REVIEW: Bad Words

Courtesy of Focus Features

Jason Bateman has been working steadily in the entertainment industry since the early 1980s, so it shouldn’t come as a shock that his big screen directorial debut, the hilariously raunchy Bad Words, is such an effective comedy. He clearly spent a lot of his downtime on sets paying attention to the technical side of the creative process, as evidenced by the film’s rapid pacing and impressive production values put together on a modest budget.

Bateman also picked a winner for the lead role – himself. As Guy Trilby, the actor combines his affable appearance and sarcastic wit to portray an unapologetic jerk with no qualms about verbally and emotionally destroying anyone who gets in the way of his national spelling bee victory. That’s particularly troubling since Guy’s a 40-year-old competing against a bunch of eighth graders.

Trilby, exploiting a loophole he finds in the organization’s rulebook, is in the competition for mysterious reasons that he won’t even divulge to the reporter (Kathryn Hahn) who’s sponsoring him. He dominates the early rounds, destroying children’s dreams and getting chased out of town by enraged parents, while the bee’s leaders (Allison Janney and Philip Baker Hall) watch in horror as he gets closer to the finals.

Then something unexpected happens: the take-no-prisoners Guy finds himself flummoxed by his biggest threat. He should despise everything about Chaitanya Chopra (Rohan Chand), an awkward, overly cheerful 10-year-old who wants desperately to be his friend. But there’s something about him that Guy can’t pin down, which intrigues him. As they make their way toward the competition’s last leg, they forge an unlikely bond.

Bateman and Chand make a fantastic duo. The director got his start as a child actor (you may remember him from Little House on the Prairie or Silver Spoons), so it makes sense that he draws natural performances from Chand and his other young cast members. The supporting players deliver too, with strong work from Hahn, Hall, Janney, Ben Falcone and Rachael Harris.

Sure, the film – especially the central relationship – bears more than a few similarities to Bad Santa, but Andrew Dodge’s screenplay isn’t as mean-spirited as the Billy Bob Thornton flick. Not that Bad Words is the cinematic equivalent of a big hug. It’s rude and it’s filthy, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t uproariously funny.

Those with delicate sensibilities should probably stay away. But if your sense of humor leans toward the twisted side, I’ve got a feeling you’ll enjoy this one.

Bad Words is rated R for crude and sexual content, language and brief nudity.

Grade: B+