I find great comfort in our sorrowful world that people have time to work crossword puzzles.
Crosswords are a daily sign that humankind made progress, that not all of us had to spend our waking hours hunting mammoths with spears.
The fantastic documentary “Wordplay” adds a level of satisfaction, that of realizing humans have put enough distance between themselves and mere survival that crosswords can be a profession. Do yourself a favor: Go see “Wordplay,” and enjoy the best movie of the summer, a film so crammed with characters and quirks that you’ll smile all the way home.
With deft, elegant editing and a flair for recognizing tension in the mundane, director Patrick Creadon has constructed the most enjoyable documentary since “March of the Penguins.” “Wordplay” uses the nerdy, impish personality of puzzlemaster Will Shortz and the annual crossword tourney in Connecticut to illuminate the universe of box-letter freaks.
So you doubted crosswords could be this fascinating? Then you must have sold short on Sudoku shares too. There are few things Americans love more than a puzzle craze to take their minds off that looming Medicare deficit or global warming.
Shortz’s measured, schoolmaster voice first made him famous on National Public Radio, where he stumps listeners on Sunday’s “Weekend Edition.” He then vaulted to the ultimate crossword job, editing the daily New York Times puzzle, considered the (a type of precious ore) standard across – or down – the continent.
Shortz and fellow puzzle-constructors first met for a playoff in Stamford, Conn., in 1978. Words leaked out, and now the greatest crossword geeks in the English-speaking world gather to crown a champion. As in “Spellbound,” “Wordplay” introduces us to some top contenders and follows their progress through the tournament.
We get baton-twirling Ellen Ripstein, a longtime runner-up who finally won the tourney a few years ago. Ripstein is like the other champs depicted here: hopelessly nerdy, perfectly aware of being so, and possessing far more clues to a happy life than most of us.
“I had a boyfriend who put me down,” Ripstein says. “So I’d say, ‘What are YOU the best in the country at?’ ”
Creadon uses two other genius gimmicks to make “Wordplay” hum along. One employs celebrities to talk about Shortz, the Times tradition, and their affinity for puzzles, including former President Clinton, a hilarious Jon Stewart, the Yankees’ Mike Mussina and the Indigo Girls.
Creadon also lets us watch puzzles get built from the inside out, as Times contributor Merl Reagle sits down at his dining room table with a blank grid. Reagle reveals some of the magic and brain power that creates a good challenge, while Creadon uses delightful graphics to explain some of the hidden rules of crosswords.
The stuffy Times, for example, won’t allow any words involving bodily functions.
” ‘Urine’ would bail me out a million times a year,” complains a genial Reagle. “So would ‘enema’. What great words!”
The puzzle we watch Reagle create does get printed in The Times, and Creadon shows us his celebrities filling out that day’s paper, commenting on Reagle’s familiar style.
Can a crossword tourney provide enough drama to sell a movie? Compared to televised baseball, or the last five minutes of an NBA playoff, “Wordplay” is a thrill ride. Fort Collins middle- manager Al Sanders plays a key role in the finals (see accompanying interview.)
It’s Jon Stewart who captures a good puzzler’s confidence, tinted with just a hint of intellectual arrogance.
“I’ll do the USA Today puzzle if I’m in a hotel,” Stewart smirks. “But I won’t feel good about myself.”
Reach Michael Booth at mbooth@denverpost.com; try the “Screen Team” blog at denverpostbloghouse.com
“Wordplay”
**** RATING (Four out of four stars)
PG for some mature content|1 hour, 24 minutes|DOCUMENTARY|Directed by Patrick Creadon; featuring appearances by Will Shortz, Bill Clinton, Mike Mussina, Jon Stewart, the Indigo Girls and various puzzle contestants|Opens today at Landmark’s Esquire Theatre.
