SPELLBOUND

249 children. 26 letters. More than 500,000 possible words. And tension that cannot possibly be quantified, as the kids are pared down to only one winner, in a game of sheer survival. Welcome to the 72nd Annual Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee, an arena of intellect where, since 1925, adolescent American spellers from a bewildering variety of social classes and backgrounds have vied for the ultimate prize, not just the $10,000 purse or the celebrity, but that golden moment of awareness at being the best. As aptly titled as a feature could be, SPELLBOUND follows eight youthful contestants and their families, hailing from farms, ghettos and mansions across the USA, to the final triumph and heartbreak during two days of televised finals in Washington, D.C. You'll meet Angela, whose ranching Tex-Mex family still largely speaks Spanish; Ted, a quiet type whose thoughtful intelligence sets him apart from his Montana peers; Ashley, of the D.C. Public School System, whose incarcerated uncles will be watching the Bee on ESPN from their prison cell; spunky and affluent Emily, of New Haven, who wonders whether the au pair should come along to DC with the folks; and Neil from California, whose success-focused immigrant family arranges for holy men back home in India to pray for him. Suspense is excruciating as wrong answers and treacherous lexicography whittle down the contestants. We dare not reveal who emerges as the champion. But we can tell you who wins: You do, if you watch Geoff Blitzes' wonderful feature debut. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film.