Word Wars

I have to disagree vehemently with littlesiddie (though I do love Cambridge, LS!) -- Word Wars is one of the funniest, most engrossing, and occasionally even touching movies I've seen in the past few years, and I don't even like Scrabble. The movie introduces us to 4 top Scrabble competitors, with very different backgrounds, personalities, and approaches to preparing for combat. Their stories reveal a lifestyle that is consumed with Scrabble, as the competitors spend hours memorizing obscure words and battling each other into the wee hours, oblivious to their surroundings, their poverty, their lack of girlfriends....Our heroes (no heroines; women apparently just aren't that obsessive) are at once pathetic, inspiring, and hilarious as we watch the tension build toward the ultimate showdown, the final test of memory, stamina, and individual dominance, the national championship for the big bonanza...grand prize $25,000. Are they just laughable geeks, with no sense of what's important in life? Or are they the truly enlightened, having found their Nirvana in the land of triple word scores? (Plus you learn a lot of cool words.)

I loved this movie. Though I confess to being somewhat of a word geek, I saw it with someone who has no relationship with the game whatsoever, and she too enjoyed it immensely.

It's a fond, humorous look at a world that's much weirder than anyone, even aficionados, ever suspected. The people who rise to the top of this crowd are seriously disturbed people, and the movie, with its clever graphic commentary and often just letting the camera run on something, captures this beautifully. One of the most amusing scenes shows Hasbro executives as they recount the wars over dirty words in Scrabble. We were fascinated by this film, and we laughed a lot.

This film is without a doubt the best Scrabble® Documentary film yet made. The story follows the efforts of four very different top-level Scrabble® players in their attempt to win the title of 2002 National Scrabble Champion. The directors highlight the disparate backgrounds and approaches to the game of the four principles, from the Tai Chi of 3 time champion Joe Edley to the mind-enhancing pharmaceuticals of Matt Graham. The film uses engaging graphics to explain how Scrabble® is played at the pro-level, and to highlight brilliant plays and anagrams. The audience gets a chance to "play along" with many plays of the main characters and many others on the tournament circuit. In addition, the story takes a foray into the subculture of "the parkies", the serious Scrabble®-playing denizens of Washington Square Park, NYC, and the history of the controversy that created the two dictionaries in use for Scrabble® today, one for the tournament players, and one for the general public.

By focusing on the people and not history of the game, Word Wars shows the tournament Scrabble® scene at its most human.

As a former tournament Scrabble player, this documentary was a delight to see. (I know and have played all four of the main subjects of the film.) People in that scene, especially at the top, are really that eccentric -- it's part of the allure of the tournament circuit, playing against people who are incredibly devoted to study and strategic analysis. The film accurately captures both the heart of the competitors as well as the frenetic energy that develops around trying to be the best. The documentary is informative beyond this one particular topic, in that way.

As far as documentaries go, it's clearly a second-tier documentary film. (It's not a "Capturing the Friedmans", a "Fog of War", a "Startup.com".) However, if you have an interest in seeing mad geniuses at work or the game of Scrabble taken to an extreme, I recommend this film highly. (8+ out of 10)

Word Wars, a comical documentary that traces the lives and study habits of four Scrabble enthusiasts, is fun and interesting from the beginning. Eric Chaikin, the brilliant writer and director, uses awesome, eye-catching graphics in the opening credits. From there, we are introduced to the "characters", each of whom has a unique, intriguing lifestyle. The film teaches the Scrabble basics, and draws the audience into the fun and competitiveness on the Scrabble circuit. We see the players as they train for the National Scrabble championships. Whether studying by means of meditation, or by means of playing endless games of Scrabble and memorizing volumes of words, all the players share a profound love for the game. I absolutely loved Word Wars. I loved the intense competition, and I loved the comical presentation of the Scrabble Circuit. Word Wars is a must see!