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    Movie Review

    Spelling the Dream gives spotlight to Indian American champions

    Alex Bentley
    Jun 2, 2020 | 3:12 pm
    Spelling the Dream gives spotlight to Indian American champions
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    The 2002 documentary Spellbound, which chronicled the quests of eight kids competing in the 1999 Scripps National Spelling Bee, was one of the rare documentaries to capture the hearts of critics, moviegoers, and Oscar voters. Eighteen years later, the new Netflix documentary Spelling the Dream showcases a new generation of spellers, one comprised chiefly of one particular group: Indian Americans.

    Prior to Nupur Lala winning the 1999 Bee, competitors of South Asian descent had won only two of the previous 71 competitions. Since that time, they have become the dominant force, winning 15 more times, including the last 12 years in a row (Erin Howard shared the 2019 title with seven other competitors, all Indian Americans). The film explores the hows and the whys of group’s supremacy, and it’s not necessarily for the reasons you might expect.

    Much like Spellbound, Spelling the Dream goes into detail about the journeys of four children on their way to the 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee. However, the film complements their stories with interviews featuring a variety of prominent Indian Americans, including Dr. Sanjay Gupta, journalist Fareed Zakaria, comedian Hari Kondabolu, and more.

    Directed by Sam Rega, the film shows how Indian Americans have continued to draw inspiration by the group’s growing success, including earlier wins by 1985 champion Balu Natarajan and 1988 champion Rageshree Ramachandran. The four kids featured differ in age, but they all share a love of learning, a dedication necessary to spelling thousands of words correctly, and families who guide, but never push, them toward success.

    Rega and his team do a wonderful job at drawing out the personalities of the spellers, showing their home lives and their different preparations for the competition. This is especially true in the case of Akash Vukoti, who became the first-ever first grader to qualify for the Bee in 2016. When Akash demonstrates his ability to correctly spell a 45-letter word, he does so with highly entertaining hand flourishes embellished with on-screen graphics that make it clear what an impressive feat it is.

    Unfortunately, not everyone sees the Indian American dominance as a good thing, and the film takes care to address the racist backlash that has come with so many members of the group winning the competition. But the supportiveness and camaraderie shown within the spelling bee community is a good indication that more people appreciate these kids’ talents than care about what they look like or where they come from.

    The film gets competition-heavy toward the end, which is to be expected, but consequently that section lacks the insight of the rest of the film. Still, watching each kid tackle supremely difficult words with ease never ceases to astonish, and it’s a nice replacement for this year’s competition, which was canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

    Spelling the Dream makes the case that, due to their upbringing and other factors, Indian Americans know the value of hard work and what will come because of it. There is rarely anything more inspiring than that.

    ---

    Spelling the Dream debuts on Netflix on Wednesday, June 3.

    Akash Vukoti in Spelling the Dream.

    Akash Vukoti in Spelling the Dream
      
    Photo courtesy of Netflix
    Akash Vukoti in Spelling the Dream.
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    Tom Cruise News

    Tom Cruise to make Dallas BBQ stop while on Mission Impossible tour

    Brandon Watson
    May 12, 2025 | 1:09 pm
    Tom Cruise
    Photo courtesy of Paramount
    Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible — The Final Reckoning

    How's this for a mission impossible? Hollywood legend Tom Cruise is coming to Dallas to eat barbecue, while on a quick Texas tour to promote the latest chapter of his smash film franchise Mission Impossible.

    The Top Gun star revealed on Instagram that, as part of a trip to promote Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, he'd be visiting two Texas cities: San Antonio and Dallas.

    "On May 22, I'm coming to the great state of Texas," Cruise said in the Instagram video. "I'll be visiting Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio before stopping by some theaters to see you at some of the first screenings of Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning."

    After the whirlwind tour through Alamo City, he'll hop on a plane to Dallas.

    "We're going to fly to Dallas, where I'm going to get some delicious barbecue before going to more theaters to say hello. And I can't wait," he said.

    Unfortunately, for now, he's not saying exactly where.

    Which BBQ?
    If it's a barbecue joint with buzz he's seeking, that would call for a trip to Fort Worth, whose BBQ scene is currently among the buzziest in Texas — so buzzy, it earned a special category in CultureMap's 2025 Tastemaker Awards, with 12 nominees for Best Barbecue of the year. (It's also what chef Tim Love suggests.)

    If he's sticking to Dallas proper and looking for a celebrity-endorsed place, his pick would have to be Slow Bone, the BBQ restaurant recently featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. (Slow Bone is all over it with an offer of a Texas nail, their brisket sandwich; Hurtado chimes in and so does Ten 50 BBQ.)

    Otherwise, there are older favorites like Pecan Lodge and Lockhart Smokehouse; or two places with Austin roots: Loro and Terry Black's. If he's using CultureMap Dallas' Best Restaurants of 2025 as inspiration, he'll spy Zavala's Barbecue, the family-owned barbecue spot in Grand Prairie, which made the list.

    Which movie theater?
    Despite its name, The Final Reckoning is not the concluding chapter of the long-running series. In June 2023, Director Christopher McQuarrie told Fandango that the writing team already has ideas for future installments of Ethan Hunt's saga.

    Although Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning had its world premiere in Tokyo on May 5 and will screen at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, its official theatrical release is May 23. Sharp-eyed fans might notice several local theaters have matinee showtimes on May 22.

    As for which Dallas movie theater he'll visit, if he's going for the best viewing experience, the IMAX at AMC NorthPark or Cinemark Dallas seem like two good bets.

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