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A Thousand Words

Play trailer Poster for A Thousand Words PG-13 Released Mar 9, 2012 1h 31m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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0% Tomatometer 57 Reviews 46% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Jack McCall (Eddie Murphy) is a selfish literary agent whose fast-talking ways allow him to close any deal. His next target is New Age guru Dr. Sinja (Cliff Curtis), but the savvy doctor sees right through Jack. A magical tree appears in Jack's yard, and, according to Dr. Sinja, the tree and Jack are connected; every time Jack says a word, a leaf falls from the tree. When the last leaf drops, Jack will die. With just a thousand leaves left, Jack must learn to curb his speech or he's a goner.
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Critics Consensus

Dated jokes (A Thousand Words was shot in 2008) and removing Eddie Murphy's voice -- his greatest comedic asset -- dooms this painful mess from the start.

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Critics Reviews

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Candice Frederick Reel Talk Online A disastrous comedy at times, with a few unexpected touching moments sprinkled throughout, A Thousand Words fails to come together like it should, and becomes a forgettable mess. Rated: C- Sep 8, 2017 Full Review Kimberley Jones Austin Chronicle The idea of Murphy, that famously motormouthed actor, suddenly tongue-tied is not a punchy enough punch line to carry a whole film. Rated: 2/5 Mar 16, 2012 Full Review Nell Minow Beliefnet It isn't a horrible movie, at least not in comparison to Norbit from the same star and director, but it is a dispiritingly dull and cynical one. Rated: C- Mar 12, 2012 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins While it's certainly not unwatchable, the mood is rather muddied and the laughs are never big. Rated: 5/10 Dec 2, 2020 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com One word will do - Sucks. Rated: 1.0/4.0 Sep 26, 2020 Full Review Micheal Compton Bowling Green Daily News None of it really works though. Instead of garnering laughs it only serves as a painful reminder on how funny Murphy can be when given the right material. Rated: F Apr 12, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ralph R A Thousand Words has a solid premise that could have been something special, but the execution feels shallow. The plot is unique and had the potential to explore deeper themes, but instead, it plays things too safe, relying on surface-level humor and predictable emotional beats. The directing feels uninspired, and while the pacing is decent, it never fully leans into the weight of its own concept. Cinematography is standard, nothing particularly memorable, and the visual storytelling doesn't do much to enhance the narrative. Eddie Murphy delivers a good performance, especially given how much he has to rely on physical expressions rather than dialogue, but the script lets him down. The writing lacks depth, missing opportunities to make the story more impactful. The comedy is fine, though nothing standout, and while there are moments of emotional sincerity, they don't hit as hard as they should. The soundtrack is forgettable, doing just enough to support the scenes without adding much character. Overall, it's an easy watch, but knowing how much more it could have been makes it feel like a missed opportunity. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/13/25 Full Review Nick R Who's stupid idea was it to make a movie where Eddie Murphy isn't allowed to talk? Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/14/25 Full Review Nick F The movie was good it had a great message and a great cast. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/14/25 Full Review M C I watched this a while back but just found out about the horrendous rating on here. This is a great movie. Definitely worth the watch and makes you stop and think about your words. Say what’s important. Life is too short. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/14/25 Full Review Philip O Honestly I don't get the hate, this movie was very meaningful and one of my favorite movies Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/29/24 Full Review chittrakorn t Don't know why people don't like this movie. It is pretty funny Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/16/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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A Thousand Words

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Movie Info

Synopsis Jack McCall (Eddie Murphy) is a selfish literary agent whose fast-talking ways allow him to close any deal. His next target is New Age guru Dr. Sinja (Cliff Curtis), but the savvy doctor sees right through Jack. A magical tree appears in Jack's yard, and, according to Dr. Sinja, the tree and Jack are connected; every time Jack says a word, a leaf falls from the tree. When the last leaf drops, Jack will die. With just a thousand leaves left, Jack must learn to curb his speech or he's a goner.
Director
Brian Robbins
Producer
Alain Chabat, Stephanie Danan, Nicolas Cage, Norman Golightly, Brian Robbins, Sharla Sumpter Bridge
Screenwriter
Steve Koren
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Work After Midnight Films, Paramount Pictures International, Saturn Films
Rating
PG-13 (Language|Dialogue|Sexual Situations|Some Drug-Related Humor)
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 9, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$18.4M
Runtime
1h 31m
Sound Mix
Datasat, SDDS, Dolby Digital
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