Bad Words

Jason Bateman makes his feature directorial debut and also stars in this crude, rude, and dark comedy about 40-year-old Guy Trilby (Bateman), a proofreader with a photographic memory, who takes advantage of a technical loophole in the rules of The Golden Quill national spelling bee and declares his eligibility because he never completed eighth grade. In the regional competitions, self-righteous parents are understandably angry when abrasive, yet verbally agile Trilby gleefully triumphs over their über-bright adolescents—many of whom have been studying assiduously for years—while the furious administrator, Dr. Deagan (Allison Janney), and dignified director, Dr. Bowman (Philip Baker Hall), do everything within their power to disqualify him. Trilby's merciless victories catch the attention of dowdy Jenny Widgeon (Kathryn Hahn), an online news reporter who is curious about his underlying motives. While on an airplane en route to the finals in Los Angeles, Trilby is befriended by polite, sweetly precocious contestant Chaitanya Chopra (Rohan Chand), whose father pressures him to win at all costs. Their clandestine evening excursions (which include shoplifting and vandalism)—set to the music of the Beastie Boys—are the epitome of inappropriately disreputable fun. Bateman obviously relishes his anti-hero's ferocious, foul-mouthed insults and mean-spirited intimidations in this subversive comedy that is possibly the most misanthropic since Bad Santa. An optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director and star Jason Bateman, “The Minds and Mouths Behind Bad Words” behind-the-scenes segment (11 min.), deleted and extended scenes (7 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an uneven comedy.] (S. Granger)