Hal is a 15-year-old high-school student with a minor yet socially alienating (and painful) disability: he stutters uncontrollably. Determined to work through the problem, Hal opts for an extreme route – he joins the school debating team, which sends him on a headfirst plunge into breakneck speech competitions and offers a much-needed boost toward correcting the problem.
Acting
Anna Kendrick's terrifyingly precise ice queen manipulation.
Writing
Dialogue that captures teen pretension without mocking it.
Direction
Blitz's documentary roots make every awkward pause hurt.
Director
Jeffrey Blitz
Nicholas D'Agosto
Ben Wekselbaum
Margo Martindale
Coach Lumbly
Reece Thompson
Hal Hefner
Anna Kendrick
Ginny Ryerson
Jonah Hill
Junior Philosopher
Denis O'Hare
Doyle Hefner
Vincent Piazza
Earl Hefner
Aaron Yoo
Heston
Utkarsh Ambudkar
Ram
Candace Hammer
Townsend Prep Debater
Marilyn Yoblick
Plainsboro Lunch Lady
Maury Ginsberg
Mr. Lewinsky
Emily Ginnona
Honoria
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Director Jeffrey Blitz also made the spelling bee documentary 'Spellbound'—he clearly has a thing for kids under pressure.
The film's stuttering portrayal was praised by advocacy groups for avoiding inspirational clichés; Hal's frustration is the point, not his triumph.
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