Ess pee ee el, uh... el? Be... can I start over?

I went to see Spellbound today. It's a marvellous little film following the trials and tribulations of 8 American school children as they prepare to enter the National Spelling Bee.

Spelling bees seem to be a peculiarly American phenomenon, and whist I'd heard of them I didn't realise quite how seriously they were taken. The footage of ESPN commentators rating the contestants was eye opening, as was realising just how much pressure these kids are under. Whilst they affected to be unconcerned by the ultimate outcome (just getting into the final is reward enough, don't you know), it was still heartbreaking watching their reactions as they were buzzed out. Actually the buzzing came as something of a surprise to me - it seemed like wholly impersonal way to dismiss the children after making a mistake. Surely a kindly "I'm sorry" would have been a little more reassuring?

One thing that struck home a little was when one of the mothers made an a comment about her son in the competition. She said that whilst he may be a misfit at school, at least he was at home with all the kids in the spelling bee. This was echoed by another girl when she said that she didn't really have any peers at school. Whilst spelling was never really my thing at school (although I don't think I do that badly Fiona ;) it was definitely a comment I could relate to. Of course it didn't help that I attended a very small school - it's very easy not to have peers when your year consists of six pupils as my 6th form did (which isn't to say that I didn't have any peers at school, I was saved from terminal loneliness when Vicki transferred in from another school. We've been friends since).

Anyway, if we'd had spelling bees in the UK it probably would have been exactly the sort of thing that would have caught my interest. I wasn't just a socially awkward teenager (and notice how gracefully I've managed the transition from socially awkward teenager to socially awkward adult ;) - I was a highly competitive socially awkward teenager. Still even then I'm not sure I would have ever thrown myself into the competition with same sort of verve these kids managed - it was scary watching one proud parent telling us that he and his son were studying in the region of seven or eight thousand words a day.

It's a rather well put together film , and the suspense as the children advance, never knowing who will be next eliminated is palpable. The brief half second between the spelling of the word and the discovery of whether it was correct or not will keep you on the edge of your seat (Hey look, I'm already resorting to reviewer cliches!). Along with sharing the kids anxieties, though, you also get the chance to share their triumphs, which was easily my favourite part. Their happiness when they discover they managed to spell a ludicrously complex and obscure word (and they are, believe me) lights up the screen.

There's also a great deal of humour to be found (though I suspect unknowingly) in the antics of both the kids and their parents. It's rarely unkind though, and even in some of the funniest moments (Harry's lengthy stalling tactics when he clearly doesn't know the word, for example) we can't help but sympathise.

It's a good film. Go watch it.

P.S Thanks Michelle for bringing it to my attention!