Word Wars provides a compelling peek into the lives of four Scrabble competitors as they make their way to the 2001 national tournament and a chance at winning $25,000. In their four eccentric subjects, directors Eric Chaiken and Julian Petrillo show the awe-inspiring level of skill and single-mindedness necessary to making a living on the tournament circuit. Despite their differences, tai chi devotee Joe Edley (three-time tournament champion), stand-up comedian Matt Graham, gastrointestinally challenged Joel Sherman, and pot-smoking philanderer Marlon Hill all share an obsessive drive to win, along with unquestionably superior logic skills.