Rent Bad Words (2013)

3.3 of 5 from 120 ratings
1h 29min
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Synopsis:
Jason Bateman makes his feature directorial debut with the subversive comedy 'Bad Words'. Mr. Bateman stars as Guy Trilby, a 40-year-old who finds a loophole in the rules of The Golden Quill national spelling bee and decides to cause trouble by hijacking the competition. Contest officials, outraged parents, and overly ambitious 8th graders are no match for Guy, as he ruthlessly crushes their dreams of victory and fame. As a reporter (Kathryn Hahn) attempts to discover his true motivation, Guy finds himself forging an unlikely alliance with a competitor: awkward 10-year-old Chaitanya (Rohan Chand), who is completely unfazed by Guy's take-no-prisoners approach to life.
Actors:
, , , , , , , , Gwen Parden, , , , , , , , , , ,
Directors:
Producers:
Jason Bateman, Jeff Culotta, Sean McKittrick, Mason Novick
Narrated By:
Amanda Anka
Writers:
Andrew Dodge
Studio:
Universal Pictures
Genres:
Comedy
BBFC:
Release Date:
31/08/2015
Run Time:
89 minutes
Languages:
English Audio Description Dolby Digital 2.0, English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, German Dolby Digital 5.1, Italian Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, Turkish Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:
Arabic, Danish, Dutch, English Hard of Hearing, Finnish, French, German, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
DVD Regions:
Region 2
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen 2.40:1
Colour:
Colour
BBFC:
Release Date:
31/08/2015
Run Time:
89 minutes
Languages:
English Audio Description Dolby Digital 2.0, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French DTS 5.1, German DTS 5.1, Italian DTS 5.1, Japanese DTS 5.1, Spanish DTS 5.1
Subtitles:
Arabic, Danish, Dutch, English Hard of Hearing, Finnish, French, German, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen 2.40:1
Colour:
Colour
BLU-RAY Regions:
B
Bonus:
  • Deleted and Extended Scenes
  • The Minds and Mouths Behind 'Bad Words'
  • Feature Commentary with Director Jason Bateman

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Reviews (1) of Bad Words

Bad Words are funny but sometimes inappropriate. - Bad Words review by Strovey

Spoiler Alert
22/07/2020

Jason Bateman directs and acts in the film with the assurance of someone who has been in the ‘business’ since he was ten. Particularly in the comedy genre he is sure-footed and knows his way around. It helps he can call on Alison Janney and Kathryn Hahn as good ship-hands that obviously made sure any stormy waters were traversed with ease. Then throw in Philip Baker Hall and your main acting roles are safe and sound. The casting of the young genius could have been the weak link but luckily youngster Rohan Chand more than holds his own in what may have proved a problematical character.

All in all the sea Bateman chose to sail was familiar waters and if I had know beforehand he was directing a film, and the subject matter, I would immediately assume it was going to be at least watchable. The humour, as he described himself, was darker and more like his own humour but he said he does not like that style of humour if it comes from a mean place. The frankly horrid and disgusting put-downs only come when Trilby is provoked or attacked first. Except of course for two scenes when he wants to overcome particularly tough child opponents. Initially, without thinking, these scenes are funny but on reflection the meanness is all too obvious. I am overthinking but I could not help but remember the little girl and how Trilby nixed her. A scene suggested by Bateman, that the writer, Andrew Dodge, (in the video extras) thought was hilarious, but was it really that funny?

Comedy is meant to make you laugh and with some film-makers it can also hold a mirror up to us whilst we laugh, provoking different emotions and thoughts. Bad Words attempts to show the consequences of reneging on responsibility and to a lesser extent the futility of seeking a redemptive revenge although perhaps this is overly analytical as Bad Words is played almost entirely for laughs.

It does bother me that Guy Trilby’s quest makes sense in a ridiculous way and he redeems himself in the eyes of the audience with a touching end to the story, this truly can be called a trope. Yet there are still those two reprehensible acts that are enacted on very young children. These are never further addressed and appear to have no consequences for Bateman's character despite them being truly despicable, in one case surely causing serious problems within a family. Okay it is a comedy but why drive the character to these unlikeable actions to show how much he is prepared to go to win a competition against children, then redeem him at the end but have no conclusion for characters he has wronged in a very unnecessary manner? It is possible, Ricky Gervais did it recently, making his own character unlikable, albeit with an understandable reason, but still having a kind heart so that later he attempts to redress the balance. A bit 'heart string tugging' and possibly unlikely but needed for a horrible character that you want the audience to like. Guy Trilby only does this with Rohan Chand’s character and to a lesser extent two others that drive the story one, but that is it, peripheral characters can just cope with it. I think they were hoping the viewer would forget. It does seem a bit mean-spirited which is a shame in what at times is ostensibly a fun film.

Bad Words is a confusing film for me. I laughed at the running time and enjoyed the story and how it ended. Afterwards I thought about it more clearly.

Moral of the story? Do not think about films.

0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.

Critic review

Bad Words review by Michelle Sommerville - Cinema Paradiso

Forget political correctness, Bad Words is an outrageous dark comedy that has people talking. With Arrested Development’s Jason Bateman as the lead, history has shown you will either love it, or hate it - there is no in-between with his projects.

The film follows Bateman’s character Guy Trilby. He is forty years old, a school drop-out, and in all intents and purposes, a loser. Trilby manages to find a loophole that allows him to enter The Golden Quill, the largest spelling bee in America. Officials struggle to rein him in, parents fight for their thwarted children, and Trilby manages to find a friend in ten year old Chaitanya - an awkward competitor. Will the officials and parents succeed in removing him from the competition? And is there any chance for Trilby to change his crazy ways?

I first saw the trailer for this film while I was away on holiday, and I made sure to write down its title so I could look it up when I got home. In primary school, I was one of the top spellers out of all of the students, and have even participated in a spelling bee, so this film really interested me. I did not win, but rest assured, I will not be re-entering as an adult. The story is not what I have seen before, and - with the exception of its extensive use of course language - it was a refreshing change from the endless remakes.

Jason Bateman (who also directed the film) does an excellent job as the incredibly unlikable Guy Trilby. He was great in Arrested Development, but I feel his film pursuits have not been as successful. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

They always say never to work with kids, but Rohan Chand (who plays Chaitanya) shows that sometimes the kids can steal the show. For someone so young, he definitely seemed comfortable in front of the camera, and brought stark innocence to Trilby’s offensiveness.

Written by Andrew Dodge (also a feature film debut), the dialogue was quick and funny, with quite a few laugh out loud moments.

As I said before, Jason Bateman not only starred in the film, but he also directed it. While he did everything he was supposed to do, the cinematography wasn’t anything special, and you wouldn’t have known it was him without the credit.

Online and in-print reviews have been generally positive. However, for some, the jokes were offensive and the stereotypes were nothing but racist. The film failed to earn back its production budget, but DVD sales might eventually let it break even.

Its use of course language and adult themes makes it unsuitable for younger audiences, but should be nothing new to those of-age. You will either love it or hate it. I have given it four out of five stars because it is a new and interesting idea and worth a watch.

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