Like the documentary Spellbound, this film follows a group of people with widely differing backgrounds all working towards the same obsessive goal. While the subjects in both movies are all word-loving nerds, the adults on the Scrabble circuit are never quite as charming as spelling bee kids. Meet “G.I.” Joel Sherman, whose nickname isn’t a military reference, rather a self-aware jab at the gastrointestinal disorder which makes him a poster boy for Maalox. Meet Matt Graham, a wanna-be stand-up comic addicted to smart drugs. Meet Joe Edley, whose Zen practices for keeping himself in perfect balance appear to require keeping his family at arm’s length. Finally, meet Marlon Hill, a militant black from Baltimore whose mastery of a game favoring the intricacies of the English language makes a sharp contrast with his insistence on the use of Ebonics. It’s an extremely odd bunch that somehow finds a camaraderie while fiercely competing for a $25,000 prize. We’re used to seeing social misfits unravel on-screen, just not so eloquently. Even when they’re having personal meltdowns peppered with profanities (which is quite often), their tongues are constantly twisting origami flowers of obscure word flourishes. Like The Osbournes or Anna Nicole Smith, they’re fun to watch for their faults as much as their talents. Yet the producers don’t take any chances with losing the audience’s attention, and the screen is a constant cornucopia of slick titles and game-enhancing effects. In all it makes Scrabble into a surprisingly engaging spectator sport.

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