Known initially for his work on television — stretching all the way back to Little House on the Prairie and Silver Spoons in the early 1980s before landing a regular lead in the series Valerie and then coming to own a spot on the cult classic Arrested Development — Jason Bateman has now positioned himself as a go-to character actor in film with a wry, dark sensibility that can be played for twisted laughs or daring drama. Bad Words, his feature film debut behind the camera, also places him front and center as a spelling bee loser who exploits a loophole in the rules in order to win the contest as an adult. Expect very good results from Bad Bateman as he reluctantly bonds with a spelling newbie (Rohan Chand) enroute to a raunchy and raucous final. Opens wide March 28. (R) Not screened in time for review
