Kong
07-20-03, 11:10 AM
Spellbound
So many serious fiction and non-fiction films concerning youngsters focus on the perceived decadence of youth culture that it’s easy to be disillusioned and believe that kids today are mostly the horny, drugged-out,, amoral zombies shown in films like Bully. Not to say that illustrating disturbing and awful behavior doesn’t have any importance, but when we fail to praise the best behavior and achievements of our world’s youth and instead lavish all of our attentions on the most debauched sector of children we are further alienating our best and brightest, and failing to present positive models for other children to look upon. Luckily, the new documentary Spellbound offers up a wonderful cornucopia of good, intelligent, and hard working kids that are generally ignored all together with the exception of their parents.
Spellbound follows eight kids as they make their way to the National Spelling Bee; each from a different part of the U.S. and from a different background. It’s refreshing to see such accomplished young people on the big screen in a film that commends their intelligence, eccentricities, and diligence in a way that few movies care to do. The movie is not only appealing for its positivism, but it’s also unexpectedly humorous, and, the final competition, unnervingly tense. We root for each and everyone of the kids even though we know that only one can win, and that there is also the very good chance that none of them will. We root for them all in spite of this fact because these are the epitome of good children, and they all deserve to be rooted for.
Spellbound may not be a very deep picture and it might leave you wanting to better know it’s subjects, but it is, without a doubt, a pleasantly delightful film and one that offers a encouraging look at kids too frequently ignored.
***½ of ****
So many serious fiction and non-fiction films concerning youngsters focus on the perceived decadence of youth culture that it’s easy to be disillusioned and believe that kids today are mostly the horny, drugged-out,, amoral zombies shown in films like Bully. Not to say that illustrating disturbing and awful behavior doesn’t have any importance, but when we fail to praise the best behavior and achievements of our world’s youth and instead lavish all of our attentions on the most debauched sector of children we are further alienating our best and brightest, and failing to present positive models for other children to look upon. Luckily, the new documentary Spellbound offers up a wonderful cornucopia of good, intelligent, and hard working kids that are generally ignored all together with the exception of their parents.
Spellbound follows eight kids as they make their way to the National Spelling Bee; each from a different part of the U.S. and from a different background. It’s refreshing to see such accomplished young people on the big screen in a film that commends their intelligence, eccentricities, and diligence in a way that few movies care to do. The movie is not only appealing for its positivism, but it’s also unexpectedly humorous, and, the final competition, unnervingly tense. We root for each and everyone of the kids even though we know that only one can win, and that there is also the very good chance that none of them will. We root for them all in spite of this fact because these are the epitome of good children, and they all deserve to be rooted for.
Spellbound may not be a very deep picture and it might leave you wanting to better know it’s subjects, but it is, without a doubt, a pleasantly delightful film and one that offers a encouraging look at kids too frequently ignored.
***½ of ****