Jason Bateman’s comedy effort well-done, sharp
Jason Bateman’s directorial debut also has the “Arrested Development” actor starring as Guy Trilby, a profane, socially awkward 40-something who infiltrates the American national spelling bee for reasons that are not apparent at first. Guy has read every word of the bee’s guidelines and has managed to find a loophole that allows him to compete in the tournament, which is intended for children. Much to his annoyance, he is followed around by a journalist named Jenny (Kathryn Hahn, “We’re the Millers”) who is fascinated by the unique story. As much as Jenny prods, Guy keeps his personal life and the explanation for his vendetta against the bee to himself. He does not want her to hang around except for the times he wants to sleep with her, which she thinks will make him reveal more. Guy is so focused that he only uses her for his basic sexual urges.
An adorable, chipper Indian boy named Chaitanya (Rohan Chand, “Lone Survivor”) tries to befriend the viciously snide and just plain cruel Guy. Guy speaks his mind at every moment, whether a child is in front of him or not. Chaitanya’s wide-eyed optimism does not move Guy in the slightest. Both of them are incredibly gifted at spelling, and it is obvious from the beginning that the two will make it far into the competition.
When the bee gets to the championship, the parents of the young contestants protest to the president of the organization, Dr. Bernice Deagan (Allison Janney,“The West Wing”). They are outraged that this insolent adult is corrupting what they view as a sacred tradition, one that they and their children have prepared years for. Dr. Deagan places her job on the line and declares that she will find a way to disqualify Guy from the competition.
Bateman perfectly casts himself in the lead role. All of the characters on “Arrested Development” were self-centered, opportunistic people, but he was the one with the strongest moral compass. In “Bad Words,” Guy is the dark, cynical, nasty side of Michael Bluth. He retains the dry delivery and sharp wit of Michael but increases all the negative qualities that he tried to suppress on the show in order to show his family he could be better than them. Rohan Chand has Annoying Movie Child Syndrome, but it is put to comic effect. He finds the right balance of cuteness and innocence but never realizes he is funny. Like Roger Ebert used to say, a man who knows he is wearing a funny hat is not as funny as someone who does not realize he is wearing a funny hat.
The film resembles in many ways another “Bad” film, the 2003 black comedy “Bad Santa.” In that film, another adult male with a W.C. Fields-like name, Willie T. Stokes, played brilliantly by Billy Bob Thornton, has to deal with an annoying kid who does not realize the reality of their situation. Willie plays Santa Claus every year at a shopping mall and robs the place on Christmas Eve. Both Willie and Guy sabotage a cherished aspect of American youth and tarnish it for their own gratification. While “Bad Words” is nowhere near as hilarious as “Bad Santa” (a high bar to meet, being one of the funniest films of the past decade), it is sufficiently crass and funny with just a smidgen of heart towards the end. First-time director Bateman directs the 89-minute film nicely. It does not cry out to be seen in theaters; it is the type of film one stumbles upon on cable and says, “That was good.”