IMDb 5.9 2012 HD

A Thousand Words

A Thousand Words

2012
Comedy Drama Fantasy
91 min PG-13 USA
6.096 / 10
5.9 IMDB

Jack McCall is a fast-talking literary agent, who can close any deal, any time, any way. He has set his sights on New Age guru Dr. Sinja for…

Personnel // Cast & Crew

Director Brian Robbins / Lars P. Winther
Starring
Eddie Murphy / Kerry Washington / Cliff Curtis / Clark Duke / Allison Janney / Emanuel Ragsdale / Ruby Dee / Alain Chabat

How Viewers Describe This Film

Common themes and sentiments

comedic quirky frustrating thought-provoking predictable charming uneven earnest magical sentimental light-hearted disappointing

Reviews

S
Sophia Lee
Apr 25, 2026
2.0 / 5
2.0

The premise of 'A Thousand Words' is undeniably intriguing: what if every word you spoke cost you a piece of your life? Eddie Murphy stars as Jack McCall, a literary agent facing this fantastical dilemma. Unfortunately, the execution…

B
Benjamin Carter
Apr 25, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

Eddie Murphy delivers a performance that is both familiar and surprisingly nuanced in 'A Thousand Words'. The film's central conceit – a magical tree that wilts with every spoken word – is a clever narrative engine that forces…

I
Isabelle Dubois
Apr 25, 2026
2.0 / 5
2.0

'A Thousand Words' presents a high-concept premise with Eddie Murphy as a literary agent cursed to lose a leaf from a magical tree for every word he speaks. The intended comedy derived from his enforced silence is sporadically…

M
Marcus Bellwether
Apr 25, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

In 'A Thousand Words', Eddie Murphy finds himself in a peculiar predicament, and the results are a mixed bag. As the fast-talking Jack McCall, Murphy is tasked with communicating without speaking, a concept that provides ample opportunity for…

E
Eleanor Vance
Apr 25, 2026
2.5 / 5
2.5

Eddie Murphy leads 'A Thousand Words', a well-intentioned but ultimately uneven comedy drama. Murphy brings his signature charisma to Jack McCall, a literary agent whose life is abruptly curtailed by a magical tree that sheds leaves with every…

FAQs

The Bodhi tree serves as the central magical element and the literal ticking clock in 'A Thousand Words'. It's not merely a plot device but a potent symbol representing the protagonist's dwindling life force. Each falling leaf signifies a word spoken, directly linking Jack's verbosity to his survival, forcing him into a profound and urgent lesson about the value of silence and considered expression.