‘Bad Words’: Jason Bateman Revisits 8th Grade Spelling Bee In Hilarious New Comedy [Trailer + Pictures]

The trailer has just landed for new Jason Bateman comedy, Bad Words, which stars the Juno actor alongside Kathryn Hahn and Ben Falcone for a back-to-school riot. Bateman plays Guy Trilby, a 40 year-old who never completed his eighth grade of school and believes this qualifies him to exploit a loophole in a major spelling bee that states anyone above eighth grade can't compete.

Jason Bateman Plays Guy, A Guy With A Score To Settle.

Despite the annoyance of entrants' parents and contest officials, Guy resolutely forces his way into the competition and earns a place in the National Quill Spelling Bee. Along the way Guy meets a sparky little boy names Chaitainya who has no friends his own age and so is taken under Guy's unqualified and profanity-prone wing.

Watch The 'Bad Words' Trailer:

The movie promises plenty of hard, fast and perhaps even cheap laughs to make sure the audience are kept giggling throughout, but the true test for Bad Words will come when the audience has tired of the somewhat improbable premise and are left hungering for a little compassion and warmth in a movie that makes fun of an overweight 10 year-old.

Guy Forces His Way Into A Major Spelling Bee To Make Up For His Stunted Education.

After premiering at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, Bateman's directorial debut is set for a March 2014 release. Reviewers at September's festival found that the movie's riches lay in the unhinged attitude of Bateman's irresponsible reprobate of a character. "He pushes this new character to a level of remarkable despicability," says Collider, adding "Bad Words is a damn funny flick that plays it safe by the script, but hits hard with the jokes."

Film.com describes Bateman's Guy as "foulmouthed and mean-spirited," but remarks that even though there's "a handful of truly amusing sequences," the movie "is a little too dopey to take seriously" and "gets a little repetitive."

Bateman's Directorial Debut Is Full Of Guaranteed Giggles.

This is probably a movie for those who though Little Miss Sunshine was too smooshy and sentimental and needed more casual racism, crossed with the big scumbag/little scumbag effect of Jackass' Bad Santa. Bad Words will be released next March.