Bill Clinton, Jon Stewart in Wordplay

Birds don’t do it. Neither do bees. But Bill Clinton does.
Likewise Bob Dole, Jon Stewart, Ken Burns, the Indigo Girls and Mike Mussina.
In fact, over 50 million Americans do crosswords.

So why not make a movie about it? We know what some might be thinking.
Why not make a movie about nail filing as well? Yet,
Wordplay director
Patrick
Creadon manages to tackle a very difficult challenge, he manages to make
crosswords interesting for the rest of us, who, it would appear from the film,
are a minority.

It is no secret that some of us take the crossword puzzle very seriously.
Witness those on the bus, in the office or at the kitchen table who struggle daily trying
to piece together the clues. Wordplay delves into the world these people inhabit
and follows them through the 28th annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament where over 500 people -
of all ages, sizes and genders – vie for the title of “Crossword Champ”.

There is one man among devoted crossworders who has developed an enormous following,
and he is Will Shortz, the brains behind The New York Times puzzles and National
Public Radio’s “Puzzle Master”. His fans include not only the aforementioned celebs
but also millions of everyday players.

The film explores the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat among the diehard players,
as well as allowing the viewer to get up close and personal with a few of the more eccentric
aficionados of crossword puzzles. Shortz deemed this event the most exciting in tournament history.
So, sharpen your pencils.

Bonus Features:

There are oodles of extras included in the DVD, such as a small booklet of mind-boggling crosswords.
There are also more traditional DVD features like commentary from the director, Will Shortz and puzzle
maker Merl Reagle. Also contained in the DVD are several deleted scenes, a featurette on the film’s
successful trip to Sundance and interviews with the notable individual like Bill Clinton and Jon Stewart.