L. KENT WOLGAMOTT / GZO | Posted: Thursday, July 20, 2006 7:00 pm
Following in the path of “Spellbound” and “Murderball,” “Wordplay” is another oddly charming competition documentary. This time, the centerpiece of the film is the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament held at a Marriot hotel in Stamford, Conn.
The contest was founded by Will Shortz, puzzle editor of the New York Times. His story and those of the puzzle constructors form the second leg of director Patrick Creadon’s and producer Christine O’Malley’s film.
The final element in the picture is a series of testimonials to crosswords by avid puzzle solvers that range from the Indigo Girls, documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show” to New York Yankee pitcher Mike Mussina and former President Bill Clinton.
As it weaves easily between short profiles of past champions and leading contenders, including a 20-year-old college student, the testimonials and Shortz’s observations, “Wordplay” becomes a fairly thorough look at the history of crossword puzzles, how they are created and why some people are good at them.
The best crossword solvers, apparently, are musicians and those with mathematics backgrounds, including computer programmers. According to the film, they are able to take a large amount of complex information, read it quickly and organize it in a logical fashion.
Quickly, of course, is the key for the contest, and some of the film’s most impressive segments consist of interviews voiced over a great solver at work, doing a full puzzle in a minute or two.
The formula for building a puzzle — its themes, symmetry, etc. — are well explained through a great idea. The filmmakers got Merl Reagle, one of the country’s top constructors, to make a puzzle for them with the words “word play” in the center. By the time Reagle is finished, the basics of putting a puzzle together are clear.
And his work on the “Wordplay” puzzle was good enough that it got published in the Times, on a Tuesday. The Times’ puzzles go up in difficulty through the week, with the easiest on Monday and the hardest on Saturday. The Sunday puzzle is the biggest and most popular of all.
That part of the film is fascinating, an insightful look into something that otherwise could be seen as mundane.
To be frank, the competition portion of the picture isn’t nearly as much fun.
Crossword puzzle contestants aren’t close to being as cute and interesting as the spelling bee kids were in “Spellbound.” Their stories aren’t nearly as compelling as the paraplegic rugby players of “Murderball,” and they sure aren’t athletes, so there’s really not much to see except a bunch of people sitting down writing.
That said, when the finals finally come and three contestants stand on the stage, solving giant puzzles in front of a crowded ballroom, there’s some genuine tension and excitement.
Even though it drags a little in the final half hour, “Wordplay” is nonetheless entertaining and informative. If you love crosswords, it’s a movie you shouldn’t miss.
Reach L. Kent Wolgamott at 473-7244 or at kwolgamott@journalstar.com.