Word Wars

{{Short description|2004 American documentary film}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox film | name = Word Wars | image = Word Wars poster.jpg | producer = Eric Chaikin | director = Eric Chaikin<br>Julian Petrillo | starring = Joe Edley<br>Matt Graham<br>Marlon Hill<br>Joel Sherman | music = Thor Madsen | cinematography = Laela Kilbourn | editing = Conor O'Neill | distributor = 7th Art Releasing | released = {{Film date|2004}} | runtime = 80 minutes | language = English }}

'''''Word Wars: Tiles and Tribulations on the Scrabble Circuit''''' is a 2004 American documentary film directed by Eric Chaikin and Julian Petrillo about competitive ''Scrabble''.<ref>[https://www.today.com/popculture/film-profiles-culture-scrabble-wbna5725544 AP via MSNBC "Film profiles the culture of Scrabble" August 16, 2004]</ref> The film was an official selection at the 2004 Sundance film festival,<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2003-12-02-sundance_x.htm ''USA Today'' "Sundance announces portion of 2004 lineup" 2 December 2003]</ref> had a 25-city theatrical run, was included as part of the Discovery Times Channel's "Screening Room" series, and was nominated for numerous awards, including a 2004 Documentary Emmy for "Best Artistic or Cultural Programming" and an International Documentary Association (IDA) Award. The film is distributed by 7th Art Releasing.

The film follows four players in the nine months leading up to the 2002 National Scrabble Championship, which was held in San Diego, California: Joe Edley, Matt Graham, Marlon Hill, and Joel Sherman. These players, as does Chaikin, also appear in Stefan Fatsis's book ''Word Freak''. Fatsis and Chaikin are both tournament ''Scrabble'' players themselves.<ref>''The Washington Times'' "Fightin' words spur vivid documentary" page M24 accessed via Ebbsco's Australia New Zealand Reference Centre 20 June 2007</ref>

== Soundtrack == * E Wolf & the Moneylenders – "Paralyzed" (Written by Chalkin & Haber) * Your Mom – "The One" (Written by Your Mom) * The Minutemen – "Do You Want New Wave (Or Do You Want the Truth)" (Written by Mike Watt) * The Minutemen – "The Glory of Man" (Written by Mike Watt) * Andrew Chaikin & Austin Willacy – "Across the Universe" (Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney) * Joel Sherman – "Across the Universe" (Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney)

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{IMDb title|id=0390632|title=Word Wars}}

Category:Documentary films about words and language Category:Works about Scrabble Category:2004 films Category:2004 documentary films Category:American documentary films Category:Documentary films about competitions Category:Films shot in Baltimore Category:2004 English-language films Category:2004 American films Category:English-language documentary films