International Periscope

Movies: Don't Look So Puzzled
Documentary film has always been a noble little corner of the movie industry, but it's still a business, and every business has its recipes for success. Hollywood has superheroes. Documentaries have supergeeks. The formula goes like this: find a motley crew of regular folks training for a decidedly unhip competition, then build to a "Rocky"-style showdown. The spelling-bee doc "Spellbound" set the standard in 2002. Next came "Word Wars" (Scrabble) and "Mad Hot Ballroom" (ballroom dancing). The newest entry is "Wordplay," director Patrick Creadon's genial look at New York Times crossword-puzzle editor Will Shortz and his annual puzzle tournament. "Nothing against celebrities," says Creadon, "but I'd rather watch people I don't know anything about." His film actually has a few celebs—Bill Clinton and Jon Stewart pop in to hail Shortz's handiwork—but they're sifted in with the average Joes. "Surveys show that 50 million people solve crosswords," says Shortz. "I think the movie has crossover appeal."

—Devin Gordon