Bad Words (2014)

Just because you can do something, does that mean you should? In March 2014, we watched as Guy didn’t break the rules… he just used them to get what he wanted.

Directing this 89 minute comedy is Jason Bateman.

Spelling everything out for us is: Jason Bateman as Guy Trilby, Kathryn Hahn as Jenny Widgeon, Rohan Chand as Chaitanya Chopra, Philip Baker Hall as Dr. Bowman, Allison Janney as Dr. Bernice Deagan and Steve Witting as Proctor at Spelling Bee.

Guy Trilby is on a mission, but doesn’t believe being in his 40’s will be a disadvantage in the slightest. Guy shares this mission with others that have the same goal, to win. Guy will have to hold his own in a head-to-head, heated competition… in the National Quill Spelling Bee. You see, Guy found a loop hole in the rules, and used them to his advantage to gain entrance to the kids spelling Bee. Who knew being an eighth grade dropout would pay off in the long run?

So Jason Bateman steps up and takes a swing at directing. I have to say, for a directorial debut it’s not a home run, but it’ll get the crowd on it’s feet. What you need to know right off the bat (last baseball reference I promise) is that it’s a darker comedy. So it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you like twisted humor, then drink up and enjoy.

The storyline that writer Andrew Dodge came up with is good and different. It was kind of nice watching something that wasn’t recycled or rebooted left overs. Here you get to watch a guy grow as a person (slowly, mind you) while still not being a serious movie. The script is filled with comedy and Bateman delivers the laughs with great timing, which made for a awesome playthrough. Watching Bateman play a character that’s such an ass to everyone around him was fun to watch. I’m use to seeing a fun and friendly side of Bateman so this was a great change up for me. Don’t get me wrong, the rest of the cast did a great job also, and I have to give props to Chand, the kid can act.

 

Summary : It's a great uncomfortable comedy because you can't believe all the crap Guy is doing. It's just a giant train wreck that you can't look away from, and can't wait to see what happens next. Making this one definitely worth catching and worth the money. After this one I'm hoping Bateman finds another project real soon and keeps doing the whole directing/starring thing some more.

It's rated R for language and nudity.


Rating


Average

4