Bad Words

Guy Trilby (Jason Bateman) is a 40 year old man who enters a children's Spelling Bee to the ire of the students, educators, and parents due to Guy's exploitation of a loophole that he dropped out of school before completing Eighth Grade making him technically eligible for competition. Accompanied by his sponsor, Jenny Widgeon (Kathryn Hahn) of the online newspaper Click and Scroll, Guy wins his Spelling Bee setting his sights on the National Golden Quill Spelling Bee while Jenny tries in vain to understand why Guy is doing this. En route to the Golden Quill, Guy meets a precocious young spelling prodigy in Chaitanya Chopra (Rohan Chand) who tries to befriend Guy despite his lack of interest, as the Golden Quill administrators Dr. Deagan (Allison Janney) and founder William Bowman (Phillip Baker Hall) try in vain to get Guy removed from the competition which is also the first time the event will be televised nationwide on public television.

Bad Words written by screenwriter Andrew Dodge first appeared on the 2011 Black List of best unproduced screenplays. The screenplay came to Jason Bateman who'd been interested in venturing into directorial work and Bateman soon signed on to direct the film refining the script with Dodge by toning down some of the edgier parts of the material and removing references to real life organizations such as the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Upon release the film received mixed if slightly more positive skewing reviews praising Bateman's performance and direction as well as the performances of Hahn, Hall, Janney and especially Chand while other critics criticized the film's mean-spirited humor and protagonist as "unlikable". As is the case with most dark comedies (an inherently challenging genre), Bad Words is designed to evoke feelings of discomfort for the purpose of humor and when it comes to the question of whether it uses that discomfort to its advantage, I can safely say yes.

Bad Words creates a uniquely despicable character in Guy Trilby whose characterization of casual insults, foul mouth, and unapologetically graphic language in lesser hands could've resulted in an intolerable experience (see the 2012 "comedy" Project X for example), but with Bateman's inherent likability as a screen presence coupled with his willingness to sink into this role you do find yourself engaged by this character wondering what possessed him to do this and the vitriol, humiliation, and conniving he inspires in fellow contestants, spelling bee administrators, and parents leads to some very funny set pieces that ooze with bad taste in the best possible way. Aside from Bateman, the movie features a talented supporting cast with the likes of Kathryn Hahn, Phillip Baker Hall, and Allison Janney being but a few who bring their comic friction to Bateman's Guy, but stealing every scene he's in is Rohan Chand as Chaitanya Chopra whose seemingly endless optimism coupled with his endearing delivery makes him a solid counterpart to Guy's endless reserves of bitterness and snark. This movie is a very subjective experience as I've seen those who think the film tries a little too hard to excuse Guy's actions towards the end while others just think the concept is inherently flawed and I can really only give my personal take on the material so your mileage may vary. With not only its title but also its tone and secondary protagonist being a child, Bad Words does invite comparisons with fellow "Bad" title Bad Santa with Guy and Chaitanya's dynamic having some parallels to the dynamic we saw of Willie and Thurman in that film, because the movie tries to make Guy less abrasive as a protagonist in the end it doesn't quite reach the level of Bad Santa, but for what it is it's a solid attempt at tackling similar themes and ideas.

Bad Words for my money is what solid dark comedy should be: uncomfortable and eliciting laughter from that discomfort. The movie won't be for everyone with its profanity laden script and raunchy humor juxtaposed against an elementary to middle school aged spelling bee, but for those who aren't ashamed of feeling a little unclean after laughing it's a fun ride.

Debuting feature director Jason Bateman stars here as Guy Trilby, a 40 year old former proofreader for product guarantees. One day he gets the bright idea to enroll in a national Spelling Bee. He's found a loophole which he can exploit, so he's off and running, competing against kids a quarter of his age. These include the annoying but endearing Chaitanya Chopra (Rohan Chand), a boy with a demanding, somewhat distant father. Despite being a wise ass and a potty mouth (as well as a man on a mission), Guy finds himself befriending the boy.

"Bad Words" is a gem for this viewer. On the surface, it would seem to be a standard tale of an ageing loser, with much of the raunchiness and vulgarity expected from that sort of thing. Well, the movie doesn't disappoint in that regard, but it also turns out to have a fair bit of heart, without going overboard on sentiment. Guy is an enigma for a long time, confounding the reporter (the sexy Kathryn Hahn) with whom he frequently ends up having sex. (During which she apparently doesn't like being looked at.) And the friendship that develops between the smart alecky adult and the earnest kid was written in an entertaining and convincing way. Not surprisingly, Guy introduces Chaitanya to such grown up delights as ogling breasts, as well as teaching him the joys of practical jokes.

The language is often colourful enough to generate some laughs, although "Bad Words" never does wallow in complete raunchiness or unpleasantness. The words chosen for the spelling bee are pretty damn amusing at times.

Bateman does a creditable job as director, as well as delivering an engaging performance. Hahn, Allison Janney, Philip Baker Hall, Ben Falcone, Steve Witting, Beth Grant, Anjul Nigam, and Bob Stephenson are among a rock solid supporting cast. Young Chand is very likable.

Overall, a smart, funny tale recommended to comedy lovers tired of the predilection towards political correctness in current times.

Eight out of 10.

The storyline allowed for a lot of funny moments and the movie definitely ran with it. It was hilarious and didn't stray from the plot to include any unneeded jokes (this is what draws me away from most comedies). The child, Chaitanya (Rohan Chand), was innocent and cute enough to provide a nice contrast to the unscrupulous Guy (Jason Bateman). With some heartwarming moments, this movie is more than just a rude comedy. The comedy is raunchy and vulgar though so it definitely takes a certain sense of humor to enjoy (sad to say that it is mine lol). Also, a little predictable, but that doesn't take away from the movie too much.

Its story can be a bit formulaic- but its charm unmeasurable- Bad Word is a hilarious and surprisingly entertaining little comedy that truly belongs in the hands of Bateman. Let me just start off by saying I absolutely loved Jason Bateman in this movie. He is so incredibly cruel and mean-spirited, and yet somehow manages to make his character so enjoyable to watch on screen- and I don't think a single other actor could have done that. Not to mention he also directed the film, which honestly, without his touch, could have been a lot more bland- and I love the way he balanced the script's themes throughout. Andrew Dodge wrote the script for this film and though its structurally a little bland- the dialogue is often genius and I loved every wisecracking minute it showed on screen. The cinematography is also quite unique as well, and the cast is all pretty solid. It may be obvious, but the film also does have a heart in the center of its hard core- and honestly surprised me by how much it was able to make me care for the characters at hand given the subject matter. It's a peculiar concept and a brilliant execution- Bateman makes this film what it is- and i'm so glad I finally gave it the chance it deserved.

My Rating: 9.3/10.

I feel compelled to review this because I believe some took this movie too personally, and thus rated it poorly.

If you are easily offended, you might be shocked or uncomfortable on several occasions. If you understand this is an artistic work of fiction, or if you like dark, sinister comedy, you can laugh at how this movie relentlessly pummels you with awkward moments. My advice is to cast away your moral standings in reality, and try see this movie from another perspective.

To be vague, it turns out there's a method to the madness towards the end. And for me, the underlying message made it worthwhile. Jason Bateman was incredibly convincing in this role!