Wordplay (2006)
88%RT Audience Score: 80%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 7 nominations
You see them hunched over with their brows furrowed, folded newspaper in hand as they attempt to complete the crossword puzzle. This may even describe you. This ingeniously edited documentary introduces viewers to some of the more dedicated fans of this solitary pastime, none more well-known the puzzle editor for the New York Times, Will Shortz. This underground world provides a surprising amount of crowd-pleasing entertainment and suspense, especially at the annual crossword tournament. Didn’t know there was one, did you
Wordplay is a movie that will have you on the edge of your seat, even though it’s about crossword puzzles. It’s like the Olympics of word games, and the competitors are just as intense as any athlete. But don’t worry, you don’t have to be a word nerd to enjoy this film. It’s playful, informative, and even sweet at times. Plus, it’s always satisfying to watch people who are really good at something do their thing, even if that thing is filling in boxes with letters. So grab a pencil and get ready to be entertained.
Production Company(ies)
Paramount Pictures, Alfran Productions,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for some language and mild thematic elements
Year of Release
2006
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.66 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jan 21, 2006 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 7, 2006
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, crossword puzzles, Will Shortz, New York Times, puzzle editor, fans, crossword tournament, President Bill Clinton, Indigo Girls, Jon Stewart, Mike Mussina, Ken Burns, Patrick Creadon, Christine O’Malley, PG, English, box office, $3.1M, 1h 34m, directed by Patrick Creadon, produced by Christine O’Malley, reviewed by Peter Travers, Stephanie Zacharek, Roger Moore, Marjorie Baumgarten, Rene Rodriguez, Tom Long, Richard Propes, Felicia Feaster, Mattie Lucas, Emanuel Levy, Jay Antani, Jeffrey Chen, starring Will Shortz, genre: documentary, MPAA rating: PG, crossword puzzle tournament, crossword puzzle editor, crossword puzzle fans, crossword puzzle celebrities, crossword puzzle documentary, crossword puzzle movie, crossword puzzle championship, crossword puzzle competition, crossword puzzle community, crossword puzzle devotion, crossword puzzle dedication, crossword puzzle entertainment, crossword puzzle suspense, crossword puzzle skill, crossword puzzle intelligence, crossword puzzle creation, crossword puzzle editing, crossword puzzle advertisement, crossword puzzle witty, crossword puzzle emotions, crossword puzzle manipulation, crossword puzzle biopic, crossword puzzle geeky, harmless, crossword puzzle world, crossword puzzle New York, crossword puzzle solitaire, crossword puzzle pastime, crossword puzzle entertainment, crossword puzzle mystery, crossword puzzle intrigue, crossword puzzle logic, crossword puzzle precision, crossword puzzle objects, crossword puzzle undramatic, crossword puzzle sport, crossword puzzle community, crossword puzzle common-interest societies, crossword puzzle traits, crossword puzzle sharing, crossword puzzle mutual dedication, crossword puzzle heartwarming, crossword puzzle uplifting, crossword puzzle unpredictable, crossword puzzle heartbreaking, crossword puzzle fabulous, crossword puzzle look, crossword puzzle extra credence, crossword puzzle Bill Clinton, crossword puzzle fans
Worldwide gross: $3,177,636
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $4,685,923
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,196
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 511,006
US/Canada gross: $3,121,270
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $4,602,803
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,832
US/Canada opening weekend: $32,847
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $48,438
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,221
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Christine O’Malley – Producer
Patrick Creadon – Cinematographer
Douglas Blush – Film Editing
Director(s)
Patrick Creadon
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 7 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (123) | Top Critics (41) | Fresh (116) | Rotten (7)
Boy, was I wrong. There’s more palm-sweating suspense in one minute of this baby than in all of The Omen.
November 24, 2006 | Rating: 3/4
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
TOP CRITIC
Even though these puzzles are mapped out with utmost precision — and even though logic is an extremely useful tool for solving them — they’re still, somehow, objects of intrigue and mystery.
October 7, 2006
Stephanie Zacharek
Salon.com
TOP CRITIC
A playful, informative and very sweet documentary about the world of words ‘across’ or ‘down.’
July 7, 2006 | Rating: 4/5
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
The fact that Wordplay works as a film at all is a testament to its skill.
July 1, 2006 | Rating: 3.5/5
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
It manages to turn an internal, solitary activity into fodder for an engaging, even exciting movie.
June 30, 2006 | Rating: 3/4
Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
There’s a surface satisfaction to Wordplay that’s absolutely undeniable. But there are also just enough smarts here to make you wish for something more.
June 30, 2006 | Rating: B
Tom Long
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
Often brilliant yet ends up falling just a couple letters short of truly being a championship film.
September 27, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
Diverting though Wordplay may be, when it moves into tournament-mode, the film suffers from the essentially undramatic nature of this solitary “sport.”
February 4, 2020
Felicia Feaster
Creative Loafing
Mines suspense out of what seems to be the most mundane of entertainments, the crossword puzzle, and makes it more thrilling than any football game ever was.
June 6, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Mattie Lucas
The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)
A poignant inside look into the world of crossover puzzles of the NY Times.
July 25, 2011 | Rating: B+
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
As pleasant and good-natured as Wordplay is, it’s not exactly potent stuff”
August 17, 2010 | Rating: 2.5/4
Jay Antani
Cinema Writer
If the movie emphasizes anything, it affirms that common-interest societies like this … all survive by sharing the traits of community, devotion, and mutual dedication.
April 8, 2010 | Rating: 7/10
Jeffrey Chen
ReelTalk Movie Reviews…
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.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The documentary features a profile of The New York Times “puzzle master” Will Shortz, as well as celebrities who swear by the Times puzzle, including President Bill Clinton, folk-rock duo Indigo Girls, comic Jon Stewart, baseball player Mike Mussina, and filmmaker Ken Burns.
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