Spellbound
Tags: psychedelic, cute, entertaining

Plot synopsis:
The film opens with this quote:
The Fault... is Not in Our Stars,
But in Ourselves...
and announces that it wishes to highlight the virtues of psychoanalysis in banishing mental illness and restoring reason.
Dr. Constance Petersen (Ingrid Bergman) is a psychoanalyst at Green Manors, a mental hospital in Vermont. She is perceived by the other (male) doctors as detached and emotionless. The director of the hospital, Dr. Murchison (Leo G. Carroll), is being forced into retirement, shortly after returning from an absence due to nervous exhaustion. His replacement is Dr. Anthony Edwardes (Gregory Peck), who turns out to be surprisingly young.
Dr. Petersen notices that Dr. Edwardes has a peculiar phobia about sets of parallel lines against a white background. She also soon realizes, by comparing handwriting, that this man is an impostor. He confides to her that he killed Dr. Edwardes and took his place. He suffers from massive amnesia and does not know who he is. Dr. Petersen believes he is innocent and suffering from a guilt complex. He disappears overnight, leaving a note for her. At the same time, it becomes public knowledge that 'Dr. Edwardes' is an impostor, and that the real Dr. Edwardes is missing and may have been murdered.
Dr. Petersen manages to track him down, and starts to use her psychoanalytic training to break his amnesia and find out what really happened. Pursued by the police, Dr. Petersen and the impostor (calling himself 'John Brown') travel by train to Rochester, New York where they stay with Dr. Brulov (Michael Chekhov), Dr. Petersen's former mentor.
The two doctors analyze a dream that 'John Brown' had. The dream sequence (designed by Salvador Dalí) is full of psychoanalytic symbols – eyes, curtains, scissors, playing cards (some of them blank), a man with no face, a man falling off a building, a man hiding behind a chimney and dropping a wheel, and being pursued by large wings. They deduce that Brown and Edwardes had been on a ski trip together (the lines in white being ski tracks), and that Edwardes had somehow died there. Dr. Petersen and Brown go to the Gabriel Valley ski resort (the wings provide a clue), to reenact the event.
Near the bottom of the hill, Brown's memory suddenly returns. He recalls that there is a precipice in front of them, over which Edwardes had fallen to his death. He stops them just in time. He also remembers a traumatic event from his childhood – he slid down a hand rail with his brother at the bottom, accidentally knocking him onto sharp-pointed railings, killing him. This incident had caused him to develop a guilt complex. He also remembers that his real name is John Ballantyne. All is understood now, and Ballantyne is about to be exonerated, when it is discovered that Edwardes had a bullet in his body. Ballantyne is convicted of murder and sent to prison.
A heartbroken Dr. Petersen returns to her position at the hospital, where Dr. Murchison is once again the director. Murchison lets slip that he had known Edwardes slightly, and didn't like him, contradicting his earlier claims. Now suspicious, Dr. Petersen reconsiders her notes from the dream and realizes that the 'wheel' was a revolver, and that the man hiding behind the chimney and dropping the wheel, was Dr. Murchison who shot Edwardes, and then dropped the gun.
Petersen confronts Murchison. He confesses, but explains that he still has the gun, and threatens to kill her. She walks away, the gun still pointed at her, explaining that while the first murder was committed under the extenuating circumstances of Dr. Murchison's fragile mental state, her murder would certainly lead him to the electric chair. He allows her to leave, then turns the gun on himself.
Dr. Petersen is reunited with Ballantyne. They honeymoon together from the same Grand Central Station where they first tried to pursue the mystery of his psychosis.

Review: If you need proof that fact is indeed more compelling than fiction, look no further than `Spellbound,' a fascinating and aptly named documentary centered on that great American competition for brainiacs known as the National Spelling Bee.In designing his film, director Jeffrey Blitz has chosen to focus on eight competitors from widely varying racial, geographical and socioeconomic backgrounds, interviewing them and their families before, during and after the competition.
Yet, for all their seeming `nerdness' and gift for articulation, Blitz makes it clear that these kids are really just kids (albeit highly gifted ones) after all.In the second half of the film, we move to the competition itself, watching as all except one of the people we have come to know over the course of the film eventually become eliminated (Blitz had the grand good fortune of choosing the eventual winner as one of his subjects).
I finally got my wish recently and was thrilled that it met (and exceeded) my high expectations for the film.For `Spellbound', Blitz traveled around the United States and chose eight competitors, aged 11-14, to profile before the eventual climax of the actual spelling bee.
What I felt while watching this film was that I was sitting among the audience and letting the camera be my guide  one of the most important elements of a good documentary film.Whether you think the subject matter isn't worthy of an hour and a half treatment, or didn't notice it in the year of `Bowling for Columbine' (which beat `Spellbound' to win the Best Documentary Oscar for 2003) I would recommend picking up this film.
Make no mistake, the kids featured in this documentary are bright and talented, but one can't help but wonder whether such ruthless competition, or the attitude that they are in some sense a "gifted" elite, is really good for society or for the individuals themselves.But it's not the competition that makes 'Spellbound', a documentary about 1999's contest, so gripping (we follow eight of the 249 finalists, but the film is sympathetic to them all, and does not encourage us to set one against the rest).
And although the extreme preparation of most competitors appears to place a ludicrously inflated value on the work ethic, and though some (though not all) of the parents are frighteningly pushy, there's also something quite sweet, in this age of guns and violence, in such a fierce competition fought only with words.'Spellbound' is filmed without tricks, or any special artiness, but nonetheless offers an unexpected insight into contemporary American society.
And how they make it to the National Spelling Bee Contest.These stories are all incredibly touching - my favorite is about one of the girls' grandfathers who illegally crossed the border into the U.S., got held at a detention center, then, finally accepted into the US, worked really hard and finally now, in his old age is able to say that he is happy.
That he saw his kids get great education and good opportunities; essentially that all his hard work didn't go to waste.The film is also tense - it communicates the tension inherent in any contest quite effectively here.
The film says far too little about the origins and history behind the Spelling Bee contest to be about an "American phenomenon," much less about a "phenomenon" of any kind.
But, all in all, "Spellbound" is a great documentary which doesn't belittle its subject, but gives it its fullest attention - the product is a tense, funny and dramatic film about kids bonding over a common obsession, while aggressively competing.
Jeffrey Blitz, the director of this documentary had the bright idea to show us what goes behind the scenes in this competition that some of us only see as a television news clip when it is shown as the last finalist spells the hard word correctly every year in the spring, or inside a newspaper with the picture of the winner.I didn't get a chance to see it until recently because I thought it was not going to be any good.
They suffer the most because for the contestants, even though it is a prestigious game, they maintain their cool even in the roughest moments.In a way it also points out to what degree some immigrant parents, especially the Indians that appear in the documentary are involved in their children's school achievements.
...this film can be found listed under the definition of "winner." Absolutely wonderful work from first-time director/cinematographer Jeffrey Blitz, "Spellbound" is an engrossing documentary that introduces and follows eight regional Spelling Bee winners to the 1999 national championship in Washington, D.C. Of course, it's about far more than the rote spelling of arcane words; it's about setting goals and pursuing them, following your dreams and your heart's desires, and above all, the value of love and cooperation in achieving what you set out to do.
Perhaps I am biased, having had a child involved in a local spelling bee (she lost, and of course I just loved her all the more), but I rank this little sleeper right up there with "Hoop Dreams" and "Crumb" as one of my all-time favorite documentaries.
Wouldn't it do a precocious kid more good to pour over Shakespeare or Jane Austen or Hemingway or even Harry Potter than to turn the pages of a dictionary or be drilled by a parent on how to spell obscure words like "lycanthrope" and "cephalalgia" (or the supremely ironic last word in the final shown here, "logorrhea") which the parents themselves can't even pronounce?
Spelling bees are a matter of rote knowledge, but success in them can sometimes involve some inspired guessing, and this is shown by the fine tuning contestants are allowed in the DC competition when they ask what language or culture the word comes from.
And even the boy from rural Tennessee who says there are hardly any other smart kids in his school qualifies as some kind of outsider who magically comes home, and gets put in his place in a complex way, like an Oklahoma valedictorian in the freshman class at Harvard, when he gets to compete in the national spelling bee.
Like the German WWII film Die Brucke (The Bridge) it shows a group of kids up close and personal and then follows them into battle where one by one they fall, till the last remains, and gets "logorrhea" right (I didn't -- I had to use Spell Check again even though I guessed it right the first time), and becomes champion.
There is a wide range of kids ranging from what seems about 10 years to 16 years and covers a wide range of ethnic groups from Anglo-Saxon American to Indian and Mexican.Apart from the exciting battle between these formidable spellers, what Spellbound shows us is the wide range of ethnic groups prevalent in the U.S; no matter where you come from they all strive towards the American dream  in this case, to win a spelling bee!
This documentary follows a group of children from different parts of America, races and family backgrounds, who have all progressed from their regional/state spelling bee competitions to be among 250 children who came to Washington DC to spell it out.
If this attitude were true of the majority of the children in the west, our schools would not be hiring security guards and the like to try and hold the crumbling facilities together.The film also manages to be funny, whether it's the characters of the kids or the unintentional stuff  watch the little girl pop her eyes when she hears her work, or another misspell a word and react  `cravat?
On its surface, "Spellbound" is a modest but engaging documentary about eight regional finalists on their way to Washington D.C. to join 241 others in the National Spelling Bee. Director Jeffrey Blitz keeps the structure simple, spending time with each of the eight in self-contained chapters, then moving to the built-in drama of the competition itself.But what makes "Spellbound" so much more -- and a stellar example of the power of the genre -- is that Blitz has succeeded in giving us eight intimate portraits of American families.
Spellbound is obviously a short documentary profiling eight spelling bee contestants from across the United States who vie for the championship title in the 1999 Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee. In watching this movie, I couldn't help but laugh at a lot of the seemingly bizarre comments and lifestyles of the young children and their parents on screen, which to me, made real what Christopher Guest's movies (especially Best in Show) parody.
Scenes, which were interspersed with the ranch owner unfortunately, making dreadful racial remarks about Mexicans, among other things.The family from Missouri just seemed to be fascinated with their seemingly alienated middle child, making the odd comment here and there about how the spelling bee will benefit him, showing off their prized peacock farm, and how the older brother will probably wind up in jail.The mother of the girl from Pennsylvania was ecstatic about her daughter going all the way to compete (and ranking in the top four) in the National Bee, proudly referencing every now and again her inspirational stationary with the words 'Bee Happy' coupled with illustrations of bumble bees.
There was even an interview with a kid named Georgie who had almost a military philosophy of life: respect Jesus, honor thy parents, and try your hardest.Spelling Bees are a piece of Americana, but maybe in a more demented sort of way because of the nature of their contestants and worse, their parents.
If you know anyone who is xenophobic then this movie might be just the remedy.On its most basic level, Jeff Blitz's Spellbound documents the 1999 nerd Olympics: 9 million nationwide spelling-bee contestants reduced to 249 finalists reduced to one winner.
No, the most riveting, edge-of-your-seat movie I've seen thus far in 2003 is SPELLBOUND, a documentary about the National Spelling Bee. When I first heard of this film, I was flabbergasted.
Even Guest himself couldn't write characters this bizarre and funny, because they spring straight from real life: the father who prays for each word as his son advances in the finals, the mother who chats nonchalantly while the family dog licks her calf repeatedly for no apparent reason, the 11-year-old kid who can't yet pronounce the letter "r", but can spell words I've never heard of.
Jeff Blitz's, youthful and positive documentary "Spellbound," shows eight contestants in the 1999 National Spelling Bee in and outside of competition.
The film follows a group of eight children (11-13 years old) who are contestants in the 1999 Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee. The filmmakers show us their home lives, their backgrounds, introduce us to to their parents and teachers, and just as we begin to root for them, they whisk us off to the competition where, along with almost 250 others, all but one will be eliminated.It was so refreshing to see a film about "good" kids, instead of troubled ones.
Not only is "Spellbound" hilariously funny and entertaining, it also is a great lesson about what exactly it takes to make it to the National Spelling Bee, a feat that is taken very seriously by quite a few people.Surprisingly beautifully filmed (considering it was all done on Mini DV), the film takes a non-cynical look at the world of child competition.
This documentary follows eight kids as they compete in the 1999 Scripps National Spelling Bee aiming to be in the finals taking place in Washington, D.C.By 1999, the competition had garnered some popular interest as it gets broadcast on ESPN.There are so many human emotions in these awkward sincere kids.
Pointing to the boom microphone "Is this thing edible?"Showing a slice Americana, spellbound gives glimpse into the work, dedication , and intense stress these children put on themselves entering the national spelling bee competition.
This is the super bowl/World Cup/Olympics for these kids, and we get to enjoy the competition, and for someone not familiar with spelling Bee's it should not be this engrossing.This is an entertaining look at a unique American past time, and as the title suggests if you watch this you will be Spellbound..
This is a documentary about America's National Spelling Bee, focusing on eight children who make the finals and it's a lot more exciting than Hithcock's film of the same name.
The eight contestants in Jeffrey Blitz's surprisingly tense pun-titled documentary, who have come from all over America to battle in the National Spelling Bee, are never possible to need these words.
Blitz takes his documentary into their homes and schools, observes their families and goals, and baring to us that they're all clever in many other ways--including the way that makes them a little lonely at times.Take Harry Altman, who has so many funny habits and idiosyncrasies that he reminds me of a few things I did when I was his age that I didn't think any other kid ever did.
The film follows its finalist kids from Florida, small town Texas, Washington D.C. projects, California, Missouri, New Jersey Pennsylvania and Connecticut, so this issue is shared across regions.In his Oscar-nominated documentary, Jeffrey Blitz, who later made a great feature film called Rocket Science about a stuttering kid who competes in a high school debate team, opens with documentary descriptions of his eight finalists and then tracks them to Washington, D.C., where they vie on ESPN, and not only is it academic excellence that competes, but also class differences and dedication in whether one wants to ascend the socioeconomic ladder or add another perk to their fabulous resume.We've never heard most of the words, which is where most of the fun comes from, especially if you're watching the movie with someone else.
Apparently not good enough for everyone, though, and that's who this documentary is about: eight overachieving children who have made it to the national spelling bee in Washington D.C. Given the subject matter, I was delighted to discover that this movie was as engrossing and gripping as any well made thriller Hollywood could make.As each of them are introduced, you notice that there's something that makes them different than most kids.
For the first ten minutes of Spellbound you could be forgiven for assuming that this is another sarcastic slice of American life from Christopher Guest - some of the characters featured in the opening scenes could so easily have been plucked from 'Best in Show'.But as the laughter subsides, you realise that this truly is a very watchable documentary and a great insight into what is an important part of American society for thousands of kids (and their scary parents) - the national Spelling Bee. The documentary follows eight kids from very different social and economic backgrounds as they prepare for, and then compete in the Bee. The dedication and determination shown by the competitors is extraordinary, whilst the pressure they are put under during the actual contest makes you wonder whether it is all worth it.All in all, this is a very enjoyable documentary which reveals a snapshot of American life rarely touched upon and little known about in the UK..
If you want to be creative and use an obvious pun, yes, this movie had me spellbound.The subject of the documentary--the National Spelling Bee and its participants--at first glance may seem to hold little excitement.
Spellbound is a documentary that follows several kids from different ages, backgrounds, cultures, and geographical regions of the country as they prepare to head for the National spelling bee held at Washington DC.Documentaries can sometimes drag, but this has to be one of the few that I have seen that starts off great and then builds to a climax and fitting end that works tremendously.
I bet many of the Americans who discharged a weapon participated at one time or another at a regional  spelling bee contest and developed hostility towards the establishment after misspelling words like `Perspicuous' .Seriously, though.
In this arresting documentary of eight finalists in the National Spelling Bee, director Jeffrey Blitz has created a remarkable film with the contestants displaying a most unusual attitude toward competition.The film follows the contestants both in the competition and out, with scenes from their family and personal lives.
Of particular interest is that the spellers seem less interested in defeating the other spellers than in simply spelling their own words onstage correctly and going as far as possible.In our country, where hardly a week passes without a news item about some out-of-control parent at a school competitive event, this film is like a fresh breeze where the parents, while competitive, are encouraging their children without pressure.There are several scenes of spellers giving each other encouragement and consolation.
As someone who in their teen years was also a spelling bee contestant, I thought this movie did a brilliant job showing what the experience was actually like.What was especially wonderful was to see a film that celebrated academic achievements; as we all know, it is usually only the athletes who get any recognition, and as this film showed, the work involved in preparation is just as hard.
This documentary, which follows 8 young American students to the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., is nothing short of brilliant!
This is a documentary about eight kids in the national spelling bee.
Having read some pre publicity about this film I had high expectations but this gem of a documentary about a selection of contestants in the 1999 National Spelling Bee delivered an hour and a half of pure genius.
So I'll try to assume this is actually real."Spellbound" introduces us to eight children and the things they do to prepare themselves for the 1999 National Spelling Bee contests.
SPELLBOUND  (3+ outta 5 stars)Interesting documentary on the world of elementary school spelling bees and how the competition affects the lives of eight bright young students.