Spellbound

During the movie Spellbound there are obvious differences between the competitor's parents when it comes to their motives. One parent in particular, Neil's dad, seems to be more interested in winning the competition more than his own child. He is determined to make certain that his son is prepared enough for the spelling bee and that he is mentally ready to win. Neil follows his dad's confusing and almost unnecessary method to spell the words. Other people in Neil's family are hoping that he will succeed also. Neil's grandfather even payed people in India to pray and chant for Neils success and if he is able to win he planned on paying a meal for 5,000 people in India. This extreme support may have put some unnecessary pressure on Neil. On the other hand there was Ted's parents. They are country people who just want their son to do the best that he can. They are just proud that Ted was able to make it this far and want him to enjoy it. Their approach towards their son has made Ted a quiet and relaxed individual. The winning motivation of Neil's father and content of Ted's parents are very different from each other.