Vulgar Comedy On Netflix Is Iconic TV Star’s Directorial Debut

The screenplay for Bad Words was originally written by Andrew Dodge, and wound up being highlighted on the 2011 Black List, which showcases the best unproduced scripts in the industry each year. Jason Bateman’s agent happened upon the screenplay after the Arrested Development star expressed an interest in helming feature films, and the rest is history. Bateman and Dodge apparently worked together to refine certain aspects of the script before finalizing and heading into production, with a specific focus in toning down some of the more crass elements.

This should come as a real shock to people who have seen the film, as Bad Words is already extremely vulgar in its current state, rife with foul language, nudity, and occasional acts of cartoonish violence. The film centers on a positively miserable 40-year-old man named Guy Trilby, who exploits a strange loophole in a local eighth grade spelling bee, which allows him to participate against a panel of children. Needless to say, Trilby wipes the floor with his opponents using his superior middle-aged intellect, leaving the kids in tears and their parents enraged.

His success in this endeavor leads Guy to a national competition, normally reserved for the brilliant young minds on track to earn college scholarships and other academic accolades. As he continues pushing boundaries and infuriating the establishment, Guy is accompanied by a journalist named Jenny Widgeon, who believes that she can draft a career-making national news story out of this bizarre adventure.

Bad Words truly kicks into gear with the introduction of Chaitanya Chopra, an innocent and well-meaning 10-year-old participant in the national spelling bee who insists upon befriending Guy, and eventually strikes up an unlikely kinship with the misanthrope.

By the time Bad Words concludes, Guy completely corrupts the seemingly unimpeachable morals of this child, while pulling an even larger scheme on the company that runs the spelling bee. I won’t give away the ending here, but suffice is to say, the film does an excellent job of making this off-the-wall character absurd, endearing, and even roguishly likable. Jason Bateman leads the cast of the film as Guy Trilby, with supporting performances from Kathryn Hahn, Philip Baker Hall, Ben Falcone, Rohan Chand, and Mom‘s Allison Janney.

GFR SCORE

Bad Words received mixed reviews upon release, culminating in a 66 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Thanks to a limited release, the movie also failed to turn a profit at the box office. Regardless, I recall enjoying this one a lot upon release, and I feel that the movie still holds up today. Those interested in seeing this hilarious film should be sure to pull up Bad Words on Netflix … but if there are any children in the room, this one might be best saved for another occasion.