The Words

Name: The Words
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Romance
Released: September 7, 2012
Duration: 97 min
Rating: 37
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde, Zoe Saldana

2012

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 30 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 103 Ratings

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6.7

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6.7	Your Score
6.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 103 Ratings

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The Words

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Movie Details & Credits

CBS Films | Release Date: September 7, 2012 | PG-13

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde, Zoe Saldana

Summary: The Words follows young writer Rory Jansen who finally achieves long sought after literary success after publishing the next great American novel. There’s only one catch – he didn’t write it. As the past comes back to haunt him and his literary star continues to rise, Jansen is forced to confront the steep price that must be paid forThe Words follows young writer Rory Jansen who finally achieves long sought after literary success after publishing the next great American novel. There’s only one catch – he didn’t write it. As the past comes back to haunt him and his literary star continues to rise, Jansen is forced to confront the steep price that must be paid for stealing another man’s work and for placing ambition and success above life’s most fundamental three words. (CBS Film)… Expand

Director: Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Romance

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 97 min

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Critic Reviews

Steven Rea

Sep 6, 2012

Amazingly, though, Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal, cowriters and codirectors of The Words, have the audacity - and the skill sets - to pull this all off. They wrest emotional truth out of hokum. They also wrest intelligent, nuanced performances from their cast. Read full review

Ella Taylor

Sep 7, 2012

The Words founders on a spurious dichotomy between love and art. Which is a pity, because the movie is smart and persuasive on the casually incremental way in which plagiarism becomes an option for people like Rory - and perhaps for anyone. Read full review

Adam Litovitz

Sep 7, 2012

The Words suggests that a story, whether true or not, can help get us through, if we believe it enough. Though this film can't quite pull it off, a good enough thief can get away with it. Read full review

Mary Pols

Sep 6, 2012

For a tale of thieving, The Words plods along. Not that a literary heist is as exciting as a bank robbery, but there's a remarkable lack of tension in this story. Read full review

Betsy Sharkey

Sep 6, 2012

It's a snooze. Read full review

Jen Chaney

Sep 6, 2012

A well-acted but narratively limp indie that's undermined by a failure to connect emotionally with its audience. Read full review

Nathan Rabin

Sep 5, 2012

The idiotic melodrama The Words is a maddening contradiction: a film about the publishing industry and a great literary fraud that doesn't have a literary bone in its body or a thought in its pretty, empty little head. Read full review

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User Reviews

Bobby64

Sep 18, 2012

My wife and I saw the "The Words" today. There are no sex scenes, no fantastic chase scenes, no animation, no cutseu little kids. None of these...just a great story, with great dialog and characters so real they came out of the screen to share the popcorn. Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons,My wife and I saw the "The Words" today. There are no sex scenes, no fantastic chase scenes, no animation, no cutseu little kids. None of these...just a great story, with great dialog and characters so real they came out of the screen to share the popcorn. Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde, and Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde, and Zoe Saldana earned every dime they were paid for bringing these characters, and this story to life.… Expand

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

busbfran

Feb 2, 2015

Emotionally Gut ranching and magnificently written. A cast full of A listers transforms The Words into one of the smartest and engaging films. The Words is worth all your time.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Kiva

Jul 9, 2013

The Words is a story of three authors which one wrote a story of another. It is a smart and interesting plot with a combination of great actors. Zoe Saldana and Bradley Cooper gave a great performance to that film. It had a great atmosphere and what was happening on the film was overallThe Words is a story of three authors which one wrote a story of another. It is a smart and interesting plot with a combination of great actors. Zoe Saldana and Bradley Cooper gave a great performance to that film. It had a great atmosphere and what was happening on the film was overall interesting. I didn't get bored and watching The Words will make you feel sad, happy and proud in a strange way that you will enjoy that film. I can't understand the bad reviews again. This film was a quality drama with a qualified and skillful cast. Thumbs up!… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

hoops2448

Sep 2, 2013

Panned by critics, I didn't hold out much hope for The Words, a three generation story filled with nuanced characters and some truly great dialogue that brings out a wonderfully creative story that may make you cringe from time to time but mainly it will make you ponder how moral you reallyPanned by critics, I didn't hold out much hope for The Words, a three generation story filled with nuanced characters and some truly great dialogue that brings out a wonderfully creative story that may make you cringe from time to time but mainly it will make you ponder how moral you really think you are. When an acclaimed author Clay (Dennis Quaid) is introduced to Daniella (Olivia Wilde), a young woman who wants to hear his latest story about a down on his luck writer Rory Bradley Cooper) who steals an old man (Jeremy Irons) story and must deal with the consequences, Daniella and Clay must decide what lives they want to live and who they want to be moving forward. An in depth look into love and obsession but most of all the power of admiration and the lengths we will take to give and receive it. The Words is understandably obsessed with paying tribute to the power of the written word and the great words that come from writers with something to say and maybe that's why the script by Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal is so good as every story has a personality while they play into each other. The performances are mostly great except for the constantly awful Zoe Saldana as Rory's irritating partner. The standouts are Quiad and Irons as two haunted men, one wrapped up in his own guilt and success, the other mourning the life he once had and failed to find again. It's a complex story that is filled with emotion, some overplayed but most of it hitting the mark making for a wonderful, if not a little upsetting movie that really gets to the centre of peoples wants and desires as it tells us its alright to dream of becoming more.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

analogkid280

Sep 16, 2012

A weak 6 not a strong one. It has the worst ending in Hollywood history! You are sitting there mildly enjoying this movie and then barf! The movie just stops. This movie has one redeeming quality that maintains my attention and makes this movie worth watching. That is the Dennis QuaidA weak 6 not a strong one. It has the worst ending in Hollywood history! You are sitting there mildly enjoying this movie and then barf! The movie just stops. This movie has one redeeming quality that maintains my attention and makes this movie worth watching. That is the Dennis Quaid factor. That man is the worst actor I have ever seen! I just love watching his movies just like I like watching train wrecks. I have seen that man march across frozen tundra, get punched by schizophrenic aliens, even get eaten by Jaws. I can surely watch him do what he does best... stand up in front of a podium like a stiff board and read from a teleprompter.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

GreatMartin

Sep 7, 2012

7 of 7 users found this helpful70

jwalshct

Jan 1, 2013

This is one of the worst films I have ever seen. I had to watch it to the end to see how bad it would be and it really was terrible. Not one of the portrayals rang true. Every major player looked like they were out for an easy payday. The post war locales in France were laughable. TheThis is one of the worst films I have ever seen. I had to watch it to the end to see how bad it would be and it really was terrible. Not one of the portrayals rang true. Every major player looked like they were out for an easy payday. The post war locales in France were laughable. The storyline was totally unbelievable. All of the players have done some fine work in the past, but this really stinks.… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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