was the old lady, I forget her name, who won the tournament in 1979 talking about her deceased husband and how the hotel was "haunted". I thought that this particular scene had no relevance to the movie and should be taken out of the final feature. Other than that, it was a great documentary which I highly enjoyed.
shareFor me, besides being a moving story, that segment crystallized the sense of community and camaraderie at the tournament.
shareFair enough. I guess I just felt that it was out of place.
Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
my girlfriend and I saw the movie last night and talked about the exact same thing. I didn't think the scene should be in. yes, it does show the sense of community, etc, but does that really have anything to do with crossword..culture?
couldn't the same be said of quilting bees, car shows, any sort of annual event.
started to feel like a star trek convention later on. with the music and the horrible lighting and decor that those hotel ballrooms always have
I think the main thing about that sequence was that it showed how this event was a part of the personal history of these people. Something that is integrally involved in their lives. Sure, the same thing might have happened at a quilting bee, but it didn't. It happened in a place that was meaningful for this woman, and it shows that this event, this "hobby" is central to her life just like any other kind of interest can be central to anyone's life.
shareA former champion keeps going back, year after year, to the very place where her husband died, because being a part of that particular group of people was so important...sounds pretty relevant to me.
most annual events don't have many deaths in the first place, much less family members coming back to the location of death year after year. well, maybe quilting bees...
Agreed, it was touching.
shareI saw it as being quite relevent. It was in the movie to show the fact that the tournament created a strong enough bond between competitors that when regulars died or stopped coming, they were remembered. It kind of showed how the tournament was as much a social gathering as a competition.
shareIt was one of the best scenes in the movie. Sorry you didnt get it.
shareJust because someone doesn't like something, it doesn't mean they don't "get it". I got it... I know why it was in the movie, I understand what they were trying to achieve, and I didn't particularly like it. I thought it was a weak but harmless clip, and would have completely forgotten about it except for this thread.
shareSince this is your first post in the thread it should be self-explanatory that I was not referring to you. I was replying to lbspade who said that the scene had "no relevance."
Although the scene was so good, that I would argue that if you didnt like it you probably didnt understand it.
Its just a stupid scene. Whats there to get? Its not a *beep* David Lynch scene.
shareThe anecdote about the woman losing he husband was a highlight of the film for me. She made clear the sense of community she feels with other crossword players, and how she looked forward to seeing them every year after her husband's death. Documentaries tend not to put their subjects into context as much as they should, but that anecdote was very valuable in describing what the game (and her husband) meant to her.
share