Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily Entertainment GuideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsAsian Pacific American Heritage MonthSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Bad Words

  • 2013
  • R
  • 1h 29m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
57K
YOUR RATING
Jason Bateman in Bad Words (2013)
40-year-old Guy Trilby finds a loophole in the rules of the National Quill 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 attempts to discover his true motivation, Guy finds himself forging an unlikely alliance with a competitor: awkward 10-year old Chaitanya, who is completely unfazed by GuyÂ’s take-no-prisoners approach to life.
Play trailer1:39
33 Videos
57 Photos
Dark ComedyQuirky ComedyComedyDrama

A spelling bee loser sets out to exact revenge by finding a loophole and attempting to win as an adult.A spelling bee loser sets out to exact revenge by finding a loophole and attempting to win as an adult.A spelling bee loser sets out to exact revenge by finding a loophole and attempting to win as an adult.

  • Director
    • Jason Bateman
  • Writer
    • Andrew Dodge
  • Stars
    • Jason Bateman
    • Kathryn Hahn
    • Allison Janney
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    57K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Jason Bateman
    • Writer
      • Andrew Dodge
    • Stars
      • Jason Bateman
      • Kathryn Hahn
      • Allison Janney
    • 175User reviews
    • 125Critic reviews
    • 57Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 4 nominations total

    Videos33

    Trailer #2
    Trailer 1:39
    Trailer #2
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:34
    Official Trailer
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:34
    Official Trailer
    Clip
    Clip 0:52
    Clip
    Clip
    Clip 0:56
    Clip
    Clip
    Clip 0:51
    Clip
    Bad Words: Nipples
    Clip 0:52
    Bad Words: Nipples

    Photos57

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 52
    View Poster

    Top cast60

    Edit
    Jason Bateman
    Jason Bateman
    • Guy Trilby
    Kathryn Hahn
    Kathryn Hahn
    • Jenny Widgeon
    Allison Janney
    Allison Janney
    • Dr. Bernice Deagan
    Rohan Chand
    Rohan Chand
    • Chaitanya Chopra
    Philip Baker Hall
    Philip Baker Hall
    • Dr. Bowman
    Ben Falcone
    Ben Falcone
    • Pete Fowler
    Steve Witting
    Steve Witting
    • Proctor at Spelling Bee
    Beth Grant
    Beth Grant
    • Bedazzled Judge
    Gwen Parden
    • Brace Faced Girl
    Anjul Nigam
    Anjul Nigam
    • Sriram Chopra
    Allan Miller
    Allan Miller
    • Bald Glasses Judge
    Bob Stephenson
    Bob Stephenson
    • Bill Murhoff
    Patricia Belcher
    Patricia Belcher
    • Ingrid
    Matthew Zhang
    • Braden Aftergood
    Madison Hu
    Madison Hu
    • Ling Quan
    Michael Patrick McGill
    Michael Patrick McGill
    • Beet Red Father
    Judith Hoag
    Judith Hoag
    • Petal Dubois
    Rachael Harris
    Rachael Harris
    • Eric Tai's Mother
    • Director
      • Jason Bateman
    • Writer
      • Andrew Dodge
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews175

    6.656.7K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    9Allierubystein666

    Solid comedy- incredibly underrated

    Its story can be a bit formulaic- but its charm unmeasurable- Bad Word is a hilarious and surprisingly entertaining little comedy that truly belongs in the hands of Bateman. Let me just start off by saying I absolutely loved Jason Bateman in this movie. He is so incredibly cruel and mean-spirited, and yet somehow manages to make his character so enjoyable to watch on screen- and I don't think a single other actor could have done that. Not to mention he also directed the film, which honestly, without his touch, could have been a lot more bland- and I love the way he balanced the script's themes throughout. Andrew Dodge wrote the script for this film and though its structurally a little bland- the dialogue is often genius and I loved every wisecracking minute it showed on screen. The cinematography is also quite unique as well, and the cast is all pretty solid. It may be obvious, but the film also does have a heart in the center of its hard core- and honestly surprised me by how much it was able to make me care for the characters at hand given the subject matter. It's a peculiar concept and a brilliant execution- Bateman makes this film what it is- and i'm so glad I finally gave it the chance it deserved.

    My Rating: 9.3/10.
    7Spartan_1_1_7

    A decent feel-good comedy flick.

    Another comedy movie like "A Million days to die in the west" this year where the trailer made it out to be extremely funny but the movie itself was clearly not. Hopefully in this case, the movie itself was pretty good.

    Directed and Acted by Jason Bateman, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was more of a feel-good drama film instead of a comedy. There are some hilarious moments in it here and there, the movie can be offensive and abusive but hey, its name is "Bad words" so you kinda expect such things in it.

    I love Jason Bateman, he is a great actor. And damn he can be one hell of a DICK, like in this movie. He is portraying a character who is ruining spelling bee contests and can't be prosecuted because of a loop hole in the rules. Kind of a unique premise, especially as far as comedies go.

    Anyway, it is a decent feel-good comedy film. Worth a try, especially if you're a fan of Jason Bateman.

    7.2/10
    7ganpier218

    Off-color, refreshing, and gutsy

    I feel compelled to review this because I believe some took this movie too personally, and thus rated it poorly.

    If you are easily offended, you might be shocked or uncomfortable on several occasions. If you understand this is an artistic work of fiction, or if you like dark, sinister comedy, you can laugh at how this movie relentlessly pummels you with awkward moments. My advice is to cast away your moral standings in reality, and try see this movie from another perspective.

    To be vague, it turns out there's a method to the madness towards the end. And for me, the underlying message made it worthwhile. Jason Bateman was incredibly convincing in this role!
    6Fluke_Skywalker

    Not 'Bad'

    With a premise and character right in his wheelhouse, first time director and star Jason Bateman takes a script that could've been undermined by its clichés in the hands of a lesser talent and delivers an almost-winner with 'Bad Words'.

    On paper, Guy Trilby is one of the most unlikeable protagonists in recent film history, but Bateman is so skillful at these kinds of characters that you find yourself liking him despite your self. Talented co-star Kathryn Hahn provides a nice foil, and newcomer Rohan Chand is a dazzling breath of unpretentious fresh air as Guy's rival and eventual protégé.

    Though it never quite gels into something special, 'Bad Words' is a solid directorial debut for Bateman, and I look forward to seeing what he does next.
    7screensquatter

    Shamelessly funny

    The storyline allowed for a lot of funny moments and the movie definitely ran with it. It was hilarious and didn't stray from the plot to include any unneeded jokes (this is what draws me away from most comedies). The child, Chaitanya (Rohan Chand), was innocent and cute enough to provide a nice contrast to the unscrupulous Guy (Jason Bateman). With some heartwarming moments, this movie is more than just a rude comedy. The comedy is raunchy and vulgar though so it definitely takes a certain sense of humor to enjoy (sad to say that it is mine lol). Also, a little predictable, but that doesn't take away from the movie too much.

    More like this

    Extract
    6.1
    Extract
    This Is Where I Leave You
    6.6
    This Is Where I Leave You
    Identity Thief
    5.7
    Identity Thief
    The Switch
    6.1
    The Switch
    Horrible Bosses 2
    6.3
    Horrible Bosses 2
    Horrible Bosses
    6.9
    Horrible Bosses
    The Change-Up
    6.3
    The Change-Up
    Couples Retreat
    5.5
    Couples Retreat
    Office Christmas Party
    5.9
    Office Christmas Party
    The Longest Week
    5.4
    The Longest Week
    Game Night
    6.9
    Game Night
    The Family Fang
    6.1
    The Family Fang

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Directorial debut of Jason Bateman.
    • Goofs
      The definition for "Infinitesimally" is wrong. The word is an adverb; the definition given is for the adjective.
    • Quotes

      Guy Trilby: [to a mother who swore in the presence of Chai] Why don't you take your potty mouth, go locate your pre-teen cock-sucking son and stuff him back up that old blown-out sweat sock of a vagina and scoot off back to whatever shit-kicking town you came from!

    • Connections
      Featured in Chelsea Lately: Episode #8.38 (2014)
    • Soundtracks
      Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21, 1. Adagio Molto; Allegro Con Brio
      Performed by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic

      Written by Ludwig van Beethoven

      Courtesy of Sony Masterworks

      By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ20

    • How long is Bad Words?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 28, 2014 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Juegos de palabras
    • Filming locations
      • Sportsmen's Lodge - 12825 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA(hotel)
    • Production companies
      • Aggregate Films
      • Darko Entertainment
      • Digital Image Associates
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $10,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $7,779,614
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $113,301
      • Mar 16, 2014
    • Gross worldwide
      • $7,804,337
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 29 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Jason Bateman in Bad Words (2013)
    Top Gap
    What is the Japanese language plot outline for Bad Words (2013)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.