SPELLBOUND DIRECTED BY JEFFREY BLITZ COLUMBIA TRISTAR FEW THINGS ARE worse than ...

b> DIRECTED BY JEFFREY BLITZ COLUMBIA TRISTAR

FEW THINGS ARE worse than a documentary that makes its point at the expense of its subjects. The self-righteous Bowling for Columbine comes to mind. That spate of child beauty pageant docs released in the wake of the JonBenet Ramsey murder comes to mind.

Spellbound is an altogether different beast. By following eight spelling-bee champions from their local victories to the national competition in Washington, DC, director Jeffrey Blitz offers a refreshingly affectionate insight into an average, workaday America that has high hopes for its children. From the Connecticut girl of privilege, to the daughter of Mexican immigrants, to everyone's favorite, the freaky kid who slips into his "musical robot" voice, the subjects have little in common other than the obsession for spelling and a desire to be the best.

Almost as fascinating as the kids are the parents. Like the beauty pageant girls dolled up by mommy to look like whores, many of Spellbound's subjects have been pushed to succeed by mom and dad. But again, the parents and children are presented with affection—even with the not-so-subtextual question of whether it's right to transfer our own shortcomings by demanding too much of our kids.