Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/299379
APRIL 23-29, 2014 UCW 25 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Bad Words (89 minutes) is the sort of middle-of-the-road independent flick that I look forward to reviewing as a change of pace from microbudget horror movies. Without the visual distractions practically demanded by a big-budget film it is easier to concentrate on the writing and acting. Unfortunately, in this case, both fell a teensy bit short of my expectations. Sorry, first time director Jason Bateman. I wanted to love your film. Instead, I just liked it. And from the look of the box office, a lot of people are in agreement. It was hard to find details on what this cost to make but it cost $7 million for Focus Features to buy the international distribution rights, and as of April 6, gross income was just shy of $6 million. At the end of the day, I'm pretty sure nobody is going to lose any money, but it's not going to break any box office records, either. Guy Trilby (Jason Bateman) opens the film with a bit of exposition about his immaturity and bad decision making skills. This transitions to his encounter with a parent at the fictional Golden Quill National Spelling Bee during a qualifying round. It is pretty clear that Bateman has been waiting his whole life to engage in some gleeful meanness as he goes to town on the poor father who dares to attempt first contact with a few conversation openers. Of course, that man didn't realize that Guy was there to compete, and once the rest of the audience discovers this, the scene shifts to Guy successfully using legalese to dazzle the moderators attempting to dissuade him. For those of you who care, one of the moderators is perennial television guest star and constant background character actor, Beth Grant. Enter Jenny Widgeon (Kathryn Hahn, who I keep mistaking for Ana Gasteyer). Jenny is a reporter, that for reasons never really made clear, is fulfilling a spelling bee requirement that each contestant be sponsored by a national news organization. This, by the way, is the first example of using the Scripps National Spelling Bee for inspiration while sacrificing the actual rules to plot requirements. Yes, I looked that up because I am a big nerd. Anyway, Guy joyfully points expletive filled diatribes at anyone who questions his motives or tries to engage him in normal human interaction. For most, one conversation is enough. But fellow competitor Chaitanya Chopra (Rohan Chand, Jack and Jill) pursues a friendship despite all Guy's attempts to avoid him. Once the two of them start hanging out together, the film goes back and forth between raunchy and improbable, flirting with the possibility that there is more to the kid than meets the eye. Meanwhile, the spelling bee director Dr. Bernice Deegan (Allison Janney) is waging a secret war against him. Since she is a bully, you know her plan is not going to work. Deegan is not the only one trying to talk Guy out of competing — Dr. Bowman (Philip Baker Hall) is one of the people in charge, providing sports-style commentary as spellers attempt words, and he doesn't like Guy. Honestly, by the end of the film I didn't like Guy much either — he is way more fun at the beginning. At the end of the day, this is just one more cutesy story of a redemption. Overall, if you must see one spelling bee based movie this year you should probably go watch 2002's documentary, Spellbound. If you are an irredeemable nerd like myself and you've already seen that, give Bad Words a chance, if it is still taking up theater space the next time you want to watch a spelling bee movie. It's pretty fun to watch the rapid fire delivery of insults to children offered up to the comedy gods. Screenwriter Andrew Dodge created dialogue influenced by the current zeitgeist, and Bateman's deadpan delivery really works. It's Not Mean Enough Bad Words (Rated R) by HEATHER GRIFFITHS HEATHER GRIFFITHS, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upand- comingweekly.com. 910.484.6200. You're Invited! Friday May 3, 2013 6:30—11:30 pm Register at LungCancerInitiativeNC.org Tickets: $40 per person Cocktail Attire Fayetteville Lung Cancer Gala & Auction Join us in the battle against lung cancer and be a part of this magical night. Tickets include hors d'oeuvres, wine and beer, music, a silent auction and Chinese raffle. Benefiting the Lung Cancer Initiative of North Carolina. Evening of Evening of Evening of Hope Shriners Club 4461 Cameron Rd Hope Mills, NC Saturday May 3, 2014 6:30 - 11:30 pm Shriners Club Register at www.LungCancerInitiativeNC.org Tickets: $40 per person Cocktail Attire Lung Cancer Initiative of North Carolina is dedicated to decreasing deaths to lung cancer and helping patients live longer and better through research awareness and advocacy. 4461 Cameron Rd Hope Mills, NC April 17–May 4 Hitchcock meets Hilarious For information or tickets, call 910-323-4233 or go to cfrt.org at Cape Fear Regional Theatre! Directed by Nick Minas