Jason Bateman answers questions about his newest film, Bad Words
Question: What convinced you to both act and direct in this project, Bad Words?
JB: It was just the first time I had to do it, and that the community would let me and give me money for a movie. I’d basically been acting mostly for the last 15 to 20 years with the goal in mind to create enough capital, enough relevance, enough of a profile in the business as an actor to ask for the directing reins.
Things have been going well for the past few years, so they let me, specifically, direct this script. I have the same dark sense of humor, fortunately or unfortunately. It just really made me laugh, but I also knew that with the dark humor in the script came the obligation to counter-balance that with something a little bit more sophisticated and more human.
You’ve got to earn those big, uncomfortable comedic moments for people. Otherwise it feels gratuitous or arbitrary. It asked me to do a lot as an actor and a filmmaker to strike that balance.
Question: Did you and your editors try to keep the film more PG-13 and less R for the kids on the set?
JB: No, not really. This movie is a hard R. We didn’t surprise anyone on the set. Everybody gets the script before they decide they want to come in and audition for the movie. It’s their own choice.
There are things that I would not want to expose a kid to because of my own personal philosophies and tolerances with x, y and z. The stuff in this movie…while it’s eyebrow-raising at times…I have a bit of a violence issue. I think it’s tough for kids to see violence done as well as Hollywood can do it.
We can make it really convincing that a guy’s head gets blown off his body, and a lot of kids go and see those movies. I don’t know if kids can process mortality. But saying a dirty word here and there or looking at a woman’s breasts? Come on.
People are sunbathing without tops on in Europe, and that continent isn’t pumping out a bunch of adolescent murderers left and right. There’s a bit of a prudeness in this country at times.
Question: Your character projects a tough-guy exterior, but seems to have a soft interior. Did you ever change the dialogue to fit these different sides of his character?
JB: There were times when we were acting the scene, and it felt like it was a so sweet that I could go a little bit harder, or it was a little too hard so I could go a bit sweeter. You just kind of feel that. After we cut it all together you see all these scenes back to back, and there’s a rhythm to it.
Maybe you didn’t realize it when you were shooting it or reading the script, but maybe this whole section feels a little too caustic. You’re always trying to keep an eye on it. I didn’t want this film to feel gratuitous and unsupported by emotion and the hurt that this character is going through.
Question: Did your vision for the character of Guy change when you decided to take on the role yourself?
JB: Not really, no. I was adequately confident that I could make him likable enough only because I’ve been playing the straight man for a long time. So I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve about how to look vulnerable, doubtful and nervous. I knew you’d need to see some exposure of his core to make his prickliness palatable.
Question: You said you usually play a good guy, sweet character. Was it difficult for you to switch gears to play such jerk?
JB: I know how to be jerk. We all have this guy in us. You hope that you can keep this person under wraps and you’re not provoked to be like that. I understand a level of frustration and petulance that brings about your worst side.
I know what that is. I know what it’s like to be taxed and not to be your best. That’s just the part I had to get into before we shot each scene, and that’s the way I play all my characters. I just find that part of me and open it up.
Question: What films influenced Bad Words in terms of comedy and style?
JB: I’m a big fan of Paul Thomas Anderson Spike Jonze, David O. Russel, The Cohen Brothers and Alexander Payne. All of these guys have a muted sense of humor. Their films usually have an aesthetic that fits a subculture or a fringe society where people are a little more eccentric but are still believable – there’s no winking going on.
They’re dealing with pretty challenging, absurd situations where the stakes are very high. There’s usually not a lot of jokes in those movies. It’s just the cocktail between the eccentric people and absurd situation, and it’s a drama to everybody inside the movie.
Question: Did being a child actor before help you when casting for this film with Rohan Chand?
JB: Being a kid actor myself, I kind of remember what I felt like when I was giving my best performance, which was basically playing a character that’s close to me – somebody you don’t have to reach too far to be. In this case it was vital that this character be super sunny, have no judgment and sort of counterbalance the cynicism of my character.
This kid is the greatest kid you could ever meet:. He was so sweet and so smart and non-judgmental and happy to be there. That was a pretty easy decision to make.
Question: Is directing something you plan to continue to do in the future?
JB: I would direct full time if they would have me. It’s something that asks me to use everything I’ve soaked up in so many years of being an actor and to do everything that makes me really excited about what movies are, which is an experience for the audience.
I’d love to do directing full time or, probably more realistically, what would happen if I could rub a genie bottle and get my wish, it would probably something like what Ben Stiller, George Clooney and Ben Affleck do in that they split their time between the two and do both at the same time.
Question: Was it hard to keep a straight face with a cast of such comedic talent?
Answer: Yeah, it was very tough. Kathryn Hahn and I are really good friends, so it was kind of hard to hump away on your friend. There was a lot of nervous laughter there.
