Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

In my dream world, Chronicles of Riddick never existed this summer. White Chicks set a record for being the only movie in the history of cinema that no one went to opening night. And, a hilarious documentary about Scrabble is released to flocking crowds, raving reviews, and piles of money.

Unfortunately, it’s the real world and Word Wars may be getting noticed by critics, but it’s not being noticed by those deciding what’s shown in the movie theaters (however, it’s the only movie I’ve seen that had people lined up along the back wall because the theater had accidentally oversold the tickets…standing room only). Word Wars is a documentary following the lives of four men who have dedicated their lives to Scrabble. They live on practically nothing and roam from Scrabble tournament to Scrabble tournament studying words in their spare time.

The movie received a good bit of attention at Sundance. Roger Ebert was one of those who saw it there and he enjoyed it enough to feature it on Ebert & Ropert. Two thumbs up, I might add. But, it still hasn’t taken off and made money for the creators.

I’m quite surprised, because it’s one of the most pleasant movies I’ve seen this year. It offers everything a good documentary (or any movie) should offer. Its main priority is the characters. Second priority: story. And, third…an interesting way of looking at the world.

This movie succeeds on all three levels. We follow the four characters, G. I. Joel, Joe Edley, Marlon Hill, and Matt Graham around for the 80-ish minutes of the movie. The director doesn’t give us four separate storylines, instead, the stories of the four men intertwine and we get to view the love/hate relationship that they have with each other. Word Wars has been described as an adult version of Spellbound (the spelling bee documentary, also a great movie). They are similar on some levels, but this intertwining storyline is one of the big differences.

The characters are really why the storyline is interesting. Sure, the directors (it was co-directed) use a variety of visual techniques to keep the game of Scrabble interesting to the viewers. But, really, it’s Scrabble, there’s a high potential for boredom here. Luckily, we have four different and eccentric characters to watch. Because they are so interesting the movie is raised to a whole new level and we find ourselves truly interested in this world so foreign to many of us.

What I think also helps the plot is that one of the directors actually competes in Scrabble tournaments himself. He’s actually going to be in the national tournament several weeks from now (“now” = 7/04). I think his love and knowledge of the game bring a lot to the movie that would have been lost had it been done by someone else.

My favorite thing about Word Wars isn’t so much the characters or the world of Scrabble that I get to enter. While those are both excellent parts of the movie, my favorite thing about the movie is the way the directors chose to view the characters.

The movie has a special talent for showing those subtly funny moments about life. The movie is jam packed with moments of odd humor. For example, we see Marlon talking about how he hates Matt and he doesn’t consider him a friend. The next thing we see is Marlon waxing the back of Matt’s neck in a hotel room before a Scrabble game.

Another part of the movie shows a child asking Marlon if he gets upset when he looses at Scrabble. Marlon pauses and says “No” he handles it quite well. The next thing we see is three or four shots of Marlon storming away after losses

This sense of humor is prevalent through the whole movie. It gives Word Wars a relaxing pleasant quality that makes the film a thoroughly pleasant experience. G.I. Joel stands for “Gastrointestinal Joel” because he has gastrointestinal problems. Some directors might have played Joel’s story to pull at our heartstrings. He lives by himself with no job and has severe stomach problems.

Instead, G.I. Joel’s gastrointestinal problems are played for humor. We see him guzzling his Maalox products, burping, and then wiping the corner of his mouth. The guy seems to have a sense of humor about it, so I don’t think it’s bad that it’s played for laughs.

The movie has a good spirit and it’s because the directors and the characters have good spirits. The movie doesn’t offer any bold statements on the human condition, but it sure does do a good job of taking you to another place for a while and helping you have a good time while you visit.

As pleasant as the movie is, it’s probably not for younger kids. The character Marlon has a pretty rough way of talking, lots of profanity, and we see him smoking pot on several occasions. He also heads out for a night with possibly a prostitute, it’s not too descriptive, but I think it would make parents uncomfortable for the 10 to 15 seconds it’s on the screen.

Apart from younger people, this is a movie I can’t picture anyone going to and not having a good time. The movie is very well put together, especially for a low budget movie. The characters are intriguing and the world of Scrabble is presented in an interesting way whether you like the game or not. Lastly, the movie is hilarious. It’s not Dumb and Dumber humor, it’s humor associated with observing life.

Unfortunately, Word Wars is only showing in very limited release. Check its web-page to see if it’s showing near you and go see it. If it’s not playing where you’re at, find your independent theater and request it. You can’t go wrong, it’s a great movie.

www.wordwarsmovie.com


Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older