‘Spellbound’ surprisingly suspenseful

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In theaters

SPELLBOUND, directed by Jeff Blitz, 95 minutes, rated G. Now playing, Movie City 8, Bangor.

Jeff Blitz’s Academy Award-nominated documentary, “Spellbound,” follows the lives of eight students from different corners of the country, all of whom won their regional spelling bees and now are about to launch into the final event that binds them: The Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

If the idea of watching a movie about teens competing in the mother of all spelling bees sounds dull, then know that the execution of that idea is far from dull.

It is, in fact, often exhilarating and suspenseful, an insightful, powerful glimpse into the kind of preparation, drive and backbone it takes not just to master the roots of the English language, which is tough enough, but also to appear in front of a live audience on national television while a panel of judges dishes out the sort of words that might send even the most gifted wordsmiths into exile.

Winning a spot at the competition is a major achievement, to be sure, but some might question at what cost. Through the collection of minibiographies that opens the film, Blitz introduces us to the kids willing to pay the price.

They come from a wide cross section of socioeconomic, racial and cultural backgrounds. All are standouts, but some resonate more than others.

There’s Angela, the daughter of Mexican immigrants whose parents barely speak a word of English yet who look upon Angela in awe at what she’s able to do with a language they themselves don’t fully understand.

There’s Ashley, a fresh face from one of D.C.’s toughest neighborhoods whose mother wonders aloud whether Ashley’s relatives will be able to watch her compete from their televisions in prison.

There’s Neil, whose wealthy father has coached his son relentlessly, hired 1,000 people in their native India to pray around the clock for his success, and who has agreed to feed 5,000 more in Bangladesh should Neil actually win.

And then there’s the hyperactive Harry, the joker of the bunch, whose rubbery face becomes a carnival of worry and despair as the movie unfolds and the pressure builds.

Whether the competition is worth the pressure it inflicts and the sacrifice it presents is up for debate; winning means something different for everyone involved. Still, backed by the unflagging support of their families, their friends and especially their communities, these remarkable eight kids – along with the 241 other hopefuls who join them in D.C. – give it their best shot in what amounts to a tense showdown of words.

For some people, realizing their first major, public accomplishment comes from throwing a touchdown, getting on base, landing a difficult jump or finishing a marathon. But for these kids, correctly spelling words like “Darjeeling,” “banns” and “palimpsest” prove the early zenith of their young lives.

Like any athlete – and these kids are orthographical athletes – they’ve paid their dues through hard work, dedication and training. It’s impossible not to root for all of them. What’s special about “Spellbound” – and what’s ultimately so gratifying about the movie – is that these kids, bonded by their uniqueness, also find it impossible not to stand up and cheer for each other.

Grade: A

On video and DVD

ANGER MANAGEMENT, directed by Peter Segal, written by David Dorfman, 101 minutes, rated PG-13.

Peter Segal’s “Anger Management” stars Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler, two actors who nailed two of last year’s better films – Nicholson in “About Schmidt,” which earned him an Academy Award nomination, and Sandler in “Punch Drunk Love,” a film that understood his passive-aggressive strengths and played to them beautifully.

On the surface, their pairing in “Anger Management” seems promising, if only because we know from the get-go that neither actor is a stranger to losing it on screen.

Still, while the movie occasionally comes through with what it promises – big, messy scenes in which each actor goes a little nuts -it’s ultimately second-rate, a comedy more interested in dipping into the toilet bowl and pulling out its share of penis jokes than it is in becoming the smart satire on anger management gurus it could have been.

In the film, Sandler is Dave Buznik, a passive-aggressive ad executive sentenced to anger management therapy after he allegedly harasses a flight attendant and breaks a waitress’ nose. The one-note joke is that Dave couldn’t be less aggressive – he’s a kitten with the bite of a worm, a man so sensitive and timid, he can barely bring himself to kiss his girlfriend, Linda (Marisa Tomei), in public.

Nicholson’s Dr. Buddy Rydell is the manic, free-wheeling shrink ordered by a judge to cure Dave of his Toxic Anger Syndrome. Instead, he predictably ignites it.

Scattered among the weak jokes and product placements are a host of caricatures – John Turturro as a venomous war vet, Luis Guzman as a lisping gay Hispanic, Woody Harrelson as a German transvestite hooker and John C. Reilly as a Buddhist monk with a mean head butt.

Providing awkward cameos are Roger Clemens, John McEnroe, Bobby Knight and Rudy Giuliani – all of whom have well-documented histories with anger management issues but none of whom bring much comic relief to this dumbed-down affair.

Grade: C-

Christopher Smith is the Bangor Daily News film critic. His reviews appear Mondays and Fridays in Style, Thursdays on WLBZ 2 and WCSH 6, and are archived on RottenTomatoes.com. He can be reached at BDNFilm1@aol.com.

The Video-DVD Corner

Renting a video or a DVD? NEWS film critic Christopher Smith can help. Below are his grades of recent releases in video stores. Those capitalized and in bold print are new to video stores this week.

A Man Apart ? C-

ANGER MANAGEMENT ? C-

Bowling for Columbine ? A-

Bringing Down the House ? B

Bulletproof Monk ? D

Chicago ? A

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind ? C

CONFIDENCE ? B-

The Core ? B

Cradle 2 the Grave ? C-

From Justin to Kelly ? F

Gods and Generals ? D-

Head of State ? B+

House of 1,000 Corpses ? D

The Hunted ? C+

Identity ? B+

The Kid Stays in the Picture ? A

The Life of David Gale ? C-

The Lizzie McGuire Movie ? C+

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers ? A-

Phone Booth ? B

The Pianist ? A+

Punch Drunk Love ? B+

The Quiet American ? A

Raising Victor Vargas ? A

Real Women Have Curves ? A-

The Recruit ? B

Shanghai Knights ? B

Solaris ? C+

The 25th Hour ? A

View from the Top ? C+