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If you're the kind of movie person who needs explosions or a boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-makes-up-with-girl plotline, this flick might not be your type—but I'd challenge you to give Wordplay a chance. I was entertained (our half-full theater laughed aloud many times) and moved to tears, plus I learned stuff and was inspired to try a new hobby. Can your Vengeance Fest or Love Story Du Jour do all that? Though Wordplay is currently in limited release, it's worth tracking down—and surely it will gain a few more screens with all the buzz it's generating.

At the end of the film, they finally crown a puzzle champ and ask this person how he/she feels. Displaying ironic simplicity, this wordsmither replies, "I feel good. Yep, I feel good." Search out this docu-gem and you will, too.

1. Trace the way some of the puzzleheads approach a crossword puzzle and how that parallels the way they approach their other crafts (baseball, music, world politics).
   
   
2. Why do you think each of these characters loves puzzling so much? What does it bring into their lives?
   
   
3. What's the importance of hobbies? What role do they play in your life? If you don't have any hobbies, what would you like to try?
   
   
4. Which of the diverse cast of characters do you relate to most? Why?

As you can imagine, Wordplay is pretty tame. There are a few mild swear words as puzzlers work through challenging clues. In one scene, we're introduced to a puzzler who's gay, and the film shows him and his partner exchanging a quick peck on the lips. The rest is family-friendly—but due to the topic, it might be tough to get younger kids to sit through it.

Photos © Copyright IFC Films

© Camerin Courtney 2006, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

Which is more entertaining—a crossword puzzle, or a movie about crossword puzzles?

Wordplay takes us into the world of Will Shortz, the genius crossword-designer at The New York Times, showing us the devotion of crossword fans and the many creative agents who contribute to a puzzle's construction.

Christian Hamaker (Crosswalk) says the film, "like the fictional Akeelah and the Bee from earlier this year, portrays the development of particular talents through practice and diligence. Although the personalities on display are not all entirely admirable, the film's focus on dedication, joy and community is inspirational. It's more fun than most summer blockbusters and a respite from the other nonfiction films … currently in release."

Mainstream critics have plenty of good words for this one.

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