Fifty million Americans do crossword puzzles every week. They love the regularity, the playfulness, and the challenge of figuring things out. In this very entertaining documentary directed by Patrick Creadon, the central attraction is Will Shortz, the New York Times puzzle editor and NPR puzzle-master.
Shortz has been an extraordinary person since an early age, selling his first crossword puzzle when he was 14. He went to Indiana University and created his own major — "enigmatology." Since taking over the puzzles at the Times in 1993, he has spiced up the game with lots of clues from popular culture. He also created in 1978 the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in Stamford, Connecticut. People come from all over to compete in a mind-bending competition where speed and accuracy count for all. Shortz's colleague Merl Reagle, a professional crossword constructor, explains how he puts them together, revealing that he finds the whole process a lark.
Among the "puzzle-heads" who appear on camera to sing the praises of this hobby or addiction (it is referred to as both) are The Daily Show comedian Jon Stewart, who is shown in his office having a ball with the word clues; former President Bill Clinton, who used to do puzzles when he was eating alone in the kitchen; the Indigo Girls who talk about their love of language; filmmaker Ken Burns, who sees a connection between New York as a city of grids and the rows of boxes in crossword puzzles; piano man Joe Delfin, who talks about improvisation;, and past champ Ellen Ripstein, who talks about what it was like to the tournament winner.
The documentary closes with scenes from the 2005 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament as three top contestants battle for the crown: Trip Payne, a three-time winner; Al Sanders, who has taken third place for five of the previous six years; and Tyler Hinman, a 20 year-old senior at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, where he majors in Information Technology. This playful documentary is a total delight from start to finish.
Special DVD features include: commentary by director Patrick Creadon, New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz, and crossword constructor Merl Reagle; deleted scenes; an interview gallery; five unforgettable puzzles, featurettes; Wordplay goes to Sundance; a Gary Louris music video "Every Word"; A short film by Patricia Erens Waiting for the New York Times; and a photo gallery.
