Synopsis
Follows eight teenagers on their quest to win the 1999 National Spelling Bee.
Scores
Overall Score
66.0
Popularity Percentile (Year)
59.5%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
62.4%
Review Aggregate
86.8
Critic Consensus
Critic reception is largely positive, with 97% of 127 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize suspenseful, family-friendly, funny. Most critics frame the film as an effective delivery of its core style and intent.
suspensefulfamily-friendlyfunnylightheartedemotionalupliftingcoming of agevisually strikingchristmascharacter-driven
Cast
| Cast | Year | Reported Salary | Inflation Adjusted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Altman | 2003 | $74,000 | $126,000 | (est) |
| Angela Arenivar | 2003 | $45,000 | $77,000 | (est) |
| Ted Brigham | 2003 | $34,000 | $58,000 | (est) |
| April DeGideo | 2003 | $28,000 | $48,000 | (est) |
| Neil Kadakia | 2003 | $24,000 | $41,000 | (est) |
| Nupur Lala | 2003 | $21,000 | $36,000 | (est) |
| Emily Stagg | 2003 | $19,000 | $32,000 | (est) |
| Ashley White | 2003 | $17,000 | $29,000 | (est) |
Aggregated Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes critic score97.0
RT critic review count137
Rotten Tomatoes audience score83.0
RT audience rating count10,000
IMDb rating7.6
IMDb votes12,592
Box Office ?
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 2003 | $5,728,581 | $9,766,608 |
| International | 2003 | $1,729,129 | $2,947,977 |
| Worldwide | 2003 | $7,457,710 | $12,714,585 |
Earnings / Profitability
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | |||
| Theatrical Net Revenue | 2003 | $3,555,942 | $6,062,495 |
| Digital Rentals ? | 2003 | $71,000 | $121,047 |
| Digital Purchases ? | 2003 | N/A | N/A |
| Physical Rentals ? | 2003 | $13,973,000 | $23,822,446 |
| Physical Purchases ? | 2003 | $25,492,000 | $43,461,089 |
| TV & Streaming Revenue | 2003 | $2,291,432 | $3,906,643 |
| Total Revenues | 2003 | $45,383,374 | $77,373,721 |
| Expenses | |||
| Budget ? | 2003 | $557,000 (est) | $949,624 (est) |
| Print & Advertising (P&A) ? | 2003 | $982,000 (est) | $1,674,203 (est) |
| Participations | 2003 | $3,631,000 | $6,190,460 |
| Residuals ? | 2003 | $3,025,000 | $5,157,296 |
| Interest & Overhead | 2003 | $111,400 | $189,925 |
| Total Expenses | 2003 | $8,306,400 | $14,161,509 |
| Movie Net Profit or Loss | 2003 | $37,076,974 | $63,212,212 |
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