Patrick Creadon’s Wordplay (2006) not only interviews contestants of the annual crossword puzzle tournament, but the film also interviews celebrity puzzlers. The various celebrities presented in the film relate crosswords to bigger puzzles in life that parallel with their careers. The celebrities are also present to add big names to the film’s movie posters and make the film more popular.
Jon Stewart’s appearance in the film is mainly to add comedy. He completes the New York Times crossword puzzle when given the opportunity, but if one cannot be found, he “will solve in a Hotel or a USA Today,” but says, “I don’t feel good about myself.” He compares those puzzles to doing a word search. Stewart appears mainly due to his statements that Creadon utilizes as transitions.
The Indigo Girls are crossword enthusiasts and describe appearing in a New York Times crossword as “the pinnacle of our career.” Amy Ray compares solving crosswords to songwriting. The crossword clues relate to songs because she aims to “make a song general enough so that people can relate to it but specific enough so that it’s interesting.” The clues need to be tricky but not so obscure that people cannot complete the puzzle. Emily Sailers finds crosswords to equate with songwriting also. She discovered that writer’s block is fictional. Like solving a crossword and staring at a clue long enough, something will eventually come and hopefully it’s the answer.
Former President Bill Clinton began completing puzzles as a way to relax in the White House. In the film, he uses crossword puzzles as a metaphor for problem solving. He says that one should start with what is known about a problem and build on that to discover. This is like using the letters already filled into the puzzle. Also, while completing a puzzle he “rarely work[s] a puzzle one across and one down all the way through.” Instead, one should work on puzzles and problems from all angles.
The Yankee’s starting pitcher Mike Mussina solves crossword puzzles because its “a ball season thing” done while sitting in the dug out. He talks of his crossword solving position and compares puzzle solving to pitching. Every time Mussina takes the mound, he wishes to pitch for the entire game. He says it rarely happens, but when it does, “those games are really special.” He continues with, “puzzles can be the same way, you can go through it to a certain point and then you bring in help from behind.” Completing the puzzle is sometimes a team activity for the Yankees. One man fills in the boxes while the rest yell out the answers.
The presence of the celebrities in the film epitomizes the beauty of crossword puzzles. When looking at the list of celebrities in the documentary they do not seem to relate in the slightest, but they all come together and contribute to the film. This compares to the words in a crossword puzzle. When presented on a list they are random with no connection to each other; however, when placed in the puzzle they interlock to complete the crossword puzzle.