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The Words
By S. Jhoanna Robledo,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Teen-friendly romance is thoughtful but falls short.

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The Words
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Based on 2 parent reviews
Sex: 5/10 - Violence: 1/10 - Language: 7/10 - Drinking/Smoking: 8/10
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What's the Story?
Rory Jensen (Bradley Cooper) has longed to be a published writer for as long as he can remember. But the going has been tough. Writing his first book has taken years, and finding a publisher to take it on has proven nearly impossible. Then, on one of many sleepless nights, he finds an old manuscript hidden in an antique portfolio that his wife, Dora (Zoe Saldana), bought for him on their honeymoon. It's a masterful piece of writing, one he's tempted to adopt as his own. Rory's story unfolds within the context of another book, called The Words, written by famous writer Clayton Hammond (Dennis Quaid). Is it real, or is it fiction?
Is It Any Good?
You have to give props to a movie that dares to be thoughtful and thought-provoking; few aim squarely at these targets, so kudos for trying. But unfortunately THE WORDS falls short of its ambitions. To start, it's much too long at two-plus hours. Its riddle-wrapped-in-a-mystery plot has lots of threads to pursue, but it's still bloated (ironically, it should have had fewer words). When audiences have to peel through so many layers, you'd better be sure each one is worth the work -- and in this case, some of them aren't. Rory's story has a good hook, and viewers will likely even be intrigued when the purposefully vague "old man" reveals the movie's twist. But then that's followed by yet another twist, one which we no longer care to puzzle over -- not because it's so daunting, but because we've had enough.
This isn't the actors' fault. (Except for maybe Quaid, who's always likable but is also a little smarmy for his role, which needs more gravitas.) Cooper tries, and it's always great to run across Jeremy Irons. The Words is in some ways reminiscent of The Notebook, but the romance at the heart of this film's sad and troubled past is as stereotypically cinematic as they come. Heart-wrenching? Sure. Unique? No. Transcendent? Definitely not. Also, a movie about a novel that's meant to be an American classic ought to have words that burrow under our skin because they're so memorable. The little we hear barely makes an impression.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about choices. What are the consequences of the decisions we make? Why do you think Rory makes the choice he does? Is it understandable? Excusable?
What is The Words saying about the price of success? Is this a popular theme in movies? Why?
Movie Details
- In theaters: September 7, 2012
- On DVD or streaming: December 24, 2012
- Cast: Bradley Cooper , Dennis Quaid , Jeremy Irons , Olivia Wilde , Zoe Saldana
- Directors: Brian Klugman , Lee Sternthal
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Black actors, Latino actors
- Studio: CBS Films
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: History
- Run time: 96 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: brief strong language and smoking
- Last updated: September 12, 2023
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