-school trained, New Haven dwelling polo player whose yuppiesque hyper-maturity is annoying on a middle schooler. There is Ted Brigham, the reclusive Missourian obsessed with weapons whose family raises peacocks and wears shirts adorned with the stars and bars. Finally, there is April DeGideo, a favorite of JT and mine, whose pessimism-driven self-motivation seems to transcend her parents' blue collar roots. A slew of scintillating minor characters adds further zest to this smorgasboard of personalities.

Spellbound not only documents unique members of disparate American communities but also the communities themselves. The racism of the South, the snobbery of the Northeast, the opulence of Orange County, the drear of the Rust Belt--all are succinctly captured in their most potent forms.

JT and I are not fans of the cinema. In fact, last night was the first time in living memory either of us had seen a good movie. It gives us hope that in the future, we will muster the money and courage to see another.