You must all see Spellbound. It is wonderful. In 2000, the year after this documentary was made, I go to go to the National Spelling Bee for one day to cover the girl who was representing Mississippi there. I didn't expect it to be a big deal, but when I got there and ESPN was broadcasting it and these children, some of them really little kids, were up there spelling these incredibly obscure words that no one, NO ONE has ever heard of since they were invented, I found myself cringing a little, not wanting to look at that much pressure. This documentary follows eight of the kids who were in the 1999 bee and tells all their stories ... every single one of which is compelling enough to make you root for them. It's like you can't decide if you're more nervous for them or their parents ... it's awful! But really, really good at the same time. It's an incredible work of journalistic storytelling. I loved it. Many thanks to Charity and Jessica, who both recommended it to me. I think the part that touched me the most was the dimension of all these kids who are so smart and so dedicated getting to the national level and finding 200 other kids who are like them, like them in a way that no one they know is like them, and finally they fit in. It's how I felt when I went to a summer journalism program in D.C.,which is where I went to the spelling bee as one of my first real assignments. It was like finally I had found my people ... people who think newspapers are fascinating and it is wonderful to talk to strangers and write down what they say so that other people can read it. That's a weird thing to enjoy when you think about it, but then, every kind of hobby or interest you have makes you a little different, and a little weirder, than most people you know. That's worth celebrating. Watch Spellbound.
Now I must get back to the other suggestions y'all left. I have a lot of movie viewing to do.