Wordplay

"Discover a world that thinks inside the box"

Jul 21 2006 PG 1h 34m
Documentary

From the masters who create the mind-bending diversions to the tense competition at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, Patrick Creadon's documentary reveals a fascinating look at a decidedly addictive pastime. Creadon captures New York Times editor Will Shortz at work, talks to celebrity solvers -- including Bill Clinton and Ken Burns -- and presents an intimate look at the national tournament and its competitors.

Plot

A documentary that focuses on the world of crossword puzzles: those that construct them, those that love to solve them, those that compete in the annual Crossword competition in Stamford and also on Will Shortz, the editor of the New York Times crossword since the early 1990s. Shortz actually has a university degree in games and organized the first crossword championship in 1978. Some of the contributors to the Times puzzle explain how they go about building them while some aficionados, including former President Bill Clinton and comedian Jon Stewart talk about their love of solving them. The film also introduces several past champions and near champions competing in the 2006 tournament and it takes you from the preliminary rounds to the final where the top three contestants compete in front of a room full of admiring contestants.

Written by

Patrick Creadon, Christine O'Malley

Directed by

Patrick Creadon

Cast

Will Shortz, Ken Burns, Jon Stewart

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

O'Malley Creadon Productions, The Weinstein Company, IFC Films

Languages

English

Awards

1 win & 7 nominations

Trailers
Wordplay - Trailer
Scores
# of Votes
3,826
Average Rating
7.4 out of 10
Metascore
73
Popularity
NA