아이들을 위한 철자대회에 이상한 어른이 나타났다! 가이 트릴비(제이슨 베이트먼)라는 마흔 살의 한 남자가 어린 학생들이 출전하는 철자법 대회에 참가한다. 바로 8학년을 마치지 않으면 된다는 참가 조건을 교묘하게 이용한 것. 주최측 우려와 학부모들의 항의 속에서 가이는 철자법 대회의 지역 예선에서 승승장구하며 본선까지 진출한다. 그것도 어린 아이들을 상대로 속임수와 갖은 술수를 써가며. 기자인 제니(캐서린 한)는 가이의 대회관련 기사를 위해 그와 동행하고, 유력한 우승 후보인 10살 소년 차이타니아(로한 찬드)와 가이는 우연히 친구가 된다. 본선 대결은 대회 최초로 전국에 생중계되고, 대회의 권위를 지켜나가고 싶은 협회장과 감독관에게 ‘가이’의 존재는 눈엣가시다. 드디어 결승전, 가이와 차이타니아만이 남아 대결을 펼치는데…
런타임: 89 분
출시 날짜 2013-09-06
예산: $9,500,000.00
수익: $7,800,000.00
생산 회사:
생산 국가:
장르:
> Good lie, bad words and ugly truth. I thought it was Cliff Curtis' movie because that's whom I saw in one of the posters. Anyway, it's Jason Bateman's movie, which is also his first directional venture. A refreshing theme because only a very few movies were made based on the spelling bee contest, but this one was a bit messed up story narration. Most of the narrative looked so pale and dull. It is supposed to be an exciting storytelling with blistering pace. You know, stories in the movies happen with a backdrop of the reasons. Like a piece of uninteresting wood carved into a something that attracts everybody. Some movie holds it till the end to reveal that beauty in the form of a twist, but some won't mind explaining it along the way. In this movie, what they had for the twist was lifeless, boring one, more like a cliché from the older days flick. The boy from the movie 'Jack and Jill' was decent. I felt some material in the movie was inappropriate regarding a minor in one of the lead roles. But I know the title clearly suggests it is only for adults. Understandable that the writer wanted to give something new, but he could not get it right. Maybe lacked to bring some interesting and inspiring elements. What surprised me was, it was not either for commercial benefit nor a fine art piece. All the way I knew something was not clinching and finally found out the approach to portray the main character in the negative mode had to do with something. They wanted the viewers to go against him and well, they got it in a way. Interestingly the screenplay was from the 'Black List' which was untouched for almost 10 years. Unfortunately Bateman decided to give it a try and the result is,... Here I'm with not satisfied fully, but okay-okay movie for being at least something different. 6/10