Bad Words

About Bad Words

Explore:

• About
• Making / Production
• Actors
• Trivia / Interesting Facts
• Awards
• Quotes
• Music
• Soundtrack

About

Bad Words is a 2013 comedy film directed by Jason Bateman. The movie follows a middle-aged man named Guy Trilby, played by Jason Bateman himself, who finds a loophole in the National Quill Spelling Bee rules and participates in the competition as an adult. Guy's controversial presence in the competition causes uproar and controversy, especially with the bee's director, portrayed by Allison Janney.

The film delves into Guy's backstory and the reasons behind his disruptive behavior. Along the way, he befriends a young contestant named Chaitanya Chopra, played by Rohan Chand, and together they form an unlikely bond. Bad Words explores themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the power of personal connections.

Making / Production

Bad Words was Jason Bateman's directorial debut. He was initially attracted to the script written by Andrew Dodge because of its unconventional and darkly comedic nature. The film was produced by Bateman's production company, Darko Entertainment, along with Aggregate Films and MXN Entertainment.

The production took place primarily in Los Angeles, and Bateman aimed for a raw and gritty visual style to match the edgy tone of the film. The screenplay underwent several revisions throughout the production process to further refine the humor and character dynamics.

Actors

• Jason Bateman as Guy Trilby – He portrays the main character, a middle-aged man with a chip on his shoulder.
• Allison Janney as Dr. Bernice Deagan – She plays the director of the National Quill Spelling Bee.
• Rohan Chand as Chaitanya Chopra – He portrays the young spelling bee contestant who befriends Guy.
• Kathryn Hahn as Jenny Widgeon – She plays a reporter who becomes intrigued by Guy's story.
• Philip Baker Hall as Dr. Bowman – He portrays the founder of the spelling bee.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The film was shot in just 29 days due to the limited budget.
• Jason Bateman received the script for Bad Words while filming another project and immediately became interested in directing it.
• Bad Words premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.
• Jason Bateman and Rohan Chand had to build trust and rapport quickly during filming to accurately portray their character dynamics.

Awards

Bad Words received several nominations and awards, including the People's Choice Award for Favorite Dramatic Movie at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.

Quotes

• "You know, sometimes, if you don't have anything nice to say about someone, you don't say anything at all... you just go ahead and say it anyway." - Guy Trilby
• "You're just a dumb Indian kid who can barely string three words together." - Guy Trilby
• "Next time, try harder not to suck so hard." - Guy Trilby

Music

The musical score for Bad Words was composed by Rolfe Kent. The soundtrack features a blend of energetic and comedic tracks that enhance the film's tone and pacing.

Soundtrack

• "Sing, Sing, Sing" – Benny Goodman
• "Yo Vivire" – Celia Cruz
• "Vienna" – Billy Joel
• "Fight the Power" – Public Enemy
• "A Crazy Game" – Rolfe Kent