User Reviews

I would definitely suggest you to give it a try. The makers really did awesome job collecting the old tv footages and its Amazing to know how Spelling bee is changing lives. Thank Youm

I enjoyed the documentary. Thought it was well presented and well executed. However, the film should have explored the "tiger parent" concept much more in depth.

Americans of Indian descent have come to the USA in greater numbers since the 1960's. Prior to that, there was the Asian Exclusion Act which barred immigration from Asia. However, Americans of Indian descent have a long history in America. The first recorded newspaper clipping of an Indian (from India) in America, was just 10 years after the pilgrims landed on Playmouth Rock. The Indians were brought over as indentured servants to the British. They eventually were swapped for Africans. The Indians from that time assimilated into the African slave population. Indian Americans next came in larger numbers during the transcontinental railroad. They helped build the railroad with other Asians. Then came the racist court decisions like US v. Bhagat Singh which stripped Indians of citizenship and took away their land rights. It was doubly cruel because Bhagat Singh (like a number of other Indians) fought for the USA in World War I.

I say all this to point out that Americans of Indian descent are part of this country's history. Heck, this land was found by Europeans searching for a quicker path to India and they thought the Natives were Indian.

Indian Americans are an extremely intelligent ethnic group in America. Their children greatly outsmart all other American children. This documentary shows the hard work and dedication these kids have. It is uplifting and a great way to show the amazing talent of Americans of Indian descent.

I'm an ESL teacher, who has worked throughout Asia (China, Taiwan, South Korea, etc.), and at two English academies, we implemented a Spelling Bee. For most of the kids, they had a blast doing it. I made sure that: every participant was recognized and received something.

The chasm between "east" and "west" is growing wider all of the time. The extremists in the east are, what we refer to as "Tiger Parents" which is mentioned briefly in this documentary. In the west, we have the spoiled and do-whatever-you-want mentality. Both are extremes and both are just as detrimental to child's well-being.

I didn't see any indication of "Tiger Parents" in this documentary. It's not uncommon for Asian parents to live vicariously through their children, which always does more harm than good; parents who believe that it reflects badly on themselves if their child doesn't succeed. These are parents who put their own interests and feelings above their child's.

A parent's job is to empower their child to be the best version of themselves that they can be; to do their best. This is also a teacher's job. It is not the parent's job to control every aspect of a child's life by constantly telling them what to do and making all of the decisions for them. It is also not the parent's job to allow a child free-rein to do whatever they want to do. There has to be a balance between the two extremes.

Most children in the east lack the freedom to make any real decisions for themselves. They study hard from sunrise until midnight or beyond (not an exaggeration!). In the west, if a child even cracks a book open, it's a minor miracle.

There is actually no mystery about why Indian-Americans outdo their competitors in the Spelling Bee. The kids put in the time and effort that it takes to be successfu. As long as the child is doing what he/she wants, who has the right to complain or criticize? Most American kids would rather be playing a sport or going home to play on the computer. Nothing wrong with playing sports, as the best athletes put in the time and effort. Why is this not received with equal notoriety when a child prefers to put the time and effort into learning words?

The reason is that American priorities can sometimes be backwards. As I said, most kids would rather play a sport, hang out with friends, play games, etc. Much of this is because their parents don't care what they do/don't do, as long as their child stays occupied and out of their way. Asian parents stress hitting the books and doing homework. Again, a balance is necessary. But above all, a parent should be supportive and understanding if their child decides that they no longer want to do something (play a sport, play an instrument, participate in a spelling bee, etc.)

The statistics and the amount of work that these kids put into the spelling bee is incredible. Most of these kids already have a stronger work ethic than most American adults. We also see that many of these kids also have other interests such as tennis, piano, etc.

This documentary should be viewed with pride by Indian-Americans, and it should be a source of inspiration for anyone else that may not be doing enough to succeed. Yes, succeess = hard work, discipline, and dedication. It's sad when people actually find fault with this concept; a concept that others like Bruce Lee and Kobe Bryant instilled in others. Natural talent isn't enough. You have to put in the work, no matter if it's a sport, playing an instrument, or being in a spelling bee.

This movie discusses the cultural influences, education, family, discipline and ambition that contribute to this success. The film features many scenes of parental tenderness and supportiveness. Children who are genuinely motivated can go to National level in any sport.

Families must see this marvelous movie. It is a fabulous documentary on spelling bees with in-depth view into families' culture and values.

I would recommend this because it is inspirational and it made me want to work as hard as them.

This reminds me of the Oscar nominated Spellbound. As one of the Indian American, I am proud of these children who value hard work, work ethics and dedication. A must family watch movie. I loved it.

Indian Americans must celebrate this film. This is not an easy task to continually lift that trophy every year. A kid must be self-motivated to reach that level. No parental force can achieve these kinds of results.

Only fellow Indians leave such negative comments, all Indians should celebrate this moment and support them.

Kudos to the director for showing the tenderness of the parents in this movie. My son reached Nationals in Science Olympia and Robotics; this is out of his interest. I cannot push my kid.

Fantastic, this movie is so so good. I love the scene where the little girl grabs a cookie after misspelling the word. We as adults have to learn a lot from these kids. Wonderful narration.

This documentary shows what can be achieved with hard work and dedication. There are no short cuts to success.

Your genes or background may give you some advantage in a certain sport or profession but to get to the top, there is no substitute to hard work. I also liked how the documentary did not focus only on winners. Kids need to understand that its not always about winning. After putting in all your effort and hard work, you still need to be prepared to lose and have the courage and will power to do it all over again.

An entertaining view into the world of the National Spelling Bee. The National Spelling Bee has been around for nearly a hundred years and Indian American kids have been excelling in spelling bees. I am glad a documentary is made out of this.

Not only spelling bees, Indian American kids have been excelling in all the educational competitions. Let us celebrate this documentary.

If you are looking for something light, motivational and delightful, this is the right movie.

Amazing to see what these young kids are learning from their childhood. Unless they are inspired and driven, this kind of success is not possible. Inspiring and feel good movie.

This is a brilliant documentary. I can never spell like these kids.Watch it if you want to know why these Indian American kids are dominating! Inspiring!!!

Finally a very good Netflix original documentary. Invest in your children education. More than the schools, the parent play a vital role in their academics. Very well narrated journey.

An original Netflix documentary. It is about the children who participate in the spelling bee. In fact it masterfully documents how Hindu children have recently won this very American contest. The narrative is fabulous. Full of emotional moments and uncertainty. Shows children's struggle with a dictionary. It shows how being disciplined and parents are involved in educational processes helps not only to win a contest, but also to create people who contribute something more to this society. They handle frustration and defeat by way of encouragement. Interesting Quality. You show that one totally ignores and the importance of spelling.

I just watched it, this was such an awesome documentary. This is hopeful for future generations. Minorities in US do work hard, good stuff! I am sure this is going to get some serious awards.

So much negativity and racism going on right now outside. This is a feel good movie about spelling whiz kids, the 2 younger kids are adorable. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Great documentary following a group of motivated, talented and inspiring kids that is heartwarming and a nice complement to the famous Spellbound!

I really was into this film! Very interesting look at the spelling bee, and how Indian Americans have come to dominate the competition! I was pretty nerve wracked at the end for the three spellers that had been featured! My 12 year old daughter liked it too! A well done documentary!