Word Wars (2004)

Extremely well-paced flick with excellent climax (unlike many meandering documentaries) it is much like an adult "Spellbound." Much like that movie, these people are fascinating characters more than anything else, and in many instances scrabble takes a backseat to the force of their personalities. It focuses on four masters competing in the days leading up to the Nationals - between the egos involved, the inter-personal problems and competition anxiety there is a ton of pathos and conflict that is also reminiscent of Fred Wiseman's early documentaries. I agree there could have been more focus on the nitty-gritty of specific matches or more information on strategy, but I think I (and others) would have gotten bored watching too much actual scrabble play.If you like documentaries at all, this comes highly recommended, it is very well edited and maintains interest the whole time.

Scrabble-lovers know what it's like to be hooked by the game. But for most of us, it's still only a game, not an obsession. The people in "Word Wars" live for Scrabble.The four players we meet - "G.I." Joel (gets his nickname because his gastrointestinal system's a mess and he isn't shy about it), Matt, Marlon and Joe - have turned winning Scrabble tournaments into their lives' mission. Joel's preferred beverage is Maalox; Marlon plays the angry black man, but uses his skills to help an inner-city school's Scrabble Club; Matt's more often broke than not; and three-time national champ Joe uses meditation and tai chi to psyche out his opponents, but often is so full of himself, he doesn't realize how dull his lecture on winning strategies is.Watching "Word Wars," I was reminded of "Spellbound," the Oscar-nominated documentary about the 1999 National Spelling Bee, and wondered if this is what happens to those obsessive, driven kids who fail to win the Spelling Bee.Filmmakers Eric Chaikin and Julian Petrillo worry less about the game than getting into the heads of these four chaps, none of whom is easily likable. They know and tolerate each other, but aren't really friends. But they enjoy a pleasant camaraderie. We even see one shave the neck hairs off another in a hotel room.Chaikin and Petrillo also have fun with the graphics, using titles as anagrams and allowing the letter tiles to float about as the players contemplate their next words.What's far more interesting than tournament play are the late-night Scrabble games in hotel rooms, Scrabble-player culture, bets placed on the side ($5 per game and a nickel per point), and Scrabble games at New York's Washington Square Park, where a local restaurateur reigns supreme, even beating Joe, who, of course, returns later for a rematch. There's also an amusing discussion about the controversy surrounding the creation of an inoffensive Scrabble dictionary.We see these four players cramming as many words as possible, rarely, if ever, bothering to learn the definitions. But there's definite skill in what they do during games and it's impressive. (We're told Matt won a game in 96 seconds!) Somehow we wind up caring about these people. When one of them gets a lousy set of tiles and walks away in frustration, we empathize. All of us who've played Scrabble have been there."Word Wars" is at times humorous, thrilling and even occasionally touchingly sad. It's not on par with, say, "Control Room," "Fahrenheit 9/11" or "Super Size Me," but there's something curiously absorbing about its peculiar people. And you really have to admire a film that expands the vocabulary of its audience. How many films can you say that about?

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!

I saw this film during the 2nd Annual Independent Film Festival in Cambridge, MA. I like documentaries and enjoyed this one very much. This film was a great representation of the cliche' "truth is stranger than fiction." The characters were very funny - not realizing how funny they actually are (which for me makes it even funnier). I'm amazed at how far some people will go to maintain their passion for Scrabble. I thought the film was put together well and was amused by certain scenes. One where 2 players say they are not friends, wouldn't consider each other friends, but room together and in one scene you see one shaving the back of the other's neck. It was those scenes of contradiction that worked well. I would add this film to my Indie collection.