Jason Bateman Hates On Kids, Debuts As Director In ‘Bad Words’ [Video]

You know those actors who become directors and start off their careers by making really obvious, contrived inspirational movies about themselves and kids? Well Jason Bateman is not one of those actors. Instead he’s making his directorial debut with Bad Words, where he plays a grown man who enters a spelling bee for children. Cos he’s a dick.

Bateman is actually a favorite of mine, despite the fact that he often shows up in terrible movies. Underneath it all I recognize a good actor who is pretty phenomenal at playing really, really pent up, angry dickheads. Like Michael in Arrested Development. 

In Bad Words, he plays a 40-year-old man who exploits a loophole in order to enter and win children’s spelling bees. It looks pretty hilarious but also like the trailer might be hiding something from us.

Apparently, Bateman has always wanted to be a director. I have a feeling this is going to be another strong directorial debut from an actor-turned-director, much like Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Don Jon from the end of last year. We’ll see.